'Glee' says goodbye to Cory Monteith's character

LOS ANGELES - Television musical comedy series "Glee" bid farewell on Thursday to Finn Hudson, the hunky, kind-hearted jock played by the late Cory Monteith, offering up songs, remembrances and plenty of tears while sidestepping the question of how his character died.

Fans had waited to see how the Fox television show would address the loss of one of its founding cast members following Monteith's death in July from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol at age 31.

In an episode called "The Quarterback," the writers of a show that often delves into serious topics chose not to use Monteith's death to send a message about drug abuse, and did not provide a cause of death for his character.

The show began the story three weeks after Finn's funeral with his stepbrother Kurt (Chris Colfer) preparing to attend a memorial service at McKinley High, the school where the series is set.

"Everyone wants to talk about how he died, too, but who cares?" Kurt said. "One moment in his whole life. I care more about how he lived."

Finn was a central character on the show, a high school football star turned choir member who defended the school's misfits and played an integral part in advancing the series' theme of tolerance.

"Glee" star Lea Michele, who was dating Monteith in an off-screen romance at the time of his death, appeared near the end of the hour-long episode, singing the Bob Dylan song, "Make You Feel My Love" while tears streamed down her face. Her character, Rachel Berry, had dated Finn on the show.

"Glee" premiered in 2009 and instantly became a hit and a pop culture phenomenon, with motivational storylines, upbeat musical numbers and a diverse young cast playing popular and oddball school students who come together in a musical choir group. The show has won Golden Globes, Emmys and Peabody awards.

Monteith had talked publicly about his struggles with substance abuse and was in rehab as recently as April. He was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room in July. Canadian authorities said he died from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol.

"Glee" cast members appeared in a public service announcement that aired at the end of Thursday's episode. "Our friend Cory didn't look or act like an addict. He was happy, successful and seemingly had it all," actress Jane Lynch said, before a phone number appeared to connect viewers with treatment options for addiction.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by John Stonestreet)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Glee' cast, producers hold private memorial for Cory Monteith

LOS ANGELES - "Glee" cast, crew and producers held a private memorial on Thursday for star Cory Monteith, the 31-year-old heartthrob who died this month from an overdose of heroin and alcohol.

Fox Television said in a statement that "Glee" co-creator Ryan Murphy and Monteith's co-star and girlfriend Lea Michele joined their colleagues "to share memories and music in an emotional celebration of the life of Cory Monteith."

Fox declined to provide additional details.

The actor played high school jock-turned-show-choir-member Finn Hudson, a member of the ensemble cast that performed song and dance routines.

Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room on July 13 from a "mixed-drug toxicity involving heroin and alcohol." Canadian authorities said Monteith's overdose was likely unintentional.

The actor had publicly discussed his struggles with substance abuse. In April, he completed voluntary treatment for unspecified substance addiction at a rehab facility.

Last week, Fox Television said it would delay the fifth season premiere of "Glee" by a week in the wake of Monteith's death. The new season will begin on September 26.

It is not yet known how "Glee" producers will handle Monteith's death in the show's storyline.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Charice writes for CNN about Cory Monteith

MANILA – Charice paid tribute to Hollywood star Cory Monteith, who once was her fellow actor in the hit American musical series “Glee.”

Writing exclusively for the international news organization CNN, Charice recalled her brief moments with the late actor back in 2011 when she was guested on the TV show.

“I remember the last time I shot for ‘Glee,’ it was May 9, 2011. It was a long shooting day that swelled into the wee hours of the following morning. I was a tad emotional when the clock struck 12 midnight -- not because I was tired -- but because May 10 was my birthday. And I, a girl from the barrio of Gulod in the far-flung Philippines, was alone in America,” she wrote.

Being alone without her loved ones to celebrate her special day, Charice said Monteith became her family at that moment.

“Cory came to the rescue, just in time, with his sweet greeting: ‘Happy birthday, Charice!’ A big smile crossed his handsome face. There was sincerity in his tone as he gave me a tight hug. He became family to me at that moment,” she wrote.

“In the remaining hours of our shoot, Cory told me he had Googled me and found my date of my birth. Cool Cory's act of kindness. He told other members of the ‘Glee’ cast that it was my birthday and I was floored at how many of them greeted me with their warm birthday wishes,” the 21-year-old singer added.

Charice, who played the character of Sunshine Corazon on “Glee,” said her body felt cold when she learned about the sudden death of the actor.

“Too soon, too early, too young. I never thanked Cory enough for that one moment in time when he made me feel like family. I never thanked him enough for making me happy on that lonely day,” she wrote.

Despite the lingering sadness because of the actor’s demise, Charice is confident that Monteith is now in a better place.

“Many of my Filipino friends ask me what will happen to "Glee" now that Finn is gone. I have no answer to their query. But I lovingly ask them to pray for him -- for his peaceful passing. I am confident he's singing with the angels now. I am more than confident that his suave style, his cool attitude about everything will endear him more to his new-found winged friends in the afterlife,” she wrote.

While she has only known the actor for a short while, Charice said she will forever treasure her friendship with Monteith.

“To his fans around the world who mourn his passing, I am with you. I know how it feels. Let's hold each other's hand. Let's remember Cory and continue to celebrate his music, his craft, his life. He will forever be in our hearts,” she wrote.

“Thank you, Mr. Cool. My grateful heart will always miss you -- especially so on my birthday. Thank you,” she added.

Monteith was found dead on July 13 at the Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada. Authorities said the 31-year-old “Glee” heartthrob died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What happens to 'Glee' after star's death

LOS ANGELES -- The death of "Glee" actor Cory Monteith over the weekend comes just weeks before production begins of the fifth season of the Fox musical comedy, throwing it into disarray at a time when the creators needed to revive the waning series.

Canadian actor Monteith, 31, was not only a founding cast member, but also an integral player in promoting "Glee's" overarching message of tolerance.

Making matters more complicated for producers was his off-screen relationship with another of the show's top actresses, Lea Michele, who plays his love interest on the show.

It is unclear how their story would have proceeded in season five. And in the wake of Monteith's death in a Vancouver hotel on Saturday, representatives at Fox Broadcasting, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox, were not commenting on the future plans of the show which was scheduled to return to production later this month.

The show was renewed by Fox for two more seasons earlier this year, running through 2015. But producers for "Glee," which has been one of Fox's top shows, were facing some tough truths even before Monteith's death.

"Glee" garnered an average 10.1 million viewers according to Nielsen during its peak in 2010, but its viewership has been dwindling. Season 4, which concluded in May, dropped to the show's lowest ratings average yet, with 8.7 million viewers.

"The show's been running out of storylines and sort of reaching its end thematically ... and Cory's death is a huge loss for the show as one of the founding characters," said Ian Drew, entertainment director of Us Weekly.

Fans want 'happy ending'

Monteith had talked openly about his struggles with substance abuse. In April, he completed voluntary treatment at a rehab facility for an unspecified substance addiction.

An autopsy was conducted on Monday and results will not be available for several days.

"Glee" premiered in 2009 and instantly became a hit for Fox, with its motivational storylines, upbeat musical numbers and a diverse young cast playing a mix of popular and oddball school students who come together in a musical choir group.

Monteith became a heart-throb in his role as the jock who turned into "Glee" member Finn Hudson.

"He was actually the center of the show in terms of promoting tolerance," said TV critic David Bianculli. "When his character began, he was the jock that just happened to sing. He ended up liking the misfits and loving them and sticking up for them and eventually teaching them."

MTV Buzzworthy editor Tamar Anitai, who monitors social media buzz on pop culture topics, said "Glee" fans known as "Gleeks" were eager to see a tribute paid to Monteith in the show and a happy ending for his and Michele's characters.

"Unfortunately you can't control what happened to Cory in real life, but the creators have control over what happens to him in the show. Fans would really like to see a happy ending, even an off-screen wedding, for Cory and Lea," Anitai said.

While "Glee" has not shied away from handling serious topics such as homosexuality, bullying and teenage pregnancy, the show never had to deal with the death of a major character. The only death in the show was the sister of Sue Sylvester, the high school coach played by actress Jane Lynch.

Previously when television shows have dealt with the death of a major star, the impact on the series has been mixed.

Actor John Ritter died mid-way through production of the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules" in 2003. The show went into a hiatus and then incorporated the death of Ritter's character on its return. Its ratings declined and it was canceled in 2005.

Other major stars to pass away mid-series include Phil Hartman in "News Radio," Nicholas Colasanto in "Cheers" and Larry Hagman in the recently revived "Dallas." All those characters were written out of the shows and new characters replaced Hartman and Colasanto.

While Monteith's death is unlikely to force the early cancellation of "Glee," both Bianculli and Drew said it could mean an eventual end to the series.

"It could be harbinger of things to come, but honestly I don't think the show had much longer anyways," Drew said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Glee' star Cory Monteith found dead

"Glee" star Cory Monteith was found dead on Saturday at a hotel in Vancouver, Canada, police said.

Monteith, 31, was found dead at the Pacific Rim Hotel in the downtown section of the city, Vancouver Police Department acting chief Doug LePard told a news conference.

Authorities said the cause of death was not immediately apparent but that there were no signs of foul play.

Monteith, who plays Finn Hudson in the hit American musical series, checked into the hotel last July 6 and was supposedly set to check out on Saturday.

When the actor missed his checkout time, the hotel staff went up to his room only to find Monteith dead.

Police have reviewed hotel security videos and have confirmed that Monteith was with several other people early last night but he returned to his room alone early morning.

Police believes Monteith was all by himself when he died.

The actor’s family members have already been notified of the incident.

Meanwhile, officials of FOX Broadcasting Company and executive producers of “Glee” issued a statement following the actor’s death via the microblogging site Twitter.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person,” the statement said.

“He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” it added.

The star of the Fox TV musical comedy-drama, who was dating co-star Lea Michele, checked into a rehabilitation center in April for substance abuse, his publicist said in a statement.

In a June 2011 interview with Parade magazine, the actor spoke openly about past struggles with drugs, including getting drunk and smoking pot by age 13.

By age 16 "I had a serious problem," he told Parade, and checked into a rehab center at age 19. However " I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing," he said.

"I'm lucky on so many counts-I'm lucky to be alive," he told Parade.

Monteith was born in Calgary, in Alberta province, but grew up in Victoria, on Canada's west coast close to the US border and Vancouver, according to his IMDB profile.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. – with a report from Reuters and Agence France-Presse

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com