More than three years after the death of “Glee” star Cory Monteith, the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, is opening up about his last interaction with actor prior to his death.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy said he last saw Monteith, who was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room in July 2013, on the set of the HBO film, “The Normal Heart,” which Murphy directed.
“We hugged, and the last thing he said was ‘I love you, man, and thank you for helping me get better,'” Murphy remembered. “And then the next thing I knew he was dead. It was like losing a child.”
Monteith, who played Finn Hudson on “Glee,” died from drug toxicity after mixing heroin and alcohol.
Murphy, according to “Glee” star Lea Michele, was a long-time supporter of Monteith in his quest to fight his addiction.
Murphy, whose other credits include creating “American Horror Story” and “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” now admits that in the early days of “Glee” he had become “too personal” with his cast, blurring the line between “who was the boss and who was the employee.” He calls that move “a mistake” because the in-fighting and drama among his young cast would often take its toll.
He refers to the early days of “Glee” as “the best time in my life and the worst time in my life.”
The series ran for six seasons on Fox, from 2009-15.
“Glee” paid tribute to Monteith with a somber, moving, episode dealing with the aftermath of his character’s death.