Glee's Cory Monteith, who died Saturday at the age of 31, joins a list of actors whose sudden passing has come as their show is in production, with some (Cheers) opting not to write their star's death into the series and others acknowledging the loss on-screen (TNT's Dallas reboot).
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that it's too soon to know how Glee will handle the death of one of its most beloved and original characters as those connected with the series are still grappling with the young actor's passing. It is, however, safe to say that the Fox musical will never be the same without Monteith.
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Monteith was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room Saturday. A cause of death has not been determined and an autopsy has been scheduled for Monday. Foul play is not suspected. The actor voluntarily checked himself into a rehab facility in late March for treatment for substance abuse, marking his second attempt to seek help. He left the facility in April and in recent weeks vacationed with his girlfriend and Glee co-star Lea Michele before vacationing in Vancouver earlier this month.
Monteith played Finn Hudson, the lovable jock and former leader of the glee club at the center of the Fox musical from creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The character was last seen during Glee's recently completed fourth season agreeing to serve as co-coach of New Directions along with his mentor and former teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) while he studied to become a teacher a nearby Ohio college. The end of Glee's fourth season set up Monteith -- one of a handful of Glee's original stars who would have been a series regular in season five -- for a continued leading role with the series. Michele, for her part, has been vocal with her desire to see Finn and her character, Rachel, wind up together since their on-screen split in season four, comparing the fan-favorite couple to Friends' Ross and Rachel.
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Monteith's unexpected death leaves Fox's Glee in a precarious position. Murphy has been prone to write hot-button social issues (school violence, teen pregnancy, texting while driving, eating disorders) into the series in a bid to bring a sense of realism to the coming-of-age story. Thus far, Glee has only briefly touched on death with the passing of Sue Sylvester's (Jane Lynch) sister and a flashback to Kurt's (Chris Colfer) late mother, while Finn's stepfather and Kurt's father, Burt, had a scare with cancer last season.
The most recent example of a star who passed away during production of their series came with TNT's Dallas reboot. The soapy drama wrote Larry Hagman's death into a major part of its second season, with a "Who shot J.R.?" story line similar to the one the original series did during its run. At the time of his death, Hagman had filmed six of season two's 15 episodes. TNT subsequently renewed Dallas for a third season.
Other series to follow suit include ABC's 8 Simple Rules, which also wrote star John Ritter's death into its second season. Ritter, who starred as a writer and father of two, died during production on the fourth episode of season two. Producers wrote Ritter's off-screen death into the series and followed his family coping with death. The series ended after its third season.
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NBC, for its part, handled the slaying of NewsRadio star Phil Hartman by incorporating his death into the comedy. Production was on hiatus at the time of his murder and the series returned for a fifth season by introducing the fact that his character died suddenly into the premiere of what would be its final season.
Other series, meanwhile, took a "the show must go on" approach. Cheers seemingly refused to say farewell to star Nicholas Colasanto (aka lovable bartender Coach) -- who died during production toward the end of season three. (With his health deteriorating, the beloved actor retired from the show before the end of the season.) Rather than write the beloved actor's death into the series for the end of season three, his absence was regularly addressed as if he were away on vacation or doing other activities outside of the bar. The series would continue for eight more seasons with Woody Harrelson ultimately boarding the show in season four. That season's premiere revealed that the character had ultimately passed away. Cheers concluded with a touching and subtle nod to the character.
On NBC's Chico and the Man, Freddie Prinze Sr. played Chico until season three when the actor -- battling depression following his divorce -- took his own life. On-screen, the titular character's absence was addressed with a visit to see his father in Mexico. He was replaced on the beat of the cop show. During its fourth and final season when Ed (the "Man" in the title) suffered a nervous breakdown, it was revealed that Chico had ultimately died.
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On CBS' original Dallas, Jim Davis' death during the show's third season was not addressed until a year later, when in the show's fourth cycle producers revealed his Jock Ewing perished in a helicopter crash.
After Sanford and Son star Redd Foxx died of a heart attack during production on the seventh of a 15-episode order of the CBS comedy. Producers initially decided to end the show out of respect to their star. They reversed course and decided to continue the series in memory of the beloved actor, retooling its creative direction and adding cast members. The ratings for the rebooted comedy paled in comparison and the show was canceled with only two episodes to go.
At Starz, the cable network recast the title role after Spartacus star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and his treatment delayed the start of production on season two. Liam McIntyre brought the series to an end following Whitfield's death in 2011.
For others, the death of a leading character meant the end. When George Reeves died of an alleged suicide, The Adventures of Superman ended its run, though producers briefly attempted to pitch a spinoff. Fox canceled 1996 series Kindred the Embraced after star Mark Frankel died in a motorcycle crash in London.
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It's unclear how far along Glee -- which was renewed for a fifth and sixth season earlier this year -- was in production on season five. The Fox musical is among the most demanding shows because of its intricate choreography and musical arrangements, which require ample rehearsal and recording studio time, respectively.
This off-season, the series promoted five Ohio-set characters to series regulars and saw four original stars downgraded from series regular -- with the quartet and two more original series players likely to guest star during season five. Murphy also had a plan for American Idol alum Adam Lambert in season five, announcing July 10 that the singer would be a part of the upcoming season, which is currently schedule to premiere Sept. 19. (It remains unclear if the series will still make the premiere date.)
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic news," Glee executive producers, producers 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Co. said in a statement Saturday. "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."
What do you think is best for Glee? Hit the comments below with your thoughts.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com
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