Glee Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Glee Wiki

Cory Allan Michael Monteith (May 11, 1982 – July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor, singer, and drummer best known for his portrayal of the role of Finn Hudson on Glee.

Personal life

CoryM as a baby

Monteith was born in Calgary, Alberta to Ann McGregor and Joe Monteith. He has an older brother named Shaun. He grew up in Victoria, British Columbia.[1] His parents divorced when he was 7, and by 13, Monteith—once a promising student who at age 5 could read at a fourth-grade level—was skipping school to get drunk and smoke pot.

Monteith estimates that by the age of 16, when he quit for good, he had attended 12 different schools, including alternative programs for troubled teens.[1] At that point, Monteith turned to drugs.[1] He got his act together and began having odd jobs, which included being a roofer, Wal-Mart greeter, school bus driver, and taxi cab driver.

He reunited with his father for the first time in 17 years in late 2009.[1]

CoryM

Monteith received a high school diploma from an alternative school he attended in Victoria, British Columbia in the spring 2011.[1]

Monteith’s mother and a group of friends staged an intervention when he was 19 after he “used anything and everything.” The rehab treatment was unsuccessful and he went back to his old habits.[1] After stealing a significant amount of money from a family member, and being caught, he was given an ultimatum: Get clean, or the family member would report him to the police and press charges. Choosing the get clean option, Monteith moved in with a family friend in the small Canadian city of Nanaimo, where he quit using drugs, got a job as a roofer and began the process of rebuilding his life.[1]

Monteith had admitted himself into a treatment facility for substance addiction on March 31, 2013.[2] The treatment was reported to be completed on April 26, 2013.[3]

Death

Being Found Dead/Lea's Reaction

Monteith was found dead in a room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada on July 13, 2013.[4] His autopsy was held on July 15, and it was confirmed that his death was caused by toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.[5]

Monteith had been in a relationship with ‘’Glee’’ co-star, Lea Michele, until his unexpected death in July 2013.[6] He and Michele briefly dated at the beginning of Glee, but "no one really caught on."[7] They officially became a couple by late 2011.[7]

Monteith was privately cremated on July 16, 2013, in attendance was Michele, his mother, and his brother.[8] On October 3, 2013, the coroner’s report was released to reveal that his death was accidental. He also had codeine and morphine in system, and drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, along with two empty champagne bottles.[9]

Following his death, Michele added a new song to her album titled "If You Say So," which had been his last words to her. The song is about Michele's reaction to the news of his death, and was co-written by singer Sia Furler.[7]

Michele confirmed in December 2013 that she and Monteith had secret, matching tattoos.

In April 2017, Michele wrote another song about Monteith, stating it is a follow up from her previous song about him, "If You Say So", including the lyrics about his final days, saying his final days were the hardest, but she didn't think they would be his last.[10]

Career

Monteith had a stint as the drummer in the band, Porchlife, in 2001.[11] Porchlife was based out of Victoria, Canada and he mentioned it once in an interview with GQ.[12] The band recorded six songs and only one was released for public - until December 2013.[12][13] A person managed to "get in contact with someone who had all of the songs recorded by the band," and that person released the songs on their tumblr page in order to share with the fandom.[12]

He played minor roles in Final Destination 3, Whisper and Deck the Halls, had a recurring role in Kyle XY and also appeared in Smallville, Supernatural, and Flash Gordon. In 2007, he starred in the MTV series Kaya. In 2009, Monteith was cast in the Fox series Glee, playing Finn Hudson, the male lead of the glee club and the quarterback of William McKinley High School. For his audition tape, he drummed on Tupperware using unsharpened pencils. The first time he sang in front of an audience was at his in-person audition, at which he sang "Honesty" by Billy Joel. He and Lea Michele, his Glee co-star, were included in Entertainment Weekly's 2009 "Summer Must List," being named "Summer's Must Songbirds" for their portrayals of Finn and Rachel on Glee, respectively.

In 2011, he starred alongside Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, and Katie Cassidy in the comedy movie Monte Carlo.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Stargate Atlantis Genii Private Episode: "The Storm"
2005 Killer Bash Douglas Waylan Hart TV movie
Young Blades Marcel Le Rue Episode: "To Heir Is Human"
Supernatural Gary Episode: "Wendigo"
Killer Instinct Windsurfer Bob Episode: "Forget Me Not"
Smallville Frat Cowboy Episode: "Thirst"
2006 Bloody Mary Paul Zuckerman
Final Destination 3 Kahill
Deck the Halls Madison’s Date
Whistler Lip Ring Episode: "The Burden of Truth"
Stargate SG-1 Young Mitchell Episode: "200"
Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep Michael TV movie
2006–2007 Kyle XY Charlie Tanner 7 episodes
2007 Flash Gordon Ian Finley Episode: "Life Source"
Hybrid Aaron Scates TV movie
Kaya Gunnar 10 episodes
White Noise 2: The Light Scooter Guy
Gone Davis Calder Short Film
The Invisible Jimmy
Whisper Teenage Boy
2008 Fear Itself James Episode: "New Year's Day"
The Boy Next Door Jason TV movie
2009 Mistresses Jason TV movie
The Assistants Shane Baker Episodes: "Rehab," "The Star"
2009–2013 Glee Finn Hudson Main role
2010 The Simpsons Flynn Voice role, Episode "Elementary School Musical"
2011 The Cleveland Show Finn Hudson Voice role, Episode "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?"
2011 Breaking the Girl
2011 Monte Carlo Owen
2012 The Glee Project Himself
2013 All The Wrong Reasons James Ascher
2013 McCanick Simon Weeks

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Result Notes
2009 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actor Breakout Star Male Nominated Glee
2010 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
Hollywood Style Awards Male Future Style Icon Award Won
Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Comedy Actor Nominated
Choice Smile Nominated
2011 Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Comedy Actor Won
Summer: Movie Star Male Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by na Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2012 People's Choice Award Favorite TV Comedy Actor Nominated
Do Something Awards TV Star: Male Won

Quotes

I wonder if, in China, they have Canada Town. Am I the first person who has thought that before?

—Cory Monteith


Evolved? As a dancer? Me? I don’t fall down as much, unless it’s part of the scripted dance. I don’t step on other people’s toes anymore. I think if I started the show a one out of ten dancer, now I am a two and a half.

—Cory Monteith


Instant hard on.

—Cory Monteith


I figure the only reason people get up this early is to prove a point or fly to New York.

—Cory Monteith, on waking up at 5AM


There is a way out. You never know what’s in store for you.

—Cory Monteith


Best advice my mom gave me? Believe in yourself. Work hard. Never stop hustlin'.

—Cory Monteith


Finchel Is Forever.

—Cory Monteith


Love is how you stay alive even after you're gone.

—Cory Monteith


Just be you, that's good enough for me.

—Cory Monteith


Trivia

  • He was 6 feet, 3 inches tall.
  • His zodiac sign was Taurus.
  • He had one older brother named Shaun Monteith.
  • His hobbies included snowboarding and traveling.
  • He started playing drums when he was 7.
  • He played drums for the indie band called Bonnie Dune.
  • His audition song for Glee was Honesty by Billy Joel.
  • He liked Italian Food.
  • The first time he cried like a little girl was a production of Equus.
  • His favorite color was blue.
  • His favorite sports were hockey and basketball.
  • His first car was a 1972 Dodge Colt.
  • He wanted to go to Eastern Europe.
  • His favorite video game was Call of Duty 4.
  • He often joked with Lea Michele about marrying each other, such as when they said that they were taking pictures for their "save the date" wedding. At one time, they let it slip that Glee was like their little baby.
  • He was the one who gave Lea Michele her twitter name. (@msleamichele)
  • He loved using the flipcam.
  • He was good friends with Lea, Dianna and Mark.
  • He had a tribal tattoo on his upper arm.
  • His Twitter name was @frankenteen, which had been a nickname given to Finn in Acafellas by character Dakota Stanley, but he changed it to @CoryMonteith.
  • He had earrings when he was 17.
  • He was on the cover of Gay Parade.
  • He supported Vancouver Canucks & was a proud Canadian.
  • Lea Michele sometimes called him CoMo (Cory/Monteith), according to a tweet.
  • He went all naked for the film "Bloody Mary."
  • He was able to do an Australian Accent.
  • He once played a prank on Lea. He told Lea that she accidently scratched his car with her car, but the scratch on Cory's car was actually a sticker. When he peeled it off, Lea threw a sandwich at him.
  • He played a character similar to Finn on The Simpsons.
  • He was the Grand Marshall at the Grey Cup Parade in Vancouver, BC.
  • He had to dye his hair to hide his gray hair.
  • He had a very unnoticeable stutter in some interviews.
  • Hosted the 2012 GLAAD awards with co-star, Naya Rivera.
  • He used to be blond as a kid.
  • He was the tallest Glee Cast member.
  • He thought Lea Michele has the best body of all the Glee Cast. He also thought she was the nerdiest of the cast.
  • He was also known as the dorkiest Glee cast member.
  • He once went to a tanning salon.
  • He didn't take a shower for a week due to camping.
  • He was a drummer in a band called Bonnie Dune.
  • He was closest to his mother.
  • His dream trip was somewhere in Eastern Europe.
  • He was a baritone but has hit the tenor C twice in Time Warp and Marry You.
  • He was described by fellow castmate Darren Criss as "a gentleman and a scholar."
  • He was rated #60 on "BuddyTV's Sexiest Men of 2012." Source
  • He was a guest mentor on The Glee Project, episode 3 "Vulnerability."
  • He presented with the Olympic Gymnast Gabby Douglas award for 'Favorite Male Athlete' at 26th Kids' Choice Awards 2013.
  • His favorite curse word was "f**k".
  • The Westboro Baptist Church - a religious hate group- wanted to protest against his funeral, however, fortunately, Cory's funeral was in Canada and Canada set up an entry ban to keep the WBC out, so therefore, they didn't show up.
  • His mother used to call him “Baby Bear”.

Gallery

Videos

References

Advertisement