Glee Season 5: 2 New Roles Being Cast in Wake of Cory Monteith’s Death

Hit Fox series is currently looking to add two female actors to its cast, one as part of the high school gang and a "cute and quirky" twentysomething named Jenny

By Kristin Dos Santos, Tierney Bricker Jul 17, 2013 1:04 AMTags
Cory Monteith, Glee GalleryFOX

Glee is moving forward with casting new characters for season five, after losing one of their most beloved stars, Cory Monteith, who died of an overdose on Saturday. The Fox hit series is adding at least two new actors when it returns for its fifth season, sources confirm to E! News.

Though the network and Glee executives will be meeting within the next few days to figure out how to handle Monteith's absence on the series, this is the first we're hearing of any part of production moving forward in the aftermath of the actor's tragic death.

The casting calls for these roles went out last week, before Monteith's death, and now sources confim that the process has not been halted.

The two new roles producers are currently casting include a "cute and quirky" twentysomething named Jenny, who will be a major recurring guest star and will first appear in episode two, while the other is a new African-American student at McKinley High School. Both roles will require singing.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Mark Salling, Heather Morris, Amber Riley, Harry Shum Jr. and Dianna Agron will not be returning as regulars, but they could potentially return for guest appearances.

Bumped up to series regulars are Jacob Artist, Melissa Benoist, Becca Tobin and Blake Jenner, who all first appeared in season four as new members of New Directions.

Glee was scheduled to go into production on the new season at the end of July and was expected to premiere on Sept. 19. Fox has yet to make an announcement regarding any changes to the show's return date.

"Everyone is in shock," source who works on the show told E! News. "To say that Cory was much loved on the Glee set doesn't even begin to do him justice."

 

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

PHOTOS: In honor of Cory Monteith, click through our gallery of Finn Hudson's best lines on Glee