Cory Monteith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cory Monteith
Monteith at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards
Born	Cory Allan Michael Monteith (1982-05-11)May 11, 1982 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Died	July 13, 2013(2013-07-13) (aged 31) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Resting place	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (cremated)
Occupation	Actor musician
Years active	2004–2013

Cory Allan Michael Monteith ( May 11, 1982 – July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the television series Stargate Atlantis (2004), and had other roles in shows including Smallville (2005), and Supernatural (2005). During his career, he starred in over eighteen dramas and seventeen films, with Monte Carlo (2011), Final Destination 3 (2006), and Sisters & Brothers (2011), all becoming commercially successful.

Monteith is best known for his portrayal of Finn Hudson in the first four seasons of the Fox television series Glee. For his portrayal he won a Screen Actors Guild Award and Teen Choice Award.

Early life

Monteith was born in Calgary, Alberta, on May 11, 1982, the younger son of Ann McGregor, an interior decorator, and Joe Monteith, a soldier who served in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He had an older brother named Shaun. Monteith's parents divorced when he was seven years old, and he and his older brother were raised by their mother in Victoria, British Columbia. After the divorce, he saw little of his father due to military service, and he had social difficulties at school. From age 13, he started playing truant from school.

After attending 16 schools, including alternative programs for troubled teens, Monteith dropped out altogether at age 16. He eventually received his high school diploma in 2011 from an alternative school he attended in his youth in Victoria.

Before breaking into show business, Monteith worked various jobs, including Walmart people greeter, taxicab driver, mechanic, school bus driver, roofer, and a drummer for a few bands.

Career

2004–2008: Career beginnings

Monteith began his acting career in Vancouver, British Columbia. He had minor roles in Final Destination 3, Whisper, and Deck the Halls. He had a recurring role in Kyle XY. He also made guest appearances in television serials such as Smallville, Supernatural, Flash Gordon, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate SG-1. In 2006, he made a brief appearance in Bloody Mary, cast as Paul. After Maureen Webb suggested Cory take acting classes; Monteith started acting classes with Anthony Meindl. In 2007, he starred in the MTV series Kaya as Gunnar.

2009–2013: Glee and film roles

In 2009, Monteith was cast in the Fox series Glee as Finn Hudson.

Finn is the star quarterback of his high school football team, and risks alienation from his friends by joining the school's glee club. He is a popular jock at the top of the school's social hierarchy, but when forced to join the glee club, he finds he loves it. His story lines have seen him struggle with his decision to stay in the club, which is at the bottom of the social ladder, while he maintains his popular reputation and the respect of the other jocks. The character must deal with his attraction to both head cheerleader Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) and glee club star singer Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), and his storylines increasingly focus on his relationship with them both.

Monteith as Finn won the 2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Actor Comedy, the same category he had been nominated for in 2010. Although he was not a singer before being cast as Finn, Monteith sang lead or joint lead on a large number of songs on the show.

In April 2010, Monteith was cast in the romantic comedy movie Monte Carlo. In December 2010, it was announced that Monteith would be starring in and co-producing a new untitled workplace-caper comedy for Fox 2000. On August 8, 2010, he co-hosted the Teen Choice Awards. Monteith hosted the Gemini Awards in Toronto on November 13, 2010.

In January 2011, Monteith shot the film Sisters & Brothers with Dustin Milligan, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11. Canadian director Gia Milani's film All The Wrong Reasons stars Monteith as "a big box department store manager whose wife is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder." Milani suggests he was excited to play his own age in a "heavy role." He filmed his part on weekdays, flying to Los Angeles on weekends to do promotional work for Glee. In 2011, Monteith filmed a PSA for Straight But Not Narrow, an online PSA organization aimed at changing the minds of young straight people in their attitude and viewpoint towards the LGBT community. In 2012, he hosted the 23rd GLAAD Media Awards in New York City with co-star Naya Rivera.

On July 20, 2013, Ryan Murphy stated in various media outlets that Monteith was set to have a tribute in the third episode of season five, which also dealt with the death of his character Finn Hudson. Monteith's final two films, All the Wrong Reasons and McCanick, premiered posthumously at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Personal life

Relationships

Monteith began working with American actress Lea Michele in 2008 when they were cast as love interests on Glee. In early 2012, the media reported that they had begun dating. They remained together until his death a year and a half later. In December 2013, a few months after Monteith's death, Lea Michele stated that he was a very private person. Michele has released a number of songs about Monteith since his death. These include "If You Say So", which Michele began writing a week after his death and references the last words he said to her, and "Hey You", a follow-up to "If You Say So", released in April 2017.

Philanthropy

Monteith was involved in a charitable organization called Project Limelight, a nonprofit performing arts group for children in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside area. He was also an ambassador for Virgin Unite, which changes how businesses and governments run and interact, and unites people and entrepreneurship to improve people's lives, and was also involved in Chrysalis, which helps homeless people and those living in low-income households maintain employment.

Monteith was also a strong supporter of LGBT rights and contributed to different organizations of its kind, including the youth-support organization The Trevor Project. Monteith furthermore collaborated with the organization Straight But Not Narrow to promote respect and encouragement from young straight people to their gay counterparts.

Death

Monteith was found dead in his Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel room on July 13, 2013 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was 31.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Discography

Awards and nominations

Awards won

• Hollywood Style Awards 2010
  • Male Future Style Icon Award
• SAG Awards 2010
  • Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Nominations

• SAG Awards 2011
  • Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
• Teen Choice Awards 2009
  • Choice TV: Actor Breakout Star Male
• Teen Choice Awards 2010
  • Choice TV: Comedy Actor
  • Choice Smile

Images for kids

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  Cory Monteith at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards

See also

In Spanish: Cory Monteith para niños