Cory Monteith, dead at 31.
July 15, 2013 7:43 AM Subscribe
Cory Monteith, star of Glee, was found dead yesterday in a Vancouver hotel room.
Although it will take some time for the autopsy results to become available, the police do not suspect foul play, and most media outlets have been referring to Monteith's history of substance abuse as a likely cause of his unexpected death. Unlike many other young stars, his struggle with addiction began long before fame hit, as he first recounted to Parade Magazine in 2011. This past March, he voluntarily checked into rehab for a second stint. After the release of the article, he spoke with George Stroumboupoulos to discuss his reasons for disclosing his past mistakes in such a public way.
Early during the show's first season, Monteith recorded a video diary of his first trip to New York City.
Poor Frankenteen. Listening to Q's re-airing of their only interview with him.
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posted by Kitteh at 7:49 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by Kitteh at 7:49 AM on July 15, 2013
Also listening to Q right now. I never watched Glee, but Cory sounded like a bright, interesting guy who was always struggling to find his way.
The archived Q interview is here.
posted by maudlin at 7:52 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
The archived Q interview is here.
posted by maudlin at 7:52 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's always shocking when someone so young and so in the public's eye dies suddenly. A terrible loss for his friends, family, and those he touched with his work.
posted by xingcat at 7:55 AM on July 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 7:55 AM on July 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
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posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:02 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:02 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:03 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:03 AM on July 15, 2013
He was very talented. My whole family enjoys Glee together.
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posted by Cookiebastard at 8:03 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by Cookiebastard at 8:03 AM on July 15, 2013
I only know him from the parts of Glee I've seen (and apparently according to a filmography Kyle XY - where, in hindsight, he showed that playing the asshole jock and the soul-searching jock well is actually quite impressive as I'd forgotten that was him) but reading about his personal struggles this weekend touched a nerve. Yes, the 'downward spiral that comes with instant fame' is a sad, often-heard tale, and I don't mean to dismiss the problems of others, but his 'long history of substance abuse' that apparently was the same, no matter his changing circumstance, hits me more deeply.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:04 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:04 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think one of the most shocking things about the death of young, talented stars like Monteith is that it reminds you both that fame and fortune have no bearing on one's underlying happiness, and that one can have an exquisite facade and demons underneath.
Monteith talks a lot about his past, and his struggle to reconcile himself with it. With the benefit of hindsight you can read a lot into how he juggles his public facade, who he is and who he wants to be.
As an aside it is horribly ironic that towards the end of the interview linked in the FPP, Monteith - a drummer as well as an actor - is asked who his favourite drummer is. Of the two options, John Bonham and Keith Moon were both dead at 32. Hard to watch in the light of recent events.
RIP Cory Monteith. He seemed like a smart, likeable, self-aware guy with an openness that Hollywood tends to coach out of young stars. It would have been interesting to have seen what a post-Glee career might have been for him.
posted by MuffinMan at 8:08 AM on July 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
Monteith talks a lot about his past, and his struggle to reconcile himself with it. With the benefit of hindsight you can read a lot into how he juggles his public facade, who he is and who he wants to be.
As an aside it is horribly ironic that towards the end of the interview linked in the FPP, Monteith - a drummer as well as an actor - is asked who his favourite drummer is. Of the two options, John Bonham and Keith Moon were both dead at 32. Hard to watch in the light of recent events.
RIP Cory Monteith. He seemed like a smart, likeable, self-aware guy with an openness that Hollywood tends to coach out of young stars. It would have been interesting to have seen what a post-Glee career might have been for him.
posted by MuffinMan at 8:08 AM on July 15, 2013 [8 favorites]
I learned about this in a weird way. I was out all day yesterday, and while running an errand in the afternoon my dad called. It's always noticeable when he calls early in the day, and sometimes it means something serious has happened. When I answered, the first thing he said was "Are you in mourning?" He said it in a not-quite-flip tone, but off enough that I could tell he was talking about a celebrity death. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, because I hadn't been online all day. "Cory Monteith is dead," he told me. It was a bit odd that he would make a point of calling me just to share that information, because while I enjoyed the show's first season a lot, I haven't watched it in some time, so I wasn't sure what he was getting at, exactly.
"That's horrible," I said.
"Are you ready for something else?" he asked.
And then he told me that a girl I knew growing up had killed herself, jumped off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on her way to check into the hospital for suicidal thoughts. She skipped the exit for the hospital, and just drove a few miles further until she stopped. And it is a very weird experience, having heard about these two deaths at the same moment. The girl, I knew-- but I knew her as a baby, and as a toddler, and as a five year old who liked to play dolls with my younger brother. I never knew her as the troubled adolescent and grownup she became. If I mourn the child, then that's not quite right-- but I don't know the woman who killed herself, so I don't know how to cry for her.
Then again, and needless to say: I didn't know Cory Monteith even that much. He is an actor I have never met. But through the total strangeness of television and fame, I feel, wrongly, like I knew him better. I watched him pretend to be a conflicted teenager, so it feels like I knew something about him, even though I totally do not. And these two deaths are now woven together in my mind and my sadness, and that feels like an injustice to both of them.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:16 AM on July 15, 2013 [27 favorites]
"That's horrible," I said.
"Are you ready for something else?" he asked.
And then he told me that a girl I knew growing up had killed herself, jumped off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on her way to check into the hospital for suicidal thoughts. She skipped the exit for the hospital, and just drove a few miles further until she stopped. And it is a very weird experience, having heard about these two deaths at the same moment. The girl, I knew-- but I knew her as a baby, and as a toddler, and as a five year old who liked to play dolls with my younger brother. I never knew her as the troubled adolescent and grownup she became. If I mourn the child, then that's not quite right-- but I don't know the woman who killed herself, so I don't know how to cry for her.
Then again, and needless to say: I didn't know Cory Monteith even that much. He is an actor I have never met. But through the total strangeness of television and fame, I feel, wrongly, like I knew him better. I watched him pretend to be a conflicted teenager, so it feels like I knew something about him, even though I totally do not. And these two deaths are now woven together in my mind and my sadness, and that feels like an injustice to both of them.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:16 AM on July 15, 2013 [27 favorites]
I went to "Showtunes Sunday" at my favorite local bar last night, and they ended with "Don't Stop Believing" from the first episode of Glee. It felt like we all sang it a little louder for him.
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posted by dnash at 8:22 AM on July 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
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posted by dnash at 8:22 AM on July 15, 2013 [5 favorites]
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(He was found dead on Saturday, July 13, not Sunday, July 14.)
posted by purpleclover at 8:33 AM on July 15, 2013
(He was found dead on Saturday, July 13, not Sunday, July 14.)
posted by purpleclover at 8:33 AM on July 15, 2013
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He was both a skilled and talented dude, and he played the cute, endearing character of Finn very well. Hugs to y'all, and please pass those hugs along to anyone in the fandom who might want 'em.
posted by NoraReed at 8:49 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
He was both a skilled and talented dude, and he played the cute, endearing character of Finn very well. Hugs to y'all, and please pass those hugs along to anyone in the fandom who might want 'em.
posted by NoraReed at 8:49 AM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I always felt bad for him as the cast of Glee got more talented and they started making more jokes about him being a bad dancer. It seemed unfair of the writers.
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posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:51 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:51 AM on July 15, 2013
It's always so shocking to me when I hear of someone my own age's death.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 8:54 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by CrazyLemonade at 8:54 AM on July 15, 2013
It never dawned on me until I was in the midst of my periodical re-watching of Stargate Sg-1 that I had seen Mr. Monteith prior to his breakout success on Glee. Behold, Cory Monteith playing a "younger, edgier" version of Ben Browder's Cameron Mitchell!
Also of note, Monteith played a virtually no-name Stargate Atlantis bad guy's soldier, too.
His Glee character's earnestness helped to sell the show at the outset. I don't think without his Finn to transition from the football jock to the choir singer in love with the "nerdy?" Rachel, the show would have been anywhere nearly as successful.
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posted by Atreides at 9:07 AM on July 15, 2013
Also of note, Monteith played a virtually no-name Stargate Atlantis bad guy's soldier, too.
His Glee character's earnestness helped to sell the show at the outset. I don't think without his Finn to transition from the football jock to the choir singer in love with the "nerdy?" Rachel, the show would have been anywhere nearly as successful.
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posted by Atreides at 9:07 AM on July 15, 2013
This Washington Post blog article has some nice youtube links to some of his best Glee performances.
posted by gudrun at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by gudrun at 9:13 AM on July 15, 2013
Not a "Glee" fan (no problem with sing-a-longs, just not a fan of the show itself), but this is awful news. Poor guy.
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posted by grubi at 9:18 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by grubi at 9:18 AM on July 15, 2013
(jeez, just realized how self-centered it was of me to mention my opinion of the show in this thread. Sorry about that.)
posted by grubi at 9:19 AM on July 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by grubi at 9:19 AM on July 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Addiction is just the fucking worst.
My husband is a recovering addict and a lot of the people in his meetings regularly complain about their friends and family saying things like, "It's just pot, man," or "Can't you just have a couple of beers?" Every time there is a high profile relapse like this, I think about the pressure these people must face, immersed in virtually unlimited funds, working irregular and frequently exhausting schedules, surrounded by people who weren't around to witness what it was like when they were actively using, facing constant public commentary on their appearance and talent. It's got to be very, very difficult to stay clean. I'm sad for him and the people who loved him.
posted by something something at 9:22 AM on July 15, 2013 [20 favorites]
My husband is a recovering addict and a lot of the people in his meetings regularly complain about their friends and family saying things like, "It's just pot, man," or "Can't you just have a couple of beers?" Every time there is a high profile relapse like this, I think about the pressure these people must face, immersed in virtually unlimited funds, working irregular and frequently exhausting schedules, surrounded by people who weren't around to witness what it was like when they were actively using, facing constant public commentary on their appearance and talent. It's got to be very, very difficult to stay clean. I'm sad for him and the people who loved him.
posted by something something at 9:22 AM on July 15, 2013 [20 favorites]
So weird social media thing, which I mean no disrespect for Mr. Monteith by bringing it to the thread but it's interesting in a "this is the time we live in" way -- "Pacific Rim" had been trending on Twitter since Sunday AM, which seemed odd to me, given that the movie itself didn't meet box office hopes.
A quick click through helped me realize that Monteith was found dead at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel Vancouver and a good number of the tweets contained that detail, so tragic breaking news was mixed in with 140 character reviews of the monster vs. robot extravaganza.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
A quick click through helped me realize that Monteith was found dead at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel Vancouver and a good number of the tweets contained that detail, so tragic breaking news was mixed in with 140 character reviews of the monster vs. robot extravaganza.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:37 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
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Unfortunately, I cringe thinking about the tone deaf way Glee will handle the Finn character next season. Will he have been killed off in Iraq over the summer? Will he have just moved away somewhere? It's awful to think about his girlfriend and friends acting through that, but I can't expect those show runners to do anything respectful or not trite.
posted by pineappleheart at 9:44 AM on July 15, 2013 [9 favorites]
Unfortunately, I cringe thinking about the tone deaf way Glee will handle the Finn character next season. Will he have been killed off in Iraq over the summer? Will he have just moved away somewhere? It's awful to think about his girlfriend and friends acting through that, but I can't expect those show runners to do anything respectful or not trite.
posted by pineappleheart at 9:44 AM on July 15, 2013 [9 favorites]
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posted by SillyShepherd at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by SillyShepherd at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2013
He brought such a pure, sweet quality to his character on Glee, something you don't see all that much on TV. Glee is too often about the cheap-shot snark or the cheap-shot heartstrings-pulling, but Finn always seemed removed from that. The way he portrayed his journey from a jock who was uncomfortable with his gay stepbrother to someone who would defend him from other jocks was lovely.
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posted by lunasol at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
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posted by lunasol at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Also, I gotta ask: I never watched Stargate. Is this how the dialogue always is, or was it some sort of winky special episode?
posted by lunasol at 9:49 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by lunasol at 9:49 AM on July 15, 2013
Also, I gotta ask: I never watched Stargate. Is this how the dialogue always is, or was it some sort of winky special episode?
Special winky episode, though not the only time they did a special winky episode. It's the 200th episode of the series, which featured a series of mostly hilarious vignettes of potential new ways of reinventing the show. Monteith appeared in what I would call the "CW show" suggestion, which was slightly ironic since he was then cast in a show about high school choir members that had a sense of over the top drama.
posted by Atreides at 10:00 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Special winky episode, though not the only time they did a special winky episode. It's the 200th episode of the series, which featured a series of mostly hilarious vignettes of potential new ways of reinventing the show. Monteith appeared in what I would call the "CW show" suggestion, which was slightly ironic since he was then cast in a show about high school choir members that had a sense of over the top drama.
posted by Atreides at 10:00 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately, I cringe thinking about the tone deaf way Glee will handle the Finn character next season.
I see what you did there.
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posted by Melismata at 10:54 AM on July 15, 2013
I see what you did there.
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posted by Melismata at 10:54 AM on July 15, 2013
I really cringe for poor Lea Michele. I can't imagine what it would be like for her to go to work after that. They seemed so happy together.
posted by sweetkid at 11:00 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by sweetkid at 11:00 AM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by toerinishuman at 11:37 AM on July 15, 2013
posted by toerinishuman at 11:37 AM on July 15, 2013
I'm sad that I knew nothing of Cory Monteith beyond what I've seen in this post, because he came across as a deeply thoughtful and self-aware dude in that interview clip. Addiction, I know at first hand, is a brutal unforgiving killing-voice that operates inside us, and it's absolutely wretched when the annihilating blackness returns.
Also, I've never heard of George Stroumboupoulos before, but man, that's how you do an interview: what a great, sensitive, smart interlocutor he was for Monteith.
posted by hydatius at 11:43 AM on July 15, 2013
Also, I've never heard of George Stroumboupoulos before, but man, that's how you do an interview: what a great, sensitive, smart interlocutor he was for Monteith.
posted by hydatius at 11:43 AM on July 15, 2013
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posted by arcticseal at 12:01 PM on July 15, 2013
posted by arcticseal at 12:01 PM on July 15, 2013
The fandom's been reeling for the last couple of days over this - no matter how anyone felt about the character of Finn, pretty much everyone liked Cory as a person. He always came across as sincere, authentic, and a genuinely wonderful person in every way.
It's such a blow because it seemed like the show was really starting to do wonderful new things with Finn and Cory's career in general was looking poised for real takeoff. Such an awful loss of a really bright talent and good person.
posted by angeline at 12:17 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's such a blow because it seemed like the show was really starting to do wonderful new things with Finn and Cory's career in general was looking poised for real takeoff. Such an awful loss of a really bright talent and good person.
posted by angeline at 12:17 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by angelchrys at 12:23 PM on July 15, 2013
posted by angelchrys at 12:23 PM on July 15, 2013
I always felt bad for him as the cast of Glee got more talented and they started making more jokes about him being a bad dancer. It seemed unfair of the writers.
There's something I read once as a remembrance/observation of David Foster Wallace, who was a champion junior tennis player before becoming an acclaimed writer as an adult - that he even walked with the joy of a former athlete, as though anything physical was a pleasure (this is a serious paraphrase) - that's how I thought of Cory with the dancing. Not sure if he was an athlete, but he had that look of a naturally physical/athletic guy who just had fun with a new way to move around, even if he wasn't a great dancer.
I watched the show for stuff like that and just the fact that Lea Michele seems to love singing more than most people like anything.
posted by sweetkid at 12:24 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
RIP, Cory. We will miss you.
Glee meant and continues to mean a great deal to a lot of people. People who are vulnerable, or felt that way at some point. Fandom has always been a coping mechanism for many, particularly kids; Glee is one of those fandoms that become part of one's identity, at least for a while.
It's almost heartbreakingly sweet to see other fandoms come together to stand with the Gleeks.
posted by fatehunter at 12:41 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Glee meant and continues to mean a great deal to a lot of people. People who are vulnerable, or felt that way at some point. Fandom has always been a coping mechanism for many, particularly kids; Glee is one of those fandoms that become part of one's identity, at least for a while.
It's almost heartbreakingly sweet to see other fandoms come together to stand with the Gleeks.
posted by fatehunter at 12:41 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately, I cringe thinking about the tone deaf way Glee will handle the Finn character next season.
I don't know, I seem to remember that News Radio and 8 Simple Rules dealt with the unexpected deaths of Phil Hartman and John Ritter with real sensitivity. Not to mention the very lovely way that Sesame Street dealt with the death of Mr. Hooper.
This was such very sad news when I read it on Saturday night. Rest in peace.
posted by triggerfinger at 12:48 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't know, I seem to remember that News Radio and 8 Simple Rules dealt with the unexpected deaths of Phil Hartman and John Ritter with real sensitivity. Not to mention the very lovely way that Sesame Street dealt with the death of Mr. Hooper.
This was such very sad news when I read it on Saturday night. Rest in peace.
posted by triggerfinger at 12:48 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm not a fan of Glee, but on hearing this on the radio my first thought was "Wow, they have a 31 year old playing a freaking teenager on television?"
posted by I am the Walrus at 1:19 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by I am the Walrus at 1:19 PM on July 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
I loved the pilot of Glee. Loved it unabashedly. It hit all the right notes, and seemed to be a story about hungering for greatness, only to be stuck in circumstances that preclude it, but trying anyway. And so much of that story hung on the performance of Mr. Monteith as Finn, who was as close to perfect casting as you could get. Sure, he couldn't sing as well as some of the other actors, but he also didn't exude that annoying, overly polished technique that a lot of those Broadway types exude. He had rough edges and passion, which is exactly what the character called for.
I had some actorly inclinations back in high school, and so I guess the story of a kid who loves to sing and perform had some appeal to me. I watched the pilot in secret, without telling the wife (who had no such performance inclinations), since I thought she might think it was dorky or dumb, but after watching it I sat her down and watched it again (although I pretended it was the first time, if memory serves), and she loved it to. There's just something about that "Don't Stop Believin'" climax that gave me goosebumps, and I don't want to say it was all Finn/Cory, but it sure as hell lived or died on him, and he pulled it off. It made me wish I was 17 again, and nothing does that. I hated being 17.
Of course, then the show slowly morphed into that weird Frankenstein monster where the plot fit itself around the songs, instead of vice versa, and the characters could act completely different from not only show to show, but from scene to scene. Sue Sylvester started chewing scenery and developing sudden, irrational hatred for people, only to fall in love with them the next minute. And Will started rapping, which is where it all died for me.
But, man, that pilot.
I would have loved to see a show that more accurately reflected that pilot. I probably would have stuck around a lot longer than I did. (I think I made it somewhere just past the mid-season "finale.") But more than that, as most of us do, I have family who struggle(d) with addiction, and my heart goes out to Cory's family and loved one. Maybe if we had a more rational drug policy in this country, maybe if he had the proper support network, maybe if he hadn't been so famous, maybe, maybe, maybe... All I know is that he had a hell of a lot of talent, and people who loved him, but he couldn't hold back his demons.
I read somewhere yesterday that he was only weeks away from getting married. I haven't seen that fact repeated anywhere, but this whole situation has tragedy written on it in so many ways.
posted by gern at 1:31 PM on July 15, 2013 [16 favorites]
I had some actorly inclinations back in high school, and so I guess the story of a kid who loves to sing and perform had some appeal to me. I watched the pilot in secret, without telling the wife (who had no such performance inclinations), since I thought she might think it was dorky or dumb, but after watching it I sat her down and watched it again (although I pretended it was the first time, if memory serves), and she loved it to. There's just something about that "Don't Stop Believin'" climax that gave me goosebumps, and I don't want to say it was all Finn/Cory, but it sure as hell lived or died on him, and he pulled it off. It made me wish I was 17 again, and nothing does that. I hated being 17.
Of course, then the show slowly morphed into that weird Frankenstein monster where the plot fit itself around the songs, instead of vice versa, and the characters could act completely different from not only show to show, but from scene to scene. Sue Sylvester started chewing scenery and developing sudden, irrational hatred for people, only to fall in love with them the next minute. And Will started rapping, which is where it all died for me.
But, man, that pilot.
I would have loved to see a show that more accurately reflected that pilot. I probably would have stuck around a lot longer than I did. (I think I made it somewhere just past the mid-season "finale.") But more than that, as most of us do, I have family who struggle(d) with addiction, and my heart goes out to Cory's family and loved one. Maybe if we had a more rational drug policy in this country, maybe if he had the proper support network, maybe if he hadn't been so famous, maybe, maybe, maybe... All I know is that he had a hell of a lot of talent, and people who loved him, but he couldn't hold back his demons.
I read somewhere yesterday that he was only weeks away from getting married. I haven't seen that fact repeated anywhere, but this whole situation has tragedy written on it in so many ways.
posted by gern at 1:31 PM on July 15, 2013 [16 favorites]
"I seem to remember that News Radio and 8 Simple Rules dealt with the unexpected deaths of Phil Hartman and John Ritter with real sensitivity. "
Except in this case his RL significant other would be asked to act-mourn the death of a fictional BF who was played by her real BF. How messed up.
And since I stopped watching Glee early-mid second season because the writing was so atrocious, I'm leery of how the producers will handle this real-life tragedy.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:22 PM on July 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
Except in this case his RL significant other would be asked to act-mourn the death of a fictional BF who was played by her real BF. How messed up.
And since I stopped watching Glee early-mid second season because the writing was so atrocious, I'm leery of how the producers will handle this real-life tragedy.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:22 PM on July 15, 2013 [4 favorites]
I always admired Monteith because he came from such difficult circumstances; no one could ever claim that he got where he was through anything but talent and hard work. I also admire any addict who is sober - it's so hard. I don't know what happened, but I keep being sad that whatever he needed to stay sober wasn't there.
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posted by jb at 4:27 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by jb at 4:27 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
This has affected me far more than I expected it to. It just seems so unfair. I know it sounds crass, but I think of the antics and craziness of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and the fact that they're still out there and Cory isn't, it just bugs me.
I mean, obviously I didn't know him. But he seemed like this very regular guy who just happened to get famous. When he checked into rehab I didn't even know he had a [current] problem. There didn't seem to be any rumors or whispers of him working high or drunk or whatever.
I quietly hope that the reason for his death is not drugs or alcohol, but something odd, like an aneurysm or something. I know odds are not in favour of that, and I don't know why I care, but I do.
posted by aclevername at 5:24 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
I mean, obviously I didn't know him. But he seemed like this very regular guy who just happened to get famous. When he checked into rehab I didn't even know he had a [current] problem. There didn't seem to be any rumors or whispers of him working high or drunk or whatever.
I quietly hope that the reason for his death is not drugs or alcohol, but something odd, like an aneurysm or something. I know odds are not in favour of that, and I don't know why I care, but I do.
posted by aclevername at 5:24 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
I just googled his audition video and it is easy to find. And adorable.
posted by sweetkid at 7:18 PM on July 15, 2013
posted by sweetkid at 7:18 PM on July 15, 2013
You hear from your parents' generation about when JFK was shot, when Lennon died; I didn't expect that there would be such a regular stream of sad news about young people gone too soon.
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posted by slightlybewildered at 9:06 PM on July 15, 2013
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posted by slightlybewildered at 9:06 PM on July 15, 2013
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He did amazing singing work on that show, and I felt for his character, and he sounded like a nice dude IRL. I am sorry his previous troubles caught up with him again on this level. Poor Lea Michelle, they seemed happy together as well. What a waste.
Yeah, I kinda hope it was a random aneurysm too.
It'll be interesting to see what they do on the show. I kinda have the feeling they'll all discuss what to do IRL and then do a singalong mourning episode, because that seems to be how those folks roll anyway. And Finn will probably have died in a random car crash or something.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
He did amazing singing work on that show, and I felt for his character, and he sounded like a nice dude IRL. I am sorry his previous troubles caught up with him again on this level. Poor Lea Michelle, they seemed happy together as well. What a waste.
Yeah, I kinda hope it was a random aneurysm too.
It'll be interesting to see what they do on the show. I kinda have the feeling they'll all discuss what to do IRL and then do a singalong mourning episode, because that seems to be how those folks roll anyway. And Finn will probably have died in a random car crash or something.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on July 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
It would be appropriately meets for Glee to do a non-musical episode dealing with it. It's the only thing that doesn't seem crass. How to portray Rachel dealing with it, though... I don't even know.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:37 AM on July 16, 2013
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:37 AM on July 16, 2013
I haven't watched Glee in a few years, but if she is also his girlfriend on the show (and I guess even if she isn't), I think it would be most appropriate if they write a storyline that just leaves her out of the whole episode and have the characters just refer to her, to spare her the pain of having to act through it.
Also, did anyone watch Good Times? When the father James died on the show, it was an excellent episode showing the raw grief of his wife. I think it became kind of famous - I can still remember her shouting "DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!" and choking up as a child watching it. I can't remember if the actual actor died or if his character was just killed off.
Also, how TV shows have dealt with the death of an actor.
posted by triggerfinger at 6:29 AM on July 16, 2013
Also, did anyone watch Good Times? When the father James died on the show, it was an excellent episode showing the raw grief of his wife. I think it became kind of famous - I can still remember her shouting "DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!" and choking up as a child watching it. I can't remember if the actual actor died or if his character was just killed off.
Also, how TV shows have dealt with the death of an actor.
posted by triggerfinger at 6:29 AM on July 16, 2013
I'm so very saddened by this news.
posted by kbennett289 at 11:07 AM on July 16, 2013
posted by kbennett289 at 11:07 AM on July 16, 2013
Shit.
The BC Coroners Service says Cory Monteith died of “a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol.” The results of an autopsy and toxicological analysis were released on Tuesday afternoon.posted by maudlin at 2:07 PM on July 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
“It should be noted that at this point there is no evidence to suggest Mr. Monteith’s death was anything other than a most-tragic accident,” read a news release issued by the BC Coroners Service, which is continuing its investigation and will issue a Coroners Report once the investigation is concluded.
I've been watching Glee since it started... there have been ups and downs over the seasons, but the core group of characters have done a fantastic job. There have been times when they covered "issues" where I thought they did a fantastic job, and times when I cringed. Cory/Finn has had a pivotal role in bringing some important messages to a lot of young people. As someone who works with kids, I thank him for that. My condolences to his family and those that loved him. I sincerely hope those in charge find a kind, compassionate, and meaningful way to make this transition in the show.
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posted by HuronBob at 7:51 PM on July 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by HuronBob at 7:51 PM on July 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
From Mefi's own Maias: How addiction treatment killed Cory Monteith.
posted by purpleclover at 2:03 PM on July 28, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by purpleclover at 2:03 PM on July 28, 2013 [6 favorites]
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posted by sweetkid at 7:47 AM on July 15, 2013 [19 favorites]