Cory Allan Michael Monteith (May 11, 1982 – July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and semi-musician.
Monteith's acting career began in Vancouver with bit parts in a plethora of shows including Supernatural, Smallville, and two Stargates. He also had a recurring role as Charlie, Amanda's initial boyfriend in Kyle XY. He also starred in some lesser-known horror movies like Hybrid and Killer Bash, both of which seemed to be banked on his attractiveness.note
Monteith eventually auditioned for Glee, and his audition wasn't exactly like the others, the biggest difference being that he didn't actually sing in it. Instead, his tape included some acting samples and a clip of him playing the drums with pencils and Tupperware containers. While they liked him, the producers still wanted him to prove that he could sing, as was a requirement for auditioning Glee actors. Despite never singing a note in his life, Monteith impressed them enough with a "cheesy '80s rendition" of "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon that he was cast as Finn Hudson.
Monteith also co-hosted the 2010 Teen Choice Awards with fellow male Glee co-stars and Katy Perry, as well as the 2010 Gemini Awards. He was an accomplished drummer, and when not partaking in Glee, he performed with his band Bonnie Dune. He also appeared in a handful of films, including Monte Carlo.
On July 13, Cory Monteith tragically passed away from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room. He was 31, and had struggled with substance abuse since the age of 13. After an intervention by family and friends, he entered drug rehabilitation at age 19. He had sought further treatment for addiction around four months before his death.
Tropes applicable to Cory Monteith's career:
- Dead Artists Are Better: He's become more beloved because of his premature death. Though this caused controversy when he was prominently featured in the In Memoriam segment of the 2013 Emmys, whereas other actors had been excluded. Adam Klugman, son of late actor Jack Klugman, who'd also been excluded, was very critical
of what he believed was over-promotion of Monteith's life and career. - Older Than They Look: The Glee writers seriously pushed suspension of disbelief if they thought he looked like a teenager. That said, he did look very baby faced for someone who was pushing thirty.
