River Phoenix, Corey Haim, and Brittany Murphy are three big names who we all lost too soon under tragic circumstances, but they are hardly the only ones. Over the years, going back to the earliest days of Hollywood, some of the biggest stars have died before even making it to 40 years old. This list is dedicated to them, the stars we lost before they even had a chance to the "over the hill."

Corey Haim (38)

Corey Haim and Corey Feldman starred in seven movies together, and they will be forever linked as "The Two Coreys" from their heyday in the late '80s. Haim starred in a slew of Gen X classics like The Lost Boys, Lucas, Dream A Little Dream, and License to Drive. Sadly, once his fame faded a little, he never had a chance to make a comeback before he died of pneumonia in 2010 after battling addiction for years.

James Dean (24)

"Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse," is a famous quote often associated with James Dean, who did just that. Though he only starred in three movies, his star status has remained constant in the seven decades since his death. Dean died in a car wreck in 1955.

Jayne Mansfield (34)

Jayne Mansfield was only 34 when she was killed in a car crash in 1967. Her young children, including future Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, were in the car with her, and luckily they did survive the crash. For many years, Hargitay spoke little of the event of her famous mother, but opened up in an HBO Max documentary in 2025.

Brandon Lee (28)

One of the most tragic deaths in Hollywood in the 1990s was the shocking death of Brandon Lee was killed while filming The Crow. The movie was going to be Lee's breakout, coming out from under the shadow of his famous father, Bruce Lee. The junior Lee was just 28 when he was killed on the movie set after being shot with a blank.

Marilyn Monroe (36)

Despite her death at just 36 in 1962, Marilyn Monroe's legacy is alive and well more than six decades after we lost one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Movies are still being made telling her tragic story, like the controversial Blonde in 2022 starring Ana de Armas as the screen legend.

Heath Ledger (28)

For many reading this list, there is no question that the first name they probably thought of after reading the headline is Heath Ledger. Ledger's career was rising to a new level when he sadly died of an overdose in 2008. Though he had been a star for about a decade when he died, he was coming off two legendary performances that have since defined the late Australian's career. The first, of course, is Brokeback Mountain, and the second is his Oscar-winning turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Ledger won the award posthumously, and fans felt the pain all over again, wondering how many more great performances we would have gotten from the actor.

Brittany Murphy (32)

Brittany Murphy had her breakout role as Tai Frasier in Clueless in 1995, and for the next decade, she continued to wow us in films like Drop Dead Gorgeous, Riding in Cars with Boys, and 8 Mile. Her death at just 32 in 2009 was shocking, and in the years since, it's still as mysterious as it was then.

Chris Farley (33)

Chris Farley was one of the most beloved members of the SNL cast ever, both by fans and by his fellow actors on the show. On SNL, he never failed to make everyone belly laugh at his over-the-top antics, and on the silver screen, whether in a small role like in Billy Madison or as a star in Tommy Boy, he was among the funniest ever. We never got to see enough of the star, though, as he died of an overdose at just age 33 in 1997.

Aaliyah (22)

There is something especially tragic about a plane crash. Especially when you are talking about a pop star. Aaliyah was more than a pop star, though, and she was just getting started in her acting career when she was killed in a crash in the Bahamas in 2001, not long after her film debut in Romeo Must Die.

Michelle Trachtenberg (39)

Michelle Trachtenberg is most famous for playing Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, but her seemingly endless number of credits proves she was great in a variety of roles. Her sudden death at age 39 in early 2025 shocked everyone, and while we may never be able to close the book on why she died, we will always have her work to look back on.

Bruce Lee (32)

It's almost hard to believe that Bruce Lee was only 32 when he died in 1973. He left an incredible legacy of films both in the US and in Hong Kong and has become a legend since his death. The martial arts master opened so many doors for Asian actors and films that it's impossible to measure his impact on Hollywood. It is exceptional.

John Belushi (33)

The first breakout star in SNL history was unquestionably John Belushi. Even in a cast that included Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and many others, Belushi stood above them all. He parlayed that into a wonderful, yet painfully short movie career with legendary roles in Animal House and The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the best movie based on an SNL character ever.

River Phoenix (23)

In the same way that Heath Ledger's death marks a moment in time for Millennials, River Phoenix's death in 1993 is the same for Gen X. Though Phoenix was only 23 years old, he was already a veteran actor, having gotten his start in Hollywood in commercials in the early 1980s. He rose to prominence with fantastic performances in movies like Stand By Me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Mosquito Coast, and My Own Private Idaho. Phoenix earned an Oscar nomination for his role in Running on Empty at just age 18.

Brad Renfro (25)

Brad Renfro burst onto the scene as an 11-year-old in The Client, co-starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. He put in a brilliant performance and followed it up with another 20 or so credits, including in Ghost World, Sleepers, and Apt Pupil. He tragically died of an overdose in 2008 when he was just 25 years old.

Cory Monteith (31)

There are some who claim there is a curse hanging over the cast of Glee. Whether you believe in such things or not, the show does have an unsettling history when it comes to actors dying young. Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson in the hit show, died in 2013 of an overdose. He was the first young cast member to die, but he wouldn't be the last.

Dana Hill (32)

Who doesn't love a great movie about a vacation gone wrong? National Lampoon's European Vacation, the second movie of the series, is wildly underrated, and Dana Hill's performance as Audrey in it is equally underrated. Sadly, Hill died at age 32 due to complications from diabetes.

Tupac Shakur (25)

Pretty much everyone knows the story of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur's murder in 1996. Though plenty of conspiracy theories surround the events, it remains unsolved. Tupac was best known for his music, but he also had some fantastic acting chops, as he showed in movies like Above the Rim and Poetic Justice. It's hard to believe he was only 25.

Anton Yelchin (27)

One of the more bizarre ways to go on this list is what happened to Anton Yelchin, the young star of the rebooted Star Trek movies. The actor, who played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond, was killed when he was pinned against a post by his own SUV.

Lee Thompson Young (29)

A generation of kids grew up with Lee Thompson Young as the titular star of the Disney show The Famous Jett Jackson. They followed him as a high school student in the original Friday Night Lights movie, and then in his biggest role as an adult on Rizzoli & Isles. That would be Young's final role as he took his own life in 2013.

Heather O'Rourke (12)

In just twelve short years in this world, Heather O'Rourke made a huge impact. She is most famous, of course, for Poltergeist, and her legendary line "They're heeeeere," she also appears on TV in Happy Days and Webster, and reprised her role in two Poltergeist sequels, the final of which was released after her death in 1988.

Sharon Tate (26)

In 1969, Sharon Tate's murder by the Manson Family became the most notorious crime in Hollywood history. The talented young actor, who was pregnant at the time, was just coming into her own as a star when her life was snatched from her at just age 26. It's a murder that Quentin Tarantino reimagined in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with the happy ending we all long for it to have been for Tate.

Angus Cloud (25)

In a horrible case of life imitating art, Euphoria star Angus Cloud died of an overdose at age 25 in 2023. The actor rose to prominence on the controversial show about teen addiction, and before his career really got going, we lost him.

Naya Rivera (33)

The circumstances behind the death of Glee star Naya Rivera may never be fully understood. The actress drowned while boating with her young son, and though she was known to be a good swimmer, according to her son, she struggled to get back on the boat after they both went for a swim. Her body was found five days later. Rivera was only 33 when she died in 2020.

Andy Kaufman (35)

Now, should Andy Kaufman be on this list? Many believe that the enigmatic comedian actually faked his own death. Though this isn't true, he was taken by cancer at age 35 in 1984, the late Kaufman would love the idea that people still believed he was alive and in hiding somewhere. It's exactly the kind of prank he would pull while he was living.

Cameron Boyce (20)

Though his career only lasted about 12 years and he died at age 20, Cameron Boyce crammed a ton of acting into his short life. Boyce has almost four dozen credits to his name, though he is certainly best known for playing Carlos in the Descendants film series.

Chance Perdomo (27)

Chance Perdomo's big break came with a starring role in Gen V, the spinoff of The Boys from Amazon Prime. Sadly, he died in a motorcycle crash in Upstate New York before the second season of the show was shot, so we never got enough of Perdomo.

Ryan Dunn (34)

In a lot of ways, the tragic death of Ryan Dunn wasn't all that surprising. That's not to say it was very sad, because it was, but for the Jackass star to go out in a car crash seems very "on brand" for Dunn. He lived life fast and crazy, and that's how he went out. It's not exactly poetic, but there is something that makes sense about it, which is rare for this list.

Jean Harlow (26)

Hollywood's original "blonde bombshell" was the great Jean Harlow. Harlow's most famous role came in the Howard Hughes-directed classic Hell's Angels, and she's also well known for a string of comedic roles in the 1930s, before she died due to Kidney failure in 1937. She was only 26 at the time of her death.

Freddie Prinze (22)

Freddie Prinze is probably best known by most people today as the father of Freddie Prinze, Jr. Tragically, before the younger Prinze was even one year old, the senior Prinze took his own life at just age 22.

Jonathan Brandis (27)

Teen heartthrob Jonathan Brandis, like so many other actors, got his start in soap operas. His most prominent role came as Lucas Wolenczak on seaQuest DSV, which is where he truly became a beloved star. His fame faded somewhat after seaQuest DSV ended, and he tragically took his own life in 2003.

Dominique Dunne (22)

The Dunne family is Hollywood and literary royalty. Dominique Dunne, whose father was writer Dominick Dunne and whose brother is actor Griffin Dunne, was horrifically killed by her boyfriend in 1982 at just age 22. She was the first of two young stars to die from the cast of Poltergeist, along with Heather O'Rourke.

Thuy Trang (27)

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have become a much-loved franchise over the years, and it all started with the original cast of the first show. Thuy Trang was the first actor to play the Yellow Ranger on screen before she was killed in a car crash with her friend and fellow actor Angela Rockwood in 2001. Rockwood suffered a spinal injury that left her unable to walk, and Trang succumbed to her injuries before making it to the hospital. Like all the actors on this list, she sadly didn't make it 40, as she was just 27.

We’ve seen a great number of young actors live long and productive lives, with some continuing to find tremendous success well into their later years. However, there have unfortunately been dozens of cases of beloved Hollywood stars dying before they even reached the age of 40.

Below is a list of actors and actresses from the worlds of film and television whose lives and careers were cut tragically short, as well as the events that led to their early passing.

River Phoenix

River Phoenix, the star of movies like Stand By Me and My Own Private Idaho, was one of the most promising young actors in the latter part of the 20th century. However, his life came to an abrupt end in October 1993 when the 23-year-old died of a drug overdose, according to the Los Angeles Times. The impact of his death can still be felt 30 years later.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe, one of the most well-known actresses of all time, died at the age of 36 in August 1962, after, according to the New York Times, she was found unresponsive in her bed with pills nearby. She was in the middle of production on Something’s Got to Give at the time of her death.

Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin, star of films like Star Trek, Green Room, and Charlie Bartlett died when he was only 27 years old. According to the Los Angeles Times, Yelchin was involved in a freak accident in June 2016 that resulted in him being pinned between his SUV and a security gate at his Studio City home.

Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy, who made a name for herself with roles in movies like Clueless, 8 Mile, and Girl, Interrupted, has one of the most perplexing Hollywood death stories. According to People.com, the 32-year-old actress passed away in December 2009 as a result of a combination of pneumonia and anemia and multiple drug intoxication.

James Dean

Despite having a career that lasted only five years, James Dean remains one of the icons of Hollywood. Dean was tragically killed in a car accident in September 1955, per the Los Angeles Times, less than a month before the release of Rebel Without a Cause, his most well-known film. He received a posthumous Oscar nomination for his role in East of Eden, which landed in theaters less than six months before his untimely death. 

Heath Ledger

In January 2008, the world was shocked after hearing of the passing of Heath Ledger, who died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 28, according to CNN. Ledger would receive a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor the following year for his unforgettable portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight.

Chris Farley

Chris Farley was and forever will be one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members, but like other greats, his life was cut tragically short. Farley, who also starred in movies like Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, and Almost Heroes (released following his death), died in December 1997 from an overdose at the age of 33, according to CNN.

Brandon Lee

In April 1993, at the age of 28, Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, died after being shot on the set of The Crow. According to the New York Times, a blank discharged from the gun during a sequence, hitting the actor who later passed from his injuries. 

Jayne Mansfield

Jayne Mansfield, a legendary actress, Playboy model, and entertainer made a name for herself with roles in movies like The Girl Can’t Help It, Promises! Promises!, and The Wayward Bus. Tragically, Mansfield died at the age of 34 after her car slammed into the back of a semi truck in southern Louisiana in June 1967, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Bruce Lee

Many of Bruce Lee’s movies are still considered landmark achievements in the martial arts genre 50 years after his passing on July 20, 1973. For years, the 32-year-old actor’s death was attributed to cerebral oedema (brain swelling), but a study carried by Variety years later proposed that his sudden death was the result of kidneys not being able to excrete excess water.

 Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman, the unique actor, comedian, and former women’s wrestling champion of the world, passed away in 1982 when was just 35 years old, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, some still think he’s not actually dead.

Tupac Shakur

Legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas in September 1996, when he was just 25 years old. After years of his murder being an unsolved homicide case, an arrest was finally made in September 2023, according to the AP. It was believed that the Grammy winner was up for the role of Mace Windu, which eventually went to Samuel L. Jackson in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

John Belushi

John Belushi, an early star of Saturday Night Live, as well as movies like National Lampoon’s Animal House and The Blues Brothers, died at the age of 33 in March 1982, per the Chicago Tribune.

Cory Monteith

Glee star Cory Monteith’s life came to a tragic end in July 2013 when he was found dead in a Vancouver, British Columbia, hotel room. ABC News later reported that the 31-year-old actor died of mixed drug toxicity.

Aaliyah

On August 25, 2001, R&B singer Aaliyah was one of several people to perish when a Cessna plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas, per NPR. The up-and-coming actress, who had appeared in Romeo Must Die the previous year, was only 22 years old at the time of her passing.

Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate’s murder is possibly one of the most well-known crime stories in the history of Hollywood, as the actress and four others were brutally killed by the Manson family in August 1969, per the Los Angeles Times. Tate, who had appeared in movies like Valley of the Dolls and The Wrecking Crew, was only 26 years old at the time of her death.

Corey Haim

Corey Haim, the star of movies like The Lost Boys, Lucas, and Silver Bullet passed away at the age of 38 in March 2010. According to CNN, the former child actor died of natural causes.

Angus Cloud

Angus Cloud, one of the main stars of HBO’s harrowing drama series, Euphoria, tragically passed away unexpectedly at the age of 25 in July 2023. According to EW, the young actor died as a result of an accidental overdose from the combined use of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and benzodiazepines.

Freddie Prinze

Freddie Prinze, the father of ‘90s teen heartthrob and former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr., was a star in his own right back in the 1970s. Known for his starring role on Chico and the Man and stand-up comedy, Prinze committed suicide in January 1977, according to the New York Times. He was only 22.

Sal Mineo

Best known for his portrayal of John “Plato” Crawford in Rebel Without a Cause, Sal Mineo was another actor from the 1955 movie to die young. According to the New York Times, the 37-year-old actor was stabbed to death in Hollywood in February 1976.

Cameron Boyce

Cameron Boyce (pictured far-right in the image above) was one of the Disney Channel’s biggest stars in the 2010s thanks to roles on shows like Jessie and Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, as well as the Descendants film franchise. The young actor died in his sleep in July 2019, with Los Angeles-based ABC7 Eyewitness News reporting it was caused by epilepsy. He was 20 years old at the time of his passing.

Bobby Driscoll

Bobby Driscoll, the young child actor who appeared in Disney films like Song of the South before voicing the title role in the 1953’s Peter Pan, suffered what can best be described as a lonely and incredibly tragic death. According to EW, Driscoll died in March 1968 when he was only 31 years old, but at the time, his body was unclaimed and then buried in New York City’s Potter’s Field on Hart Island.

Jonathan Brandis

With big roles in movies like The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter, Ladybugs, and Sidekicks, it felt like Jonathan Brandis was everywhere in the early 1990s. However, the former child actor and model wouldn’t survive the next decade, as he committed suicide in November 2003, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was 27 years old at the time of his passing.

Anna Nicole Smith

Anna Nicole Smith, who was at the center of the 2023 Netflix series, You Don’t Know Me, led quite the eventful life, one that saw her go from Guess model to Playboy Playmate to B-movie actress to one of the biggest names in reality television. The pop culture figure tragically died in February 2007 when she was only 39 years old. According to the New York Times, her death was ruled an accidental overdose.

Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow, one of the defining actresses of the pre-Code era of Hollywood, died in June 1937 when she was only 26 years old. According to the Guardian, the in-demand star had fought internal inflammation for 10 days prior to her sudden and tragic passing.

Heather O’Rourke

One of the supposed victims of the Poltergeist curse, Heather O’Rourke played Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 horror film and appeared to have a promising career ahead of her at the time. However, six years later, the child actress would die at the age of 12 due a long-standing bowel obstruction, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Lee Thompson Young 

Lee Thompson Young, who appeared on shows like The Famous Jett Jackson and Rizzoli & Isles, had a remarkable career on the small screen throughout his teenage years and early adulthood. But his story ended in August 2013 when he committed suicide. According to TMZ, Young died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was only 29 years old.

Brad Renfro

Brad Renfro, the star of movies like The Client, Sleepers, Ghost World, and Bully, died in January 2008 when was only 25 years old. According to People.com, the young actor died of an overdose.

Nelsan Ellis

Nelsan Ellis’ Lafayette Reynolds was one of the best and most unforgettable characters on the long-running HBO supernatural drama series, True Blood, a role that allowed the dynamic actor to show off his remarkable acting talents. Tragically, Ellis died at 39 years of age in July 2017 as a result of heart failure during his attempt to quit his alcohol addiction, according to NBC News.

Ryan Dunn

Ryan Dunn, who rose to prominence on the CKY skate videos and later MTV’s Jackass TV show and movies, was involved in a fatal car crash in June 2011 that claimed his life and that of his passenger, Zachary Hartwell. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dunn, who was 34 years old at the time of his passing, was driving at speeds reaching 130 mph before crashing his Porsche.

Johnny Lewis

Former Sons of Anarchy star Johnny Lewis, who played Kip “Half-Sack” Epps on long-running FX show, died in September 2012 when he was only 28 years old. According to People.com, the actor fell from a building in Los Angeles moments after beating his 81-year-old landlord to death.

Judith Barsi 

Judith Barsi, who voiced Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven, was killed by her father in a murder-suicide that also claimed the life of her mother, according to the Los Angeles Times. At the time of her death in July 1988, Barsi was only 10 years old. 

Each of these deaths are tragic in their own way, but all leave us asking “what could have been” for these actors whose careers, and lives, were cut tragically short.

Glee is a series that had a strong start, but then kind of slipped off. However, it’s a series that, whether you love or hate it, has forever made its mark on the television world. It produced tons of memorable musical moments and made stars of its cast, including Lea Michele, Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, and Darren Criss. The Glee cast includes many actors and actresses who went on to have successful careers beyond the series.

Show creator Ryan Murphy assembled a talented bunch of young actors who likely have a long future in the show business world. Let’s take a look at what the Glee cast has been up to since the series ended.

Lea Michele (Rachel Berry)

Rachel Berry was the, slightly annoying overachiever whose talent spoke for itself. Even if Rachel wasn’t the most likable character, you respected her talent and drive. Lea Michele stayed within Ryan Murphy’s orbit after Glee, appearing in his horror-comedy Scream Queens as Hester. After Screen Queens was canceled after two seasons, Michele had a lead role on The Mayor. That series was also canceled after one season.

Lea Michele released two solo albums post-Glee, Places, and Christmas in the City. In 2019, she also appeared in the holiday movie Same Time, Next Christmas. In 2020, she gave birth to her first child with her husband Zandy Reich.

Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel)

Kurt was Rachel’s biggest competition in terms of ambition and need to be seen. Eventually, Kurt becomes part of Glee’s most popular couple with Blaine (Darren Criss). Colfer has made some guest appearances on series like Julie’s Greenroom, RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars, and Visible: Out on Television. However, most of Colfer’s post-Glee life has been devoted to his writing career.

As of 2020, Colfer has written at least 15 books and six in his main book series, The Land of Stories. His most recent book is A Tale of Witchcraft.

Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester)

Sue Sylvester appointed herself as the person who had to take down the Glee club, and especially Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). Lynch has been one of the busiest former Glee cast members. She has appeared in the series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, Angel from Hell, The Real O’Neals, The Stinky & Dirty Show, and Will & Grace.

Lynch has also appeared in multiple episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Fight, and Space Force. She now hosts the new version of The Weakest Link. Lynch has appeared in the films The Late Bloomers, Mascots, Ralph Breaks the Internet and UglyDolls.

Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester)

Will was a teacher and coach of the McKinley High’s glee club, New Directions. His questionable involvement and teaching methods helped the Glee team win many championships. Morrison has had recurring roles on The Good Wife and Grey’s Anatomy. He also teamed up with Ryan Murphy again in American Horror Story: 1984.

Morrison returned to the theater world in 2015. He played J.M Barrie in the original Broadway run of Finding Neverland. He also appeared in the movies Tulip Fever and Crazy Alien. The Grinch fans were either treated or traumatized when he played The Grinch for NBC’s version of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical Live!

Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams)

Artie was a male vocalist in the Glee club, who also happened to be in a wheelchair. He sometimes made attempts to rap. Kevin McHale appeared in the miniseries When We Rise. In 2019, he was a contestant on the UK X-Factor spin-off, The X Factor: Celebrity. He made it to the quarter-finals.

Hale appeared in episodes of Elite and the Darren Criss Quibi series, Royalties. In 2019, he released an EP called Boy.

Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang)

Tina Cohen-Chang was a little shy, but she used music to come out of her shell. Jenna Ushkowitz appeared in the films Yellow Fever, Hello Again, and 1 Night in San Diego.

Ushkowitz also returned to theater life post-Glee. She had roles in Broadway productions of The Wedding Singer, Waitress, and The 24 Hour Plays. Ushkowitz has gained her most success as a producer. She has produced Once on the Island, Be More Chill, and The Inheritance. She won a Tony award for Once on the Island.

Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones)

Mercedes Jones was one of the best vocalists in the Glee club, and just as deserving of leads, though it seemed like Rachel tended to get most of the vocal leads. Amber Riley appeared in NBC’s production of The Wiz Live! as Addaperie, and ABC’s production of The Little Mermaid Live! as Emcee. She also appeared in the series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and A Black Lady Sketch Show. Riley has appeared in the films Nobody’s Fool and Infamous.

Riley has also appeared in the theater productions of Dreamgirls and Little Shop of Horrors. She played Effie White in Dreamgirls and Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. In 2020, Riley was cast as the lead in NBC’s upcoming musical comedy series Dream. She also released an EP called RILEY in 2020.

Heather Morris (Brittany S. Pierce)

Brittany was a little bit on the unique side of things. She hosted a series with a cat and had some crazy theories. Brittany was also part of another popular LGBTQ+ couple with Santana (Naya Rivera). Heather Morris competed on Dancing with the Stars Season 24.

Morris then appeared on the series Glow, The Troup, and Raven’s Home. She appeared in the TV movies Psycho Wedding Crasher and Pretty Little Stalker. She also appeared in the movies Most Likely to Die, Folk Hero & Funny Guy, and the upcoming film Moon Manor. In 2020,She started her own Instagram series called Hubbell Home, which is basically just a short look at her and her husband Taylor Hubbell’s life and their DIY home projects.

Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans)

Sam Evans joined New Directions in Season 2 of Glee, then he became a main character in Season 4. Sam was also not the brightest bulb in the box, but he was a sweet kid who ended up having romances with many of the female Glee characters.

Chord Overstreet appeared in the series Pickle and Peanut, The Bold Type, and Royalties. In 2020, he appeared in the film The Swing of Things. The cast of The Swing of Things also included Olivia Culpo, Adelaide Kane, and Luke Wilson. It’s about a groom who accidentally books his honeymoon at a swingers’ resort. Overstreet has released two albums since Glee. They are Tree House Tapes and Hold On. He also released a single called Water Into Wine in 2020.

Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson)

Blaine Anderson started off Glee as a member of the Warblers, a rival glee club of the New Directions. Eventually, Blaine and Kurt fall in love and become one of the most popular couples on Glee. Darren Cris reunited with Ryan Murphy for several projects.

He appeared in a couple of episodes of American Horror Story: Hotel. He teamed up with Murphy for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and he won an Emmy for that role. In 2020, he was one of the leads in Murphy’s Hollywood. Criss also teamed up with some of his former Glee co-stars by playing Music Meister in Supergirl and The Flash. Also in 2020, Criss had his own Quibi series called Royalties. It also featured some appearances by former Glee cast members.

In 2020, Criss launched a Podcast and web series called Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye. Post-Glee Criss also appeared in the film Midway, returned to Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and recorded an EP called Homework.

Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang)

Mike Chang started Glee as more of a background dancer but as the show went on, he became more of a main figure in New Directions. Harry Shum Jr. played Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters from 2016 to 2018. He then appeared in the second season of Kevin Williamson’s series Tell Me A Story. Shum also appeared in an episode of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.

Harry Shum Jr. appeared in the popular film Crazy Rich Asians and in the films Burn and Escape Plan: The Extractors. In 2020, he appeared in All My Life. Also in 2020, it was announced that Shum will appear in Netflix's rom-com Love Hard.

Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray)

Quinn Fabray was the typical queen bee but became more than just a mean girl and teen mom. Dianna Agron has lent her voice to Robot Chicken and Wreck-It Ralph: Ralph Breaks the Internet. She has appeared in the films Against the Clock, Berlin, I Love You, Shiva Baby, and upcoming The Laureate.

She also appeared in the stage production of McQueen and a virtual performance of Is Edward Snowden Single?

Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez)

Santana was the mean girl, who could hurt every member of New Directions’ feelings in two-seconds flat, but you also knew there was some truth to her quick jabs. She was never afraid to deflate Rachel’s ego or bully Mr. Schuester.

Naya Rivera appeared in the film Mad Families in 2017. She also had a main role in the Step Up TV series. Tragically, in 2020, Rivera went missing after renting a boat with her son. Days later, Rivera’s body was found, and she was pronounced dead from accidental drowning.

Mark Salling (Noah Puck Puckerman)

Puck was McKinley High School’s resident bad boy. He ends up sleeping with his best friend Finn (Cory Monteith)’s girlfriend Quinn and impregnates her. Mark Salling hadn’t appeared in any shows or movies post-Glee. In 2015, the actor was arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography, for which he later pled guilty and in 2018, he committed suicide by hanging.

Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson)

Finn Hudson was another Glee character that was kind but not that smart. He was a football player who loved singing. He was Rachel Berry’s main love interest throughout Glee. While appearing in Glee, Cory Monteith also appeared in the films All the Wrong Reasons, McCanick, and had a guest appearance on MasterChef.

Cory Monteith last appeared on Glee in 2013. Sadly, he died in July 2013 from a toxic mixture of drugs and alcohol, before the series ended.

Glee aired from 2009 to 2015. If you’re in the mood to rewatch some of your favorite Glee characters, the series is available to stream on Netflix. Stream it here.

The cast of Glee is continuing to celebrate the life of their mega-talented co-star, Naya Rivera, who tragically passed away at the age of 33. Amber Riley, who memorably played fan-favorite Mercedes Jones on the Fox series, has revealed how she remembers Rivera and Cory Monteith every day.

Amber Riley took to social media to remember both of her friends and co-stars with a poignant post. The singer/actress took a deep dive into her friendship with Naya Rivera, recalling her friend with tremendous affection. On how she will remember Rivera and Cory Monteith going forward, Riley wrote on Instagram:

Amber Riley shares that she says Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith’s names every day to remember them. Rivera went missing earlier this July after renting a boat to ride across Lake Piru with her son. A search of the area, which is known to be dangerous for swimmers, quickly got underway. Among those to gather around the lake where Rivera disappeared were Riley and Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce).

In a tragic turn of events, Naya Rivera’s remains were discovered seven years to the day of hers and Amber Riley’s Glee co-star Cory Monteith’s death. Monteith died on July 13, 2013. A photo that Rivera had sent to her family from that fateful day helped investigators narrow the search, which helped lead to the tragic discovery of her remains.

In her latest Instagram post, Amber Riley opens up about her friendship with Naya Rivera and hers and Rivera’s relationship behind-the-scenes of Glee. Riley also shares her awe of Rivera’s talent, saying she was more than just Glee. Of her friendship with Rivera, Riley wrote:

The passing of Naya Rivera has the Glee family grieving yet another co-star. Sadly, Rivera will not get a tribute on the TV show, which ended back in 2015. Cory Monteith’s passing was addressed on-screen via the death of Monteith’s character, Finn. In the years since then, the cast of Glee has not forgotten. They have paid tribute to Monteith on the anniversary of his death, years after his passing.

After Cory Monteith’s passing, Glee celebrated Monteith’s Finn with a tribute episode that saw art imitating life. The installment included performances from Amber Riley and Naya Rivera. For her tribute, Rivera sang The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young.” In light of her passing, the performance has taken on new meaning.

After Rivera’s passing, Monteith’s mother, Ann McGregor, posted a moving tribute to Rivera, sharing what Rivera meant to her son.

You can currently stream Naya Rivera and Amber Riley’s many memorable performances both together and apart on Netflix. To watch Rivera and Riley’s duet cover of Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High,” head over to Season 2, Episode 4 entitled “Duets.”

Since news broke of Naya Rivera’s death, the outpouring of love and grief has been immense. The late Glee actress went missing on July 8, after renting a boat to take out on Lake Piru with her four-year-old son, Josey. Five days later, on July 13, Rivera’s body was recovered and the cause of death was confirmed to be accidental drowning. Recently, Cory Monteith’s mom paid tribute to Rivera in a heartfelt post.

Several former Glee co-stars honored Naya Rivera at the location of her disappearance right before she was found. Since the announcement of her death, the late actress' co-stars have been posting thoughtful and loving messages and stories about Rivera. Cory Monteith's mother, Ann McGregor, also shared a beautiful tribute to Rivera, touching upon her friendship with Monteith, who died seven years ago. Here's what McGregor wrote in an Instagram post:

The post is incredibly thoughtful, lovely, and full of emotion. I can only imagine how gutted Ann McGregor was when she heard about Naya Rivera’s death on the exact same day that her own son died. She stated how “truly heartbroken” she was and went on to add how much Rivera meant to her family. In her words:

Included alongside the tribute are pictures of Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera together, laughing and looking happy. It’s so sad to think that they’re no longer with us. You can read Ann McGregor’s full message below.

It’s incredibly tragic that on the seventh anniversary of Cory Monteith’s death, Naya Rivera’s body was found at Lake Piru. Monteith died from mixed drug toxicity, a combination of heroin and alcohol that was ruled accidental. Glee alum Kevin McHale was convinced that Monteith somehow helped find Rivera after five days of searching, despite not being religious. They were both gone too soon.

Our sincerest condolences go out to Naya Rivera's family, friends, and loved ones who are grieving in this difficult time.

Lea Michele’s been fairly quiet on social media following Samantha Ware’s accusations about her experience with Michele on the set of Glee. This had set off a chain reaction of comments from the cast about the actress, which led to her quitting Twitter. However, Michele has returned to using her Instagram account somewhat and this week did pay tribute to Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith via the social media platform.

Lea Michele didn’t share a lot of words about Naya Rivera following the actress’ accidental drowning at Lake Piru. However, she did share some somber black and white photos of both Rivera and Cory Monteith, a Glee actor whom she had been dating around the time of his death, which occurred after an alcohol and heroin overdose in 2013.

The Instagram Stories post including both Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith likely didn’t simply happen because they both were Glee cast members who were taken from us too soon. One could take the extra step to surmise she shared images of both because of the July 13 connection between Rivera and Monteith.

Corey Monteith died on July 13, 2013 at the age of 31. At the time, he had been in and out of rehab and had been open about his troubles with drugs. Lea Michele and Monteith had dated and were close. His mother, Ann McGregor even previously explained that it was Michele who broke the news of her son’s death to her before the police had made it out.

While Naya Rivera went missing on July 8, her body wasn’t found until days later, on July 13 – the same day Cory Monteith had died years earlier. She was 33 at the time of her death, just a couple of years older than her co-star was when he tragically passed. Clearly that has to bring up a lot of feelings with all of the Glee cast, including Lea Michele.

Many other members of Glee whose lives were touched by Naya Rivera have also paid tribute to the actress, whose last act was reported to be saving her young son before she succumbed to the water. Kevin McHale also touched on the Monteith connection on Instagram, noting he was with Rivera when they learned the news of their co-star passing years ago.

Kevin McHale also believes the date Naya Rivera’s body was found is no coincidence, noting that things tend to happen for a reason. He said:

All in all it’s been a tough week, tough for the Glee cast, tough for fans around the world who loved Naya Rivera and most tough for Rivera’s family, who had to watch along with the rest of the world as this story unfolded. Our thoughts go out to everyone who is grieving at this time.

After 15 seasons, Supernatural will soon come to a close. With that much time on air (dating back to when The CW was still The WB), Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) have many adventures to look back on and, with that, many familiar faces who may not have been so familiar when they made their appearance on the series.

Perhaps you remember the time 1980s music icon Rick Springfield played a rock star possessed by Lucifer himself, or The Exorcist star Linda Blair’s spot as as a skeptical police detective, or even when Paris Hilton dabbled in self-mockery as a demon-possessed version of herself. However, do you remember seeing Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard on Supernatural, or maybe Emmy-winner Sterling K. Brown?

These are just two celebrities who would eventually take Hollywood by storm, but not before landing a gig on the extremely popular fantasy adventure series. There are 11 others we had in mind to mention.

Alden Ehrenreich (Ben Collins)

Playing a younger version of Harrison Ford’s iconic space pilot in the 2018 prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story made Alden Ehrenreich a household name. More than a decade earlier, the then 15-year-old actor made his screen debut on the second ever episode of Supernatural, called “Wendigo,” as Ben Collins, a young man looking for his missing older brother in a Colorado forest with his older sister, Haley (Gina Holden). Sam and Dean, while posing as park rangers, agree to help them on a hunch that the sibling may have been killed by the titular mythical creature.

Sterling K. Brown (Gordon Walker)

From his Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role on the hit NBC drama This Is Us to his brief, yet memorable, appearance Eric Killmonger's late, Wakandan born father in Black Panther, Sterling K. Brown has become one of the most versatile, sought-after actors today following a career spanning nearly two decades. One of his earlier roles was a guest spot in Season 2 of Supernatural as a Gordon Walker, a vampire hunter who has it out for Sam Winchester. Brown would reprise the character for a three-episode arc the following season, that saw him become the very creature he despised and ended with Sam beheading him.

Lauren Cohan (Bela Talbot)

In one attempt to find the Winchester Brothers, Gordon Walker interrogated their on-and-off ally, con artist Abbie Talbot (better known as "Bela"), played by Lauren Cohan. The British-American actress would eventually become a master at battling monstrous creatures after joining the cast of The Walking Dead in its second season, but her first recurring role on Season 3 of Supernatural saw her employed by monstrous creatures years after making a deal with a demon in her teens. Despite occasionally turning good to help Sam and Dean, her redemption moment came to a bitter end after betraying the brothers, costing her whatever protection they could have provided once her devilish bargain expired and allowing her soul to be taken by Hellhounds.

Finn Wolfhard (Jordie Pinksy)

While still a teenager, Finn Wolfhard has earned the title of his generation's most prolific "scream king," from playing Richie Tozier in both It films, starring in the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and, of course, his breakout role on Stranger Things. Yet, the Canadian actor's first association with the horror genre began a year before he was cast on the hit Netflix series as a guest star on Supernatural. In the 2015 episode "Thin Lizzie," Wolfhard plays Jordie Pinsky, whose father was the victim of a murder which took place at the childhood home of alleged murderer Lizzie Borden, now re-opened as a bed and breakfast, and Sam and Dean are convinced that primordial being The Darkness, which they just call "Amara" (Yasmeene Ball), may be involved.

Leslie Odom Jr. (Guy)

In one of his first TV gigs, Leslie Odom Jr. starred in a wedding episode of Gilmore Girls, which was Jared Padalecki's first major TV gig. Coincidentally, the future Hamilton actor's sole appearance alongside Padalecki on Supernatural is the Season 7 episode literally titled "Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!" The nuptials in question are between Sam and his obsessed fan Becky Rosen (Emily Perkins), which Dean correctly assumes is the work of some sort of black magic and eventually discovers Becky sold her soul to a crossroads demon named Guy (Odom Jr.) in exchange for Sam's love.

Dylan Minnette (Danny Carter)

As a protagonist in 2016 thriller Don't Breathe and the Netflix original horror flick The Open House, Dylan Minnette tends to play a lot of characters who enter places that they should be staying away from. In fact, this reputation dates back even years before he landed a lead role on hit drama 13 Reasons Why when the then 13-year-old starred in a Season 4 episode of Supernatural. In the episode, called "Family Remains," Minnette plays a young member of the Carter Family, who have just moved into a house in Nebraska, only to come across Sam and Dean, who have reason to believe their new home is haunted.

Ashley Benson (Tracy Davis)

After breaking out as Hanna Marin, a meek protagonist of Pretty Little Liars, in 2010, Ashley Benson's next big role would be the not-so-meek Brit in Harmony Korine's controversial thriller Spring Breakers. Yet, before either of those projects came her way, the model/actress also played quite a "hellraiser" (more literally speaking) in the Season 4 Halloween episode of Supernatural, in which she starred as Tracy Davis, a 600-year-old witch performing human sacrifice to resurrect the evil demon Samhaim (actually pronounced correctly in the episode). However, Sam and Dean do not figure that out until after they initially try to protect her from evil art teacher Don Harding (Don McManus), who actually turned out to be her brother.

Gary Cole (Brad Redding)

What helps Gary Cole stand out among the rest of the of the actors on this list is that, by the time he landed his guest spot on Supernatural, he had pretty much already established himself as a prominent onscreen presence, especially as Bill Lumbergh, cinema's quintessential boss from hell, in the classic 1999 comedy Office Space. Of course, the fact that his Season 2 appearance has certain thematic parallels to that iconic role only makes it more worth mentioning. In "Hollywood Babylon," Sam and Dean pose as production assistants to infiltrate a supposedly a haunted movie set, but Brad Redding, a bullish producer played by Cole, turns out to be one of more antagonistic characters they encounter, until he falls prey to the real on-set evil.

Katie Cassidy (Ruby/Lilith)

Although she is best known today for playing Laurel Lance (a.k.a. Black Canary) on Arrow, Katie Cassidy does have a place in horror movie royalty (so to speak) for her roles in the modern day remakes of When a Stranger Calls and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Her proudest moment within the genre would more likely be her recurring role on Supernatural, for which she actually got to play characters. Starting off as the first known human vessel of Ruby, a demon who becomes a frequent ally to the Winchester Brothers and love interest of Sam, Cassidy's character's body would eventually be taken over by a white-eyed demon named Lilith, who is most definitely not an ally to the Sam and Dean, but used her new appearance to insidiously achieve their trust.

Aldis Hodge (Jake Talley)

In Leigh Whannel's 2020 update of The Invisible Man, Aldis Hodge plays James Lanier, a police officer who falls prey to the manipulation of his friend's evil ex-husband. In the two-part Season 2 finale of Supernatural, he played Jake Talley, a US military officer who possesses the ability to manipulate others with mind control as a "Special Child," but that did not stop him from falling prey to the wishes of the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel, and become one hell of an obstacle for Sam and Dean. Jake eventually becomes entirely consumed by his demonic side, becoming instrumental in the unleashing of the Apocalypse.

Felicia Day (Charlie Bradbury)

Felicia Day has earned a bit of a "geek goddess" reputation among her cult followers for years, from starring on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eureka, her recent regular role on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival, and plenty more beloved projects. Among those programs, undoubtedly, is Supernatural, on which she starred as skilled computer hacker, and LARP enthusiast, Charlie Bradbury, whom Sam and Dean treat as the "sister [they] never wanted." Her Season 7 debut would only be Day's first appearance on the series and would later appear as Charlie's evil side as well as an alternate version of the previously murdered character originating from an apocalyptic dimension from which Dean transports her to the main Earth.

Jared Keeso (Matt Harrison)

It is impossible to imagine Jared Keeso as anyone other than Wayne, central character of the hilariously surreal comedy series Letterkenny, which he also created. Believe it or not, however, the Canadian actor had a career before the Hulu exclusive series, which includes a brief guest spot on the second season of Supernatural in which he plays Matt Harrison, the unfaithful boyfriend of Angela Mason (Amara Zaragoza), and her first victim after she resurrects from the dead as a vengeful zombie. He is actually just one Letterkenny actor to have had a guest spot on Supernatural, given a lot of it is filmed in Canada, including Nathan Dales, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Tyler Johnston.

Cory Monteith (Gary)

Another actor who made one of his first TV appearances in the second episode of Supernatural (like the previously mentioned Alden Ehrenreich) was Cory Monteith, who played a camper named Gary who becomes a victim of the Colorado Wendigo. Years later, the Canadian actor would achieve great success as a high school athlete balancing sports with a love for performing arts on the hit musical series Glee. Unfortunately, his role was tragically cut short when he passed away at 31 due to a combined overdose of alcohol and heroin.

For more information and updates on Supernatural, as well as more A-listers who made early appearances on your favorite shows, here on CinemaBlend.

On July 13th, 2013, Glee fans were shaken to discover that Cory Monteith had passed away of a heroin overdose. The young actor and singer was 31 at the time of death. Five years later, it's still difficult to process. The talented performer still had many years left in him, and today, his untimely passing has been made even more difficult as we have learned how Ann McGregor, Cory Monteith's mother, discovered the horrendous news. McGregor reportedly first heard about her son's death from Lea Michele, Monteith's co-star and girlfriend for over a year. Here's how Ann McGregor explained the chilling call she received from the grieving actress moments before she was told the news about her belated son.

As she later explained, Ann McGregor soon fell into a "state of numbness," where she "just shut off all emotions" and became indifferent to everything that happened around her. This tragic recounting was told to People in a piece that ran around the anniversary of Monteith's death. Of course, there's no way you can truly prepare for news that devastating, and Ann McGregor admits that it took her weeks before she truly processed what happened. But she didn't doubt its validity. Even when McGregor claims she could lie to herself and believe her son was alive, she knew that wasn't true.

What made Cory Monteith's death even more devastating was knowing his future plans. As Ann McGregor admits, her adult son was planning ahead, thinking about what he wanted to do next after his contract with Glee came to a close. He was renting an apartment in Vancouver, and he planned to move into it after his hit Fox series wrapped its tenure, and he wanted to have a wife and kids and start a family. McGregor believes her son would've been "a beautiful father," and she contends that he accomplished a great deal in his young life.

There's no denying that Cory Monteith's passing is just as tragic now as it was when he left this world five years ago. Since his death, Ann McGregor has continued to advocate for some of her son's passions, including Project Limelight, a non-profit, free performing art program for young individuals. She is also working on his behalf with St. James Music Academy, which provides classic musical education for at-risk children, as well as Amber Academy, which works to empower young adults through the power of fine arts. And while Monteith isn't with us anymore, McGregor believes his spirit still lives on in the hearts of many, including her own.

Lea Michele is taking a trip down memory lane on her Instagram this week by posting a bunch of old photos, and the sweetest of the bunch is a throwback shot of her cuddled up with Cory Monteith. The bottom of the intimate, Polaroid-style photo reveals that it was taken on Bleeker Street in New York City back in 2012, which was the year before Monteith was found dead of an overdose. Michele had dated Monteith for the four years up to his death, along with playing his love interest on Glee.

Lea Michele posted the adorable throwback shot was in the middle of a bunch of other similarly stylized Polaroid snaps, all representing fond memories she's made in years gone by.

In the years since Cory Monteith's death, Lea Michele has shared quite a few tributes to him on her social media accounts. Most recently, Michele got a permanent reminder of her late boyfriend by tattooing the number 5 on her side --- 5 was the number on Monteith's Glee character Finn's football jersey. Michele also showed off a second tattoo dedicated to Monteith in a Women's Health spread last year --- the name "Finn" written on her hip.

Though Lea Michele openly shows her love for Cory Monteith now, the couple had actually kept their relationship under wraps for quite some time when they started dating. The pair quickly hit it off after they were cast as the primary love interests on Fox's musical comedy Glee, and began dating in 2009 while the first season of the show was airing. However, it wasn't until three years later that they officially told the media about their relationship.

Sadly, Cory Monteith had battled a drug addiction for most of his life, which came to a head in the summer of 2013. Earlier in that year, Monteith had completed rehab for his substance abuse, but just a few months later he was found dead in a hotel room from an overdose of heroin and alcohol. Researchers believe that his lowered tolerance for heroin after completing his treatment program is what made the usual amount that Monteith ingested lethal.

Each year on the date of Cory Monteith's death, July 13, Lea Michele posts a loving remembrance of him. It's clear that he will always be in her heart.

Cory Monteith's untimely death shocked the world in 2013, and a new special about the actor's drug overdose is shedding some light on new details surrounding the tragedy. Namely, the main cause of Monteith's heroin overdose turned out to be a lot more upsetting than anyone really knew.

Apparently, it may have been that Cory Monteith had just completed a detox program that ushered in his lethal overdose. That's the information a new Reelz film Autopsy: The Last Hours of Cory Monteith (via Glamour) explored. It sounds like the exact opposite of what should happen --- shouldn't recently completing a detox program decrease someone's chances of overdosing? Well, apparently not. Since Monteith had not been sober for much longer than usual thanks to the program, his tolerance had fallen. He wound up relapsing in July of 2013, and the Autopsy special suggests that his body may not have been able to handle the heroin he was once able to ingest prior to getting sober.

The news obviously makes Cory Monteith's death all the more devastating. He was on the road to recovery and working to get sober, but tragically, it turned out that it may have been that very ambition to kick his substance abuse that made his relapse deadly. Unfortunately, that just happens to be the sad fact about how substance abuse and detox programs work. The U.S. National Library of Medicine found that people who completed a substance abuse detox program were more likely to die within a year than those who did not, due to their lowered tolerance.

Cory Monteith had struggled with substance abuse his whole life, beginning at the young age of 12, PEOPLE reported. At 19, he first sought treatment for his addiction and would go through periods of drug use and sobriety throughout the rest of his life. At the end of March in 2013, Monteith admitted himself into a treatment facility at the urgings of his Glee castmates and the show's creator Ryan Murphy. A month later, Monteith successfully completed the rehab program. But less than three months after that, Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room on July 13, at the age of 31.

Glee aired two more seasons after Cory Monteith's death before coming to an end in 2015, and the cast has commemorated their late castmate numerous times since. In particular, Lea Michele has gotten multiple tattoos in remembrance of Monteith, including his character name "Finn" on her backside and Finn's football number "5" on her side. Michele and Monteith began dating after being cast as love interests on the musical series, and remained together until the time of his death.

Autopsy: The Last Hours of Cory Monteith aired on Saturday on Reelz.

Glee became a huge hit for Fox almost immediately after it debuted in 2009, and a big part of the draw was the goofily charming Cory Monteith in the role of Finn Hudson. Monteith tragically passed away a few years ago, and Glee aired a heartbreaking tribute to Finn as a way to say goodbye to Monteith. Although the show came to an end in 2015, his former castmates have not forgotten him, and they found some touching ways to celebrate his life on the anniversary of his death on July 13.

The cause of death for Finn on Glee was never specified, but Cory Monteith passed away due to a drug overdose in 2013. He had been in a relationship with Glee leading lady Lea Michele, whose character Rachel Berry was Finn's primary love interest throughout the series. Michele has been plucking at our heartstrings with her remembrances of Monteith ever since she emotionally dedicated a Teen Choice Award to him shortly after his death. She took to Twitter on July 13 to share a photo of Monteith that has since been retweeted nearly 60,000 times.

Matthew Morrison played Glee club moderator Will Schuester, who closely mentored Finn through his high school years and even after graduation. Morrison and Cory Monteith shared an awful lot of screentime during their time on the series, and Morrison too used his Twitter account to remember the young man who had clearly become family to him.

Kevin McHale played the wheelchair-bound Artie Abrams, who was one of the original six members of McKinley High School's New Directions and shared his share of scenes and songs with Finn. McHale used the hashtag #3YearsWithoutCory to post a message and a GIF commemorating his time with Cory Monteith.

Jenna Ushkowitz played Tina Cohen-Chang on Glee, who was another of the original six members of New Direction. She chose to use her Instagram to share a happy picture of Cory Monteith on the drums, also using a #3yearswithoutcory tag.

Harry Shum played Mike Chang, who was a football player who happened to have a mean dancing streak. Mike and Finn were always a fun duo to watch on screen together just based on their different approaches to dance and performance. Shum had a goofy picture and some warm words for Cory Monteith on the anniversary of his death.

Heather Morris played dim-witted but mostly well-meaning cheerleader Brittany Pierce on Glee. She was as good a dancer as Finn was bad, and they were always fun on screen together. Morris used her Instagram to tell the story of how she learned of Cory Monteith's death and post a photo that's definitely worth a smile.

Chord Overstreet joined Glee in the beginning of Season 2 as Sam Evans, who ended up spending time with Finn both on the football field and on the stage to sing. Overstreet posted a picture of himself with Monteith in his social media tribute to his friend.

Cory Monteith's passing is no less tragic in 2016 than it was in 2013, but the loving messages from his friends and former Glee castmates make it easy to celebrate his life rather than mourn his death. Glee never would have been the hit that it was if Monteith hadn't been on board to help launch the series in 2009, and he'll always be a good reason to rewatch a few episodes here and there.

Glee is set to take its final bow this Friday, but before it does, the series has revealed a bunch of details about what fans can expect from the big 2-hour shebang. Namely, Fox’s Glee Season 6 and series finale will look back at the history of the drama and will pay tribute to Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on the series before his untimely death in 2013.

Ryan Murphy has long spoken out about the fact that Glee’s big series finale would include Finn. At PaleyFest, however, the Glee cast revealed that the final episode will be based around moments in time before the gang got together and New Directions was created. The first episode was screened, and fans were able to see how the group felt about Finn as a jock before they came to know him and accept him in New Directions as a creative talent.

Murphy has said in the past that Glee's final season was originally intended to revolve around Rachel and Finn’s story. In fact, Murphy originally envisioned Finn in the final scene of the series, an expectation that can no longer come into play for obvious reasons. While the show will not wrap up as Murphy originally intended, lead Lea Michele says she is happy with the final product.

It’s not as if Glee has just avoided bringing Cory Monteith into the plot since he died. Shortly after his passing, the series planned a major tribute to the actor and the character of Finn that included a slew of musical numbers. His spirit has lived on in the series and it is nice that Murphy and co. figured out a way to include Finn in the finale. Let’s just hope it proves to be a fitting ending for the rest of the cast, as well. Here's a look at what to expect from the last episode.

You can watch the full hour-long panel here. Or, simply tune in for the Glee finale this Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Hey, remember when someone (allegedly) hacked into Glee star Chris Colfer’s Twitter account and sent out a message to fans that he’d been “let go” for personal reasons? Internet users the world over aggressively overreacted immediately, because that’s how we roll, but, of course, before we were even done making our WTF faces, his publicist showed up to say the actor had been hacked. So, who could possibly dislike Chris Colfer enough to hack his Twitter account? Well, it seems the answer to that question has more to do with Glee and less to do with the actor himself because someone else from the cast just got hacked too.

Those who follow star Lea Michele were treated to a cute little message from her Twitter account announcing she was preggers today. Turns out that’s (allegedly) a lie too, as per her publicist, who swears there’s no baby growing inside her. Given the weird timing related to the Colfer incident, we’ll go ahead and believe her (and TV Line). If so, that would mean there is a serial hacker on the loose who is hellbent on screwing with the lives of the various cast members.

So, let’s take a look at the suspects…

A Pissed Off Ex-Glee Fan

You know how much hate Glee got when it first hit the air and everyone who wasn’t a part of its demographic would make snarky comments about how dumb it was for high schoolers to break into song? Well, all of those haters don’t collectively hate Glee even a fraction as much as real fans who were on board with the show for years and got really pissed off at the direction it took hate Glee. There should be support groups for these ex-fans because they really, really need to talk out all that hate inside.

So, yeah, it’s entirely possible one of them got so fed up about Rachel not getting the boot or fed up with some other Glee-related bullshit that they decided to take it out on Rachel and Kurt.

Likelihood: 50%

Dade “Zero Cool” Murphy

Look: if you’ve seen Hackers, you know there’s nothing Zero Cool can’t do with a computer. He caused a 7 point drop in the New York Stock Exchange when he was 11. At this point (he’d be 37 now), his skills definitely would have advanced to the point where he could hack into some Twitter accounts. The only question is why he would do it. My theory is that Acid Burn is super into Glee, and since she’s forced Zero Cool to watch it for years, he decided to take a little revenge.

And don’t think being a fictional character would prevent him from doing this. He’s overcome far more difficult obstacles – like Penn Jillette and Matthew Lillard.

Likelihood: 30%

Another Glee Cast Member

I don’t know if you know this, but everyone on Glee seems to hate each other, and there’s more personal life drama than we could ever discuss in two paragraphs. Naya Rivera might get fired. Poor Cory Monteith died. Heather Morris had a naked picture scandal. There are all kinds of weird rumors about Lea Michele dating a gigolo. In short, it’s one steamy pile of weirdness, and everyone seems to agree there are a ton of grudges on set.

So, maybe one of the cast members got a little pissed off about being demoted or getting bad storylines. Maybe there’s some tension about who has the biggest trailer or who got to shoot more takes of their big song. I don’t pretend to know how this works, but when someone dies, the police always look at the spouse. And when someone gets hacked, you have to look at their supposed friends.

Likelihood: 15%

Me

Why do I care about this story so much? I could have easily ignored it and continued with the process of ranking every A League Of Their Own character by baseball ability. Instead, I stopped to write a story on Glee. Then, for no apparent reason, I turned it into a massive feature with pictures and suspects. That screams suspicious. Criminals love drawing attention to their own crimes. They also love inserting themselves into investigations too. For the record, I have not done that.

Still, you would be smart to look at me as a suspect. I work on the Internet for a living; so, I’m good with computers, which is another big red flag.

Likelihood: 5%

Putting on a major awards show is really hard. Between the exhaustive voting process, the invitations, the performances and everything else, there are thousands and thousands of details that need to fall into place in order for everything to work. Some details, however, are more important than others—like spelling people’s names correctly during the in memorium montage, and when those details are wrong, it leads to more than just a momentary dip in quality. In fact, it leads to full-on Twitter freakouts.

During last night’s Grammy Awards, the powers that be decided to give deceased Glee star Cory Monteith his moment in the sun. Unfortunately, whoever was in charge of actually making the slide put the “i” before the “e”, and well, his fans weren’t exactly stoked about the proofreading mistake and took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.

You can take a look at a screenshot of the misfire below, courtesy of US Magazine…

Monteith passed away last July quite suddenly. There was a long history of substance abuse issues in his past, but at just thirty-one and in a very stable relationship, most people thought he would get it together sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, life isn’t always fair and some of us get fewer chances than others.

Regardless, Monteith had a huge effect on many people’s lives during his very short time on Earth. He deserved to have a tribute that wasn’t spoiled by a lazy mistake. Fortunately, that wasn’t the only splashy tribute he’s received thus far, and it probably won’t be the last time he’s honored in a touching way.

To remember Monteith in your own way, you can check out this video of his greatest performances below…

Glee began with a heavy emphasis on Finn and Rachel, and from what series creator Ryan Murphy says, the Fox musical dramedy would have ended that way as well. Unfortunately, the plan has changed in the wake of Cory Monteith’s death earlier this year, however an excerpt from a eulogy Murphy gave at a memorial for the actor reveals how the ending of Glee would have played out.

EW shared Murphy’s touching eulogy, which included the following regarding how Murphy wanted to end the sixth and final season of the series:

Murphy’s mental image of how the show would have ended sounds like it would’ve been an appealing option for fans of the series who were waiting for Finn and Rachel to get back together. The characters’ relationship status had hit a rough patch during the show’s fourth season, which had Finn joining the army (then leaving it) and Rachel setting off for New York to study the theater. Things weren’t going so well for their relationship, but it seemed expected that the two characters would eventually find their way back to one another.

In the wake of Monteith’s death, his character Finn was written off the show this season, having died of unspecified causes. As of October, Murphy said they were still trying to figure out a way to end Glee without Finn, and that he’s aiming for something that he thinks will be satisfactory and “kind of in [Finn’s] honor.”

At the very least, Murphy and the writers have plenty of time to change course and build up whatever arc they want to develop to lead to the series’ conclusion. Glee is midway through its fifth season, which means it has a season and a half to rev up for its finale. Still, given what a central character Finn was and how invested fans were in Finn and Rachel’s relationship, finding a way to close out the series satisfactorily without that element may prove to be a challenge.

Glee isn’t alone among current projects that have had to change course after the sudden death of one of its leads. On the feature side, actor Paul Walker’s tragic death last month has left the Fast & Furious franchise in an uncertain place. Production on the seventh film has been halted, however it sounds like Universal is almost ready to get things started again, as a new release date was announced for the film this week.

We learned last Spring that Glee had been renewed for Season 5 and 6. Beyond that, the fate of the series was unknown, but a two-season renewal ensured fans that the musical dramedy would be around for at least two more years, which is more assurance than most drama series get. And then Cory Monteith died. Given the crucial role he played in the drama, his tragic death has understandably forced series creator Ryan Murphy to change course for the sixth and final season. Yes, Season 6 will be Glee's last.

TVLine reports that Ryan Murphy has confirmed that Season 6 will be Glee's last season. Season 5 is currently airing now, so that means the show will end after next season. So how will it end? Obviously he didn't offer up any specifics on that, but Cory Monteith's character Finn was supposed to play a big part in the conclusion of the popular show, and his death has caused Murphy to go back to the drawing board to reshape the season:

Murphy went on to say that he's going to tell the studio and the network how they can end the show that he thinks is satisfactory, "and kind of in his honor," which he said he loves.

I doubt Murphy's exaggerating when he says the final year was designed around Rachel and Finn. Go back to the pilot episode of the series and you'll remember that this couple -- which wasn't a couple at the time -- was one of the big starting points of the show. Their will-they-wont-they relationship drove the first season and two eventually got together. Then they sort of drifted from one another last season after having graduated from high school, and then Cory Monteith took the last couple of episodes off to enter rehab, which left the future of Rachel and Finn an even less certain place. But it's not difficult to imagine that Finn and Rachel would've found their way back to each other by the series' end.

At the very least, Murphy has plenty of time to plan out how the series will end, and though it might not be the Finn/Rachel closing scene he imagined, it sounds like he has something else in mind that will hopefully work.

For a flashback of the pilot, which is kind of bittersweet to watch with the above in mind, here's a classic Glee scene:

The cold, sobering details of Cory Monteith’s death have finally become public, and they paint the picture of a recovering star who made a series of bad decisions in the hours prior to his death. On that fateful night, he apparently shot up heroin and drank a large quantity of alcohol, which together, were enough to overwhelm his body.

According to TMZ, investigators discovered two empty champagne bottles, a spoon with drug residue and a used hypodermic needle. That evidence was very consistent with his toxicology test, and given his behavior in the months leading up to the overdose, the combination was enough to kill him.

Ordinarily, doctors advise people quit doing drugs and drinking alcohol completely, but if someone abuses substances over a long period of time, completely stops and then starts again at the same level they did before, their bodies are often ill-equipped to handle it. That’s supposedly what happened to Amy Winehouse, and it’s no doubt happened to numerous other celebrities over the years who have struggled with addiction.

It’s very reasonable to question whether too many sordid stories are written about deceased celebrities in the weeks and months following their deaths, but when it comes to overdoses, there’s great value in the general public knowing how dangerous certain substances are. Monteith struggled with addiction for much of his life. He went to rehab at the beginning of April, and by all accounts, he was doing very well upon his release. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad night to ruin all of that forward progress.

Here’s to hoping something positive comes out of Monteith’s passing. Glee was and remains incredibly popular with teenagers, and there should be room for the actor to be remembered both for his incredible energy on screen and the demon he was never completely able to fight off.

Just when I think I’m out, Toronto Film Festival coverage pulls me back in.

Two films I managed to fit into my schedule down the stretch are getting all sorts of attention, for different reasons. Luckily, they both picked up distribution deals in Canada, so they’ll be coming to theaters near you soon. But while you wait, I wanted to hash over McCanick and Under the Skin, and find out why they’re tapping a nerve with this year’s festival crowd.

Josh C. Waller’s McCanick came to TIFF with a built-in curiosity factor. It represents one of the final onscreen performances for the late Glee star Cory Monteith. And in my opinion, the movie proves just how big a talent we lost when Monteith died from an overdose earlier this year.

Waller’s film is a gritty, Philadelphia-based cop thriller that’s actually a vehicle for the outstanding David Morse, who plays the title character. It’s McCanick’s birthday, but instead of a present, he learns that the slippery male escort (Monteith) whom he put away years ago has slipped out of the penal system. Hell bent on tracking him down, McCanick sacrifies time (and partners) in hopes of recapturing Monteith’s character … because the man holds a secret that could burn McCanick’s career to the ground.

The movie wants to be a contemporary answer to The French Connection, with the grizzled Morse being called Popeye Doyle by a criminal he’s beating. But while I’ve come to expect greatness from Morse, I didn’t know Monteith had the chops to hold his own opposite a veteran character actor. His McCanick character, Simon Wells, is a chameleon who is supposed to deceive the lead director at every turn, and Monteith revels in showing a darkness few Glee fans probably knew he had.

EW reports that McCanick was picked up by Well Go USA, with an intent to distribute in early 2014.

Under the Skin, on the surface, is being described by those who haven’t seen it as “the one where Scarlett Johansson gets naked a lot.” And that’s true, but ironic, given what director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) eventually has to say about sexual attraction, superficial appearances and intimacy with his beautiful – and beautifully strange movie.

Johansson risks and stretches to play a largely silent alien who stalks the bleak, chilly Scottish countryside in search of horny men whom she hopes to pick up in her nondescript van. After she has lured them into her “web,” ScarJo’s creature guides these unsuspecting dudes into … well, it’s hard to explain, and Glazer doesn’t overdoes on details. The movie trades in symbolism as it casts its haunting spell, only making significant points about the love that’s supposed to exist underneath the superficial judgment game – and the dark places to which carnal attraction can take us.

Neither film is a laugh riot. Skin though, strives to say more about its chosen subject matter. If the films share a common bond, it’s that they show us actors known for one skill set throwing caution (and reputation) to the wind in hopes of furthering their careers. Johansson has “Marvel money,” a semi-lucrative gig in a tentpole franchise, and yet she’s shedding clothes for an introspective and mysterious meditation on looks and attractions. And Monteith shifts gears away from Glee to demonstrate what he might have been able to do on a regular basis, if not for the demons that plagued him. These are the narratives that still come out of Toronto, a showcase for film and conversation on an annual basis.

Cory Monteith's death still seems too sad to be real. Unfortunately, it is real, and with the fall season approaching, we're left to wonder how the actor's demise will impact Glee, and how the writers would write Finn out of the show. Ryan Murphy has revealed the answer to that mystery - mystery being the key word. Finn's death won't be explained in specifics. From what Murphy says, it sounds like the character will die, but the "how" won't be revealed, possibly ever.

Knowing that Monteith's death would have to be addressed on Glee in its fifth season, given how integral Finn has been to the plot of the story since the beginning, I'll admit to being put off by the idea of the show using Monteith's death for dramatic purposes within the context in the show. But really, it's a tricky situation, as they have to address Finn's exit somehow. And how do they do that in a way that's respectful and doesn't feel gimmicky? It sounds like series creator Ryan Murphy and the writers have settled on an approach, and thankfully, it isn't to have the character die of a drug overdose. Here's what Murphy said in an interview Deadline shared:

First of all, it's good to hear they're not going the drug overdose approach, as it would've come out of nowhere, considering I don't think Finn's ever had a substance abuse problem. And for another, I can't picture that working without the episode feeling like an intentional cautionary tale. Monteith died due to substance abuse, so unfortunately the reality of the situation is its own cautionary tale. But not giving a reason for the characters' death at all? That's a risky approach, but it just might work to keep the focus where it needs to be, while also addressing the character's exit.

Fans might not like being left in the dark about Finn's death, but considering the options, it seems like a reasonable approach to putting the emphasis on the character's exit and not turning Monteith's death into part of the story. This would allow the writers to acknowledge the character's exit and death and pay tribute to Monteith.

EW notes that the planned memorial episode will take place during Episode 3 of Season 5, after the two Beatles tribute episodes that will kick off the season. The Beatles episodes reportedly had to be reworked slightly to account for Finn's absence. Beyond that, Monteith's death also affected the production schedule for the series, resulting in Glee's return date being rescheduled from September 19 to September 26.

Glee cast member Cory Monteith’s death was a big blow for fans, but also for the cast and crew members who spent years and years working together. It’s tough to get over the death of someone, especially when that someone is an individual whose death is tragic and unexpected, and Fox is giving the cast and crew the opportunity to collect themselves before heading into the studio to shoot the new season. This will push back the fall premiere date for the series, but only by one week.

Season 5 of Glee was initially scheduled to hit the network on September 19. To achieve that date, production on the new season was expected to begin this month. However, according to press release, the new season will hit the schedule on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET, instead. With the pushback, production will begin on the new season beginning in early August.

Fox is noting that the new schedule is related to Monteith’s death. The 31-year-old actor died of a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol after battling substance addiction numerous times over the course of his life. Monteith checked himself into rehab just this past April, in a move that affected the last two episodes of Glee’s Season 4. His death was untimely and he will certainly be missed on the series.

In the press release, Fox noted the program only has updates related to the scheduling change, right now. However, Monteith’s character on Glee, Finn, was a gifted athlete and singer on the series who graduated a couple of seasons ago. Despite the graduation date, Finn was expected to have a role in Season 5. The good news for the writers is that Finn is one of the cast members on the series who has already graduated and whose plotlines had already been cut back in Season 4. The crew will likely use the time to rework any scenes Finn was supposed to be in and figure out how to explain the absence of the character. Even in times of duress, the show must go on.

In real life, Monteith’s body was cremated in Vancouver on Tuesday, following a private viewing and special ceremony with his family and friends.

On the show, the writers and showrunner Ryan Murphy will have to decide whether it will be best to just explain Finn’s absence or take a darker approach, killing the character off. Whatever the writers decide will surely be tough to work through, and our thoughts go out to the Glee team in the coming weeks.

The coroner’s report is back concerning Cory Monteith’s death, and sadly, the cause of death confirms many people’s suspicions. The Glee star died from a combination drug and alcohol overdose, though it’s still unclear whether it happened from a single dip back into his old habits or an extended pattern of abuse.

According to TMZ, the overdose drug in question was heroin. The authorities won’t say whether some of it was actually found inside the room, but they have admitted they found evidence at the scene that indicated a drug overdose was likely. That could mean needles. That could mean more drugs. That could mean needle marks on the body. That could mean a suspicious baggie. We really don’t know, and if the authorities aren’t being forthcoming now, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know those details.

For Monteith, addiction was a near lifelong battle. He reportedly started partaking in illegal substances at the age of thirteen and checked into rehab for the first time at nineteen. Earlier this year, he headed back again in an effort to get help, even missing the final two episodes of the season. Following his stay, it was initially thought he was making forward progress, but clearly, those same old demons and impulses never left. He was just thirty-one when he passed, leaving behind his girlfriend/ famous Glee co-star Lea Michele, numerous family members and an army of fans and supporters.

Losing someone of promise at such a young age is always a tragedy. It naturally prompts questions of “what if?”, but at this point, all that can be done is to try and learn something from Monteith’s mistakes. He had all the talent in the world, and he brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces. In the end, however, those joys apparently weren’t enough for him to find true peace and contentment.

In the coming days, we will likely get some more information about the timeline immediately prior to Monteith’s overdose. We may even be told exactly how much drugs and alcohol were in the actor’s system. When those details become available, we will definitely bring them to you. Until then, here’s to hoping the writers of Glee are able to figure out the perfect way to honor Monteith and his character Finn in the coming season.

You can check out a highlight video of some of Monteith’s classic covers below…

The tragic death of Cory Monteith leaves Glee writers with a decision to make on the fate of his character, Finn Hudson. And they may be in a crunch to make that decision, as the series was supposed to begin production on Season 5 next week. But with Monteith's death this weekend, changes will need to be made to the start of Season 5, as Monteith's character Finn was expected to be featured prominently. There's also the matter of what Fox will do about Glee if production needs to be delayed.

Deadline doesn't outright mention the possibility of a delay, but they do say Fox execs are discussing how to handle the return of Glee as the writers work on handling how the character will exit the musical dramedy. Monteith took some time away from Glee at the end of last season to enter rehab, but he was expected to return in Season 5 and according to the site, Finn played an important part of the episodes that had already been written. Glee was supposed to start shooting Season 5 next month in anticipation of the season premiere September 19. The plan was to get a few episodes on the air before Fox derails its primetime schedule with baseball broadcasts. But I'm wondering if Monteith's death and the time it might take to refashion the start of the season to incorporate Finn's exit might delay the series' return. That may come down to whether or not the series resumes production as planned next week.

What will most surely be addressed is Finn's exit. The writers must decide if they're going to write him out of the show in some kind of scenario that has Finn leaving town, maybe heading off to college or some other more positive departure, or if they want to take a darker approach in having Finn Hudson die, which is - to cite a recent example - how Dallas chose to handle the death of Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing in both the original series and the follow-up. Of course, Hagman was elderly when he passed, which does make a difference, as Finn's death would be a big more sudden, regardless of how they worked it into the story. And it would likely have an impact on the course of the season, at least at the beginning, as the characters came to grips with the loss of one of their own.

As Deadline points out, series creator Ryan Murphy has worked ripped-from-the-headlines pop-culture events into the plot of Glee in the past, so making a story out of Monteith's death wouldn't be entirely out of the ordinary for the show. But the series has shied away from death in the past, with its closest brush probably being when Quinn was in a car accident. The death of a character - and a lead character at that - would be a shift for the series.

Regardless of how they decide to handle Finn's exit, I doubt I'm alone in hoping that some kind of tribute is paid to Monteith, whose well-meaning, kind and occasionally insecure character will surely be missed on the series.

Here's one of Monteith's last musical performances on the show. Fittingly, "Don't' Stop Believing" was also one of the first…

We still don’t know the exact cause of Cory Monteith’s tragic death over the weekend, but it now seems very likely we’ll get the official results a whole lot sooner than many initially imagined. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority announced today that the Glee star’s autopsy will be pushed up to this afternoon. It will be conducted by a full medical team, and depending on what is discovered, any subsequent tests could be bumped to the top of the food chain at the lab.

According to The New York Daily News, the priority status is more about Monteith’s age and the lack of obvious cause of death than anything else. If toxicology reports are needed, they could be back within just a few short days, as opposed to the month or longer it typically takes for such information to come back from the lab. Exactly what those results might show, however, is very much still an undecided question.

Monteith had more than his share of problems with drugs and alcohol over the course of his life. The thirty-one-year-old reportedly started indulging in illegal activities at the tender age of thirteen, and he was in rehab when he was nineteen. Recently, he went to get treatment again, but the general consensus was this time it may have actually worked. He seemed happy and healthy to the outside world, and many close to him reportedly thought the same thing. Interviews are currently being conducted with friends, family members and those who saw him last, however, to see if a relapse/ overdose could potentially have caused his undoing.

A complete timeline of Cory’s final hours still hasn’t been made public, but we do have enough information to piece together roughly what happened. The actor checked into the Fairmont on July 6th, and he missed his checkout time on July 13th. After employees entered the room to see what happened, his body was discovered. He’d been dead for a matter of hours, though it’s unclear exactly how many. He reportedly went out with friends the night before and security footage shows him returning to his hotel room early the morning of his passing, but once he gets inside the room, it’s obviously a big mystery.

Regardless of what these impending autopsy results might show us, Monteith was a talented actor and by all accounts, a pretty good guy. He had so much left to give, and Pop Blend’s sincerest thoughts go out to his entire family, his friends and all those touched by his all-too-brief life.

We’ll keep you updated as more evidence emerges.

In what is both shocking and extremely sad news, Glee star Cory Monteith has died. This news was confirmed tonight during a press conference held by the Vancouver police. Cause of death is not yet confirmed, however the Vancouver police did say that there were no signs of foul play at the scene, and they'll be gathering information over the next couple of days, including speaking with Monteith's family in an effort to determine cause of death.

According to the Vancouver police, Monteith checked into the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel on July 6 and was supposed to check out today, but when he missed his check-out, the staff went to check his room and found his body. Investigators believe he had been deceased for several hours when he was discovered. Security cameras showed him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours.

While there isn't confirmation on the cause of death, we do know that Monteith had been battling substance abuse issues this year and had checked himself into rehab a few months ago, resulting in time off from his role as Finn on Glee. Whether or not substance abuse led to his death is unconfirmed, but I expect we'll be hearing updates on this over the next few days. In the meantime, our thoughts go out to Monteith's friends and family in their time of loss.

Monteith was one of the original stars of the Fox musical dramedy Glee, playing the role of Finn, the sweet but jockish, musically gifted student and love interest to Lea Michele's Rachel. He remained one of the leads of the series over the first three seasons, but his role was diminished in the fourth season after Finn graduated. And then he was absent completely from the last couple episodes of the season due to entering rehab. At that time, a statement from Glee production company 20th Century Fox expressed support for Monteith's decision to enter rehab, adding, "Everyone at the show wishes him well and looks forward to his return." His absence from the series will certainly be felt when Glee returns this fall for Season 5.

Born in Alberta, Canada, Monteith's earliest credited role was an appearance on Stargate: Atlantis. He later went on to play roles in Kyle XY and Canadian/American series Kaya, and then he hit it big with Glee. Among his upcoming credits is a part in the indie film All the Wrong Reasons.

This is the second sudden death of a beloved and relatively young star in less than a month. The Sopranos star James Gandolfini passed away suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51, last month, while on vacation in Italy.

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It's always mixed news when word gets out that a celebrity has entered rehab for substance abuse. On one hand, it's bad news, as it means there was evidently a problem. But on the other hand, at least they're getting the help they need, and hopefully some treatment will get them back on track. Such is the case for Glee's Cory Monteith, who reportedly entered rehab for substance abuse addiction. The news of the celebrity's choice to check into rehab was confirmed this weekend, and apparently it will affect his character on the Fox musical dramedy.

Deadline reports that Monteith, who plays Finn on Glee, will be absent for the last two episodes of the series' fourth season. The site says Glee's final two episodes of the season will shoot as scheduled and Finn's sudden absence will be explained. From the statement from 20th Century Fox TV (Glee's producer), it sounds like his status on the series going forward is secure, or as secure as it was prior to this situation.

Supportive words from 20th Century Fox TV are certainly a good sign, lest anyone worry that his unplanned exit from the series be a permanent one.

Monteith's character, Finn, actually graduated last year, but the series has managed to keep him around, along with some of the other William McKinley High School alumni. These days, Finn's had some tension with Mr. Schu after he kissed his former teacher's fiancé. He also got involved in Rachel's love life when he learned that her NYC boyfriend was moonlighting as a gigolo. Yes, major drama. It's possible Finn's absence from the last two episodes of the season will tie into either of those story arcs, but there are three episodes between now and then, with "Shooting Star" scheduled to air April 11, so there may be additional set-up to whatever explanation the writers land on to explain Finn's absence.

In the meantime, our thoughts go out to Monteith that his trip to rehab is successful.

As the befuddled football player with a song in his heart, Glee star Cory Monteith became a TV heartthrob. But now that Finn Hudson has graduated from McKinley High, Monteith's role on the show will likely be scaled back, which allows this All-American-looking Canadian actor a chance to try his hand at movie stardom.

Previously, Monteith has snagged supporting roles in teen-aimed features like Final Destination 3 and Monte Carlo, but Variety reports he has signed for a more mature feature called McCanick. An action drama from Bleiberg Entertainment, the film will focus on hotheaded narcotics officer Eugene "Mack" McCanick, who becomes wildly obsessed with a seemingly harmless criminal who has been released from prison. Over the course of a long, hot day, McCanick and his partner track this peculiar perp, encountering violence and uncovering a dark secret from Mack's past.

Monteith has signed on to play the mysterious man, while the often intimidating character actor David Morse (Disturbia) will play McCanick, and Superman Returns's Brandon Routh his partner. Josh C. Waller, director of the little known horror flick Raze, will helm, bringing to life the original screenplay penned by Daniel Noah (Max Rose). Rather than attempting a flashy non-stop action approach, McCanick will follow in the vein of 70s cop pics like The French Connection and Serpico, focusing primarily on tormented cop character study, punctuated by scenes of stirring action.

Morse is a riveting performer, so I'm confident he can shoulder such a reportedly intense emotional arc. The question will be if Routh and Monteith can keep up. Both could use the jolt a thriller like this could give their career. Routh is still paying the unfair punishment of years of unremarkable opportunities following the lackluster box office of Superman Returns, and Monteith needs to move fast lest Hollywood brand him a goody goody gleek for the rest of his relevancy. If done right, McCanick could prove a good turning point for each of its leading men.

McCanick shoots this September in Philadelphia.

Glee came to Comic Con again with Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Kevin McHale, Naya Rivera, Jenna Ushkowitz, Darren Criss, and producers Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, and Dante Di Loreto

Michael Ausiello hosted the panel and did the best he possibly could to get information out of the cast and producers about what Season 4 holds. Here's the rundown:

The season starts in September, school starts for McKinley and for Rachel in New York

Rachel's new teacher, played by Kate Hudson, isn't like Will at all, she uses negative re-enforcement.

Kurt and Santana are at McKinley when the season starts but not all characters do long distance relationships well...

Season 4's Britney Spears episode will be Season 4's second episode.

According to the producers Finn is “the question mark for Season 4”

McKinley needs new glee members and are “the underdogs” once again.

All of the regular cast will be returning, but not everyone will be in every episode. Chord Overstreet might be a regular, but that deal hasn't been made yet and Sam and Alex will be back from The Glee Project.

The producers talked about how Season 4 will be about the kids dealing with becoming adults and dealing with adult problems like rent and relationships. This transition happened to Rachel's character during her breakup with Finn. Lea Michelle said when she first read the scene, she thought it was out of character for Rachel but producer Brad Fulchuk explained: “Rachel had an idea about what love was, but needed to learn what adult love was. It was hard, but I wrote [the breakup scene] in one draft.”

The rest of the characters will be back, but their “adult problems” were kept under wraps.

Here's some non-Season 4 highlights:

Fans had mixed reactions on Darren Criss' summer beard. He says he doesn't shave when he's not working and this is his 3rd or 4th beard of the summer.

Brad Falchuk says he's written the same Rachel/Finn scene 7 times and it always gets cut. So much so that Lea Michelle and Cory Monteith joke that whenever they shoot a one-on-one Rachel/Finn scene it was automatically cut.

The pilot originally started with a purposefully campy disco montage, but got cut because people wouldn't get the camp aspect and just thought the show sucked.

Ian Brennan would love to do 90 minute episodes

What advice would Season 3 give Season 1 Santana? Naya Rivera: “Stay away from Finn.” There was a fainting scene where Rachel was supposed to fall into Finn's arms and on the first take Cory Monteith admits he “dropped” her. Lea Michelle: “You didn't drop me, you didn't even catch me.”

The panel started out with a 10 minute fan video re-capping the whole Glee movement, and that's what I'll leave you with now.

GLEEK OUT.

Two more Glee cast members have signed on to act as mentors in the upcoming second season of The Glee Project. Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera will join Lea Michele on the Oxygen competition show that seeks out new talent for the hit; four of the competitors from the first season have appeared on Glee. One of last year’s winners, Samuel Larsen, is also on board to mentor.

Lea Michele was already set to mentor in the premiere episode, where she’ll be working on the theme of “Individuality” with the 14 contestants. The Hollywood Reporter says the other three already have their themes to take on as well.

Samuel Larsen, who was the co-winner last season, will appear in episode two, centered around “Dance-ability”. Larsen was one of the four from last season who appeared on Glee this season and will now come back to the site of his triumph to offer guidance to new hopefuls. In the third episode Cory Monteith will be addressing the issue of bullying; the theme of the episode is “Vulnerability”. Finally, Naya Rivera will get Episode 4, where she’ll be giving some tips on “Sexuality”.

The bigger and longer second season of The Glee Project is set to premiere on June 5th in its new timeslot: Tuesdays at 10 PM. Oxygen has expanded the second season by one episode, making it 11 episodes long, and added two more contestants, up to 14 from last season’s 12. No doubt we can expect to see a few more Glee stars stop by as mentors.

Though every single one of the kids in the main cast of Glee have become famous in their own right since the show took off, not many of them have taken that success over to the movies, probably because the show's production schedule and national concert tour keep them pretty busy. Dianna Agron has come the closest, taking a role in I Am Number Four and coming under serious consideration for a role in the Spider-Man reboot, but coming up close behind her is Cory Monteith, who plays the dim-witted jock Finn on the show.

According to Deadline Monteith is the "center" of a pitch picked up by Fox 2000, described as a workplace comedy. Though Monteith plays a teenager on the show he's in fact 28, and probably won't have too much trouble growing up to his actual age for the sake of a movie role. Monteith has already filmed a role in another Fox 2000 film, the forthcoming Monte Carlo with fellow teen-friendly names Leighton Meester and Selena Gomez, so clearly the studio is investing in this guy for the long haul.

With Ryan Murphy promising that some major Glee characters will be graduating off the show in 2012, and with Monteith the oldest member of the cast by far, he seems a likely candidate to move on after Season 3-- and if he's got a decent movie career going before that happens, he'll probably be more than happy to make the change. Plus, I can't be the only one who thinks Glee is on a downward slide, and that by the end of Season 3 there will be plenty of cast members ready to move away from the kitschy, successful but increasingly unbearable show.