TORONTO: ‘Glee’ TV series star Cory Monteith was found dead in his hotel room in the western Canadian city of Vancouver on Saturday, local police reported.
No cause of death was given for the 31-year-old actor – known for his role as sensitive jock Finn Hudson in the hit series - but Acting Police Chief Doug LePard said that there appeared to be no foul play.
Shortly after noon Saturday police received a call from the local ambulance service “regarding a sudden death in a room” at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver, city police said in a statement.
“Police attended within minutes of the call and paramedics advised the man in the room was clearly deceased. ”
“The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old actor Cory Monteith, who achieved great fame on the popular TV series Glee,” said LePard.
“As was the case in countless homes, I watched Glee regularly with my daughters, and I know there will be shock and sadness in many households with the news of his tragic death.”
The star of the Fox TV musical comedy-drama, who was dating co-star Lea Michele, checked into a rehabilitation center in April for substance abuse, his publicist said in a statement.
In a June 2011 interview with Parade magazine, the actor spoke openly about past struggles with drugs, including getting drunk and smoking pot by age 13.
By age 16 “I had a serious problem,” he told Parade, and checked into a rehab center at age 19. However ” I did the stint but then went back to doing exactly what I left off doing,” he said.
“I’m lucky on so many counts-I’m lucky to be alive,” he told Parade.
Monteith was born in Calgary, in Alberta province, but grew up in Victoria, on Canada’s west coast close to the US border and Vancouver, according to his IMDB profile.
Monteith checked into the hotel in July 6th and was due to check out on Saturday.
“There were others with Mr Monteith in his room earlier last night, but video and … key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours and we believe he was alone when he died,” the statement read.
“When he missed his check-out time, staff went to the room at noon and found his body.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, “but all indications are that there was no foul play.”
Monteith has also had minor roles in series such as “Smallville” and “Kyle XY”.