“I only wish I had the strength to let it show.”

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” by Cory Monteith | When I wrote about the first seasons of Glee for BuddyTV, I remember thinking that Cory Monteith – he’s Finn, remember – doesn’t quite have the singing chops, at least compared to the rest of the primary cast of the show back then. Eventually I thought he found his place: when the show went all-out pop and showtune-y, he found himself doing most of the show’s classic rock anthems – he covered R.E.M., he covered the Doors, he covered the Pretenders, and whether it’s Autotuned or not, it still made sense. Also loved how understated he was on a show that became all about the theatrics as seasons went on. But what impressed me about him was his frankness about his troubled past, his struggles to find a place in Hollywood, leading to success (whatever you make out of it) in Glee. “You have to really look to get into trouble in Victoria, but I was industrious,” he told GQ. “Skipping school. Drinking. All that kind of crap. Things started off innocent like that. I definitely found myself in some places that I’m very fortunate I came back from.”  I’ve long stopped watching the show, but it still saddens me to hear that Cory was found dead today in his hotel room in Vancouver. He was 31. More details are from my former colleagues over at BuddyTV. [NB]