Cory Monteith dead: 31-year-old "Glee" star Cory Monteith, found dead in Vancouver hotel room

Canadian actor Cory Allan Michael Monteith, aged 31, who played heart throb Finn Hudson in Fox TV musical-comedy hit television series ‘Glee’, was found dead on Saturday around noon at the Pacific Rim Hotel in his 21st-floor room in the city centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, police said.

Police and paramedics found no signs of foul play and the cause of death was not clear, British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said at a news conference.

Medical examiners will conduct an autopsy on Monday.

His body was discovered by Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel staff members after he missed his checkout time at midday on Saturday, Vancouver Police Department acting Chief Doug LePard told reporters. The actor had been dead for several hours when police and paramedics found his body by answering an emergency call, he added.

Responding to a question about whether the 31-year-old actor, Monteith died of a drug overdose, Mr LePard said he would "not discuss anything that we might have found in the room at this time".

Calgary-born Cory Allan Michael Monteith had checked into the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel on 6 July and was expected to check out of the luxury hotel on Saturday, 13^th July, 2013.

Other people were in Monteith's Pacific Rim Hotel room on Friday night but evidence, including fob key entries, indicated he returned to his room by himself early on Saturday and was alone when he died, police said. Police are questioning the people he was with Friday night. It was unclear if he was with any Glee castmates or his long-time girlfriend and co-star Lea Michele.

Michele was last photographed in Mexico on July 9. There has been no public response from the 26-year-old actress yet. Though a spokesperson for Michele told THR, "We ask that everyone kindly respect Lea's privacy during this devastating time." 

The on-screen couple Monteith and Michele went public with their off-screen romance in February, 2012. The actress and singer discussed her feelings for her co-star in an interview in Marie Claire magazine earlier this year. 

'I don't even remember a time when he wasn't my boyfriend. No one knows me better than Cory,' Lea told the January issue of the magazine.

'No one knows what it's been like to go through this more than he does. Feeling like you have that net underneath you allows you to jump higher and go farther. He makes me feel like I can do anything.

'For the first time in my life, I feel really, really settled and happy. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.'

                                                                                                                             
Cory Monteith, the Canadian actor and singer, who had been in the musical comedy ‘Glee’ since its 2009 start, and famously played the character of Finn Hudson, a popular high school football player turned enthusiastic singer in the glee club, or vocal group, had been frank about his struggles with substance abuse and in April, this year, he completed voluntary treatment for unspecified substance addiction at a rehab facility. He had checked himself into rehab in March.

Lea was supportive of his decision when he checked into rehab and said in a statement: "I love and support Cory and will stand by him through this. I am grateful and proud he made this decision."

He had been suffering from drug abuse since he was 13 and was previously treated for substance abuse at 19 when he went into rehab after his mother and friends intervened.

In an interview with the New York Times in 2011, the Calgary native, Cory Monteith had said that he hoped his struggles with addiction would serve as an example to others.

“I don’t want kids to think it’s O.K. to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too,” he said. “But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it.”

"We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate," a press representative for the late actor at Viewpoint Public Relations said in a statement. "We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss."

The news of Monteith’s death prompted an outpouring of grief, heartfelt tributes and remembrances from his Glee co-stars, friends, colleagues and TV, film and music stars on Twitter.

Dot-Marie Jones, who played Finn’s former football coach, Shannon Beiste at the fictional William McKinley High tweeted: "I have no words! My heart is broken. Cory was not only a hell of a friend, he was one amazing man that I will hold close to my heart forever.”

"I am blessed to have worked with him and love him so much! My heart is with his family and our whole Glee family! I love you all!"

The Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox Television and the executive producers of “Glee” said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic news. Cory was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person. He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.”

The news had begun to spread on Twitter on Saturday night although there was no official comment made at that point. Many believed it to be hoax, as it is not the first time news of his death had spread over the internet.

Sadly, this time the rumours turned out to be true.

Here's the full statement from Vancover Acting Police Chief Doug LePard on the death of 31-year-old Glee actor Cory Monteith:

"Shortly after noon Saturday, the Vancouver Police received a call from the BC Ambulance Service regarding a sudden death in a room on the 21st floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel at 1038 Canada Place in downtown Vancouver.

Police attended within minutes of the call and paramedics advised the man in the room was clearly deceased. Coroner’s staff did attend the scene.

The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old actor Cory Monteith, who achieved great fame on the popular TV series Glee.

Before I give further information, on behalf of the Vancouver Police, I want to pass on our condolences to the family, friends, castmates and millions of fans of Mr. Monteith. 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.

Mr. Monteith checked into the hotel in July 6th and was due to check out of the room today. There were others with Mr. Monteith in his room earlier last night, but video and fob key entries show him returning to his room by himself in the early morning hours and we believe he was alone when he died.

When he missed his checkout time, staff went to the room at noon and found his body.

We know there will be considerable interest in this case, and we have detectives assigned to the case who attended with our Forensic Identification Unit to examine the scene, to ensure to the extent possible that there are no unanswered questions.

Hotel video has been secured as well as room access records. Our investigators have spoken with hotel staff, who are providing the utmost in cooperation.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. The Coroner will be determining the next steps with respect to establishing cause of death, but all indications are that there was no foul play."