MANILA, Philippines - Best known for playing Finn Hudson in the popular Fox series Glee, Cory Monteith stars with Selena Gomez in Monte Carlo, along with Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy.
Monte Carlo opens us to freshly minted high school grad Grace (Selena) and best friend Emma (Katie) jettisoning their waitress jobs in Texas for a trip to Paris. But Grace’s killjoy stepsister Meg (Leighton) is involuntarily installed as chaperone by Grace’s parents. Meanwhile, Emma’s boyfriend, Owen (Cory), is trying to put the kibosh on the trip altogether with a ring and proposal.
“(Cory) along with the troika of actresses settled, the filmmakers believed that he fits the role of Owen perfectly. He’s a big, friendly, very funny and likable guy. He sells the character the instant he’s on screen,” says director Thomas Bezucha in casting Cory.
Below is an interview with Cory describing his dream girl and experience in the movie.
What’s your character like?
“Owen is completely in love with Katie Cassidy’s character, Emma. He’s on a journey — and he’s chasing her across Europe so he can take her home again and marry her. He can be a little misguided, but he’s incredibly romantic and prepared to do whatever it takes to win back his girl.”
Which of your co stars did you bond with the most quickly?
“I think I bonded with them all straight away! Selena is very sweet. She’s really down to earth, and excellent at doing accents. We playfight like a brother and sister — she’s tiny but determined, although she has yet to hurt me! Leighton is great, and can give a solid high five. That’s a life skill.”
How flirty are you?
“I’m single, and I love that life but I’m not a dog! I’m pretty goofy and I make a lot of dumb jokes — life is too short to be serious, so I guess that’s how I flirt. To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it — I think I’m too shy and reserved to be a proper old fashioned flirt.”
Describe your dream girl.
“People who are passionate are attractive — if they’re excited about their life and what they’re doing, that’s really engaging. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a movie star or an accountant. As far as looks go, I don’t have any specifics. I don’t have a preference for blondes or brunettes.”
Do you have a celebrity crush?
“I’ve worked with a lot of beautiful girls, but I’d have to say Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes in Glee. Have you heard her sing? She’s amazing.”
What will you miss most about Monte Carlo when you’ve finished filming?
“The bread! The bread is delicious, I can get through a lot of that stuff. The way people treat each other here is very different, too. There’s a kind of old world sensibility in Europe — people are refined and respectful and it’s very cool. In North America there’s a different attitude. Everything is faster and less personal.”
Monte Carlo opens July 1 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.