Cory Monteith: See Fan Tributes to Fallen Glee Star From Around the World

Cause of actor's tragic death on July 13 will be determined when autopsy results are released

By Rebecca Macatee Jul 16, 2013 1:48 PMTags
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Cory Monteith's family, friends and castmates are mourning the tragic loss of the Glee star—and so are his fans. 

Following the actor's untimely death Saturday at the age of 31, Gleeks and Monteith fans around the world came together to pay tribute to Lea Michele's love.  

One fan tweeted a picture of her personal memorial to Monteith, showing a bulletin board with tacked-on photos from Glee and notes reading "Keep Holding On" and "Stay Strong Lea."

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Another tribute paid homage to the Finn Hudson character Monteith played on Glee with a neatly foliated McKinley high letterman jacket surrounded by candles and flowers. 

A makeshift memorial popped up outside the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in downtown Vancouver, where the actor was found dead Saturday. (Sources confirmed to E! News alcohol and other substances were found in Monteith's room, but we won't know the cause of death until autopsy results are released sometime this week.) 

Monteith's final role was playing a drug-addicted street hustler in McCanick, a cop drama due to be released later this year. Director Josh C. Waller told the Los Angeles Times that he channeled his own history with substance abuse into the role.

"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," Waller explained.

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"He didn't say it was a cathartic experience, but you could sense it," Waller added.

Monteith spoke openly about his battle with substance abuse, telling Parade in 2011 he was "lucky to be alive" given his past use of drugs and alcohol.

He also completed a voluntary one-month stint in rehab earlier this year, thanking his fans for their support as he sought help. 

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"He handled things very honestly," pal Brook Lander Shurtz told E! News exclusively. "He acknowledged his past, and he accepted responsibility…But I think he used it in a way to help others and bring a positive message that he came from a certain place and he made it out. 

"I think Cory is an inspirational story and will live on, and will continue to be an inspirational story for all these people that are struggling and maybe don't have a direction," he added. "I think they can look to him and say, 'I can do it too.'" 

If you or someone you know needs help with addiction issues, contact Narcotics Anonymous (https://www.na.org).