The tributes to late “Glee” star Cory Monteith continued to pour in over the weekend, as friends and former co-stars mourned the shocking death of the 31-year-old star.
As they expressed their sadness over his passing, authorities in Vancouver told E! News that they are fast-tracking their autopsy investigation due to the intense public interest. Monteith was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room on July 13.
No foul play is expected in Monteith’s death and the autopsy is slated to begin on Monday (July 15), according to a spokesman for the Vancouver Police Department.
Among those paying their respects was castmate Matthew Morrison, who sang a song for Monteith during his “Up Close and Personal With Matthew Morrison” show at 54 Below in New York on Sunday night.
According to US Magazine, Morrison dedicated the “A Chorus Line” song “What I Did For Love” to Monteith and struggled to contain his emotions during the performance.
Read tributes to Monteith from Nina Dobrev, Cheyene Jackson, Adam Shankman and Kim Kardashian.
“Matt came out before the show started and said, ‘We lost a great young man too soon,'” a source told the magazine. “He said Cory was a beautiful person.” Then he told the crowd, “You came out to see a show, I came out to do one, so let’s honor Cory with this performance.” Morrison apparently chose the song because Monteith’s girlfriend, Lea Michele, performed the ballad during the season two “Glee” premiere.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who guest-starred on “Glee” as substitute teacher Holly Holliday, released a statement expressing her grief. “Cory was a sweet and talented man,” she said. “My heart breaks for Lea and the entire ‘Glee’ family.”
As fans and friends puzzle over the sudden loss of Monteith — who completed a stint in rehab earlier this year to deal with a recurring substance issue — the Los Angeles Times reported that the actor addressed his struggles in what might be his final on-screen roll. Last September, Monteith spent three weeks shooting “McCanick,” a drama co-starring David Morse in which he plays Simon Weeks, a drug-addicted street hustler who spent seven years in prison for murder.
Photos: The Life & Career of Cory Monteith.
“In my mind, I was envisioning a teeny little drug guy [for the role], but Cory Monteith is this tall, strapping man,” director Josh C. Waller said in an interview shortly after Monteith was found dead. “But when I met with him, he wanted to do it so badly. He was very vocal about his past, and said he wanted to tap into things from his youth that he hadn’t been able to use as an actor yet.”
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