'Glee' actors remember co-star Cory Monteith on his 10th death anniversary

File photo shows 'Glee' co-stars Cory Monteith and Lea Michele at the 12th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball.
Getty Images via AFP / Michael Buckner

MANILA, Philippines — Actors from the hit musical show "Glee" paid tribute to their late co-star Cory Monteith, who passed away a decade ago at just 31 years old.

Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry opposite Monteith's Finn Hudson and was dating the actor at the time of his death, posted on her Instagram account a black-and-white photo of her with Monteith.

"It feels like only yesterday that you were here and yet a million years ago all at the same time. I hold all of our memories in my heart where they will stay safe and never forgotten. We miss you every day and will never forget the light you to brought to us all. I miss you big guy," wrote Michele in the caption.

Michele also mentioned hoping Monteith was now "playing the drums together" with a certain Taylor, likely referring to the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins who passed away last year aged 50 while on tour.

Chord Overstreet, who played Sam Evans at the beginning of the second season of "Glee" and was promoted to the main cast in Season 4, also posted a tribute on Instagram with a song dedicated to "one of his best friends."

"Feels like forever ago and at the same time it feels like it was just yesterday. I still struggle to process all of this some days, but Music has definitely helped me heal and deal with a lot of these emotions when they come up. We all miss and love you Cory," wrote Everstreet.

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Series regular Kevin McHale, who portrayed Artie Abrams, posted his tribute on Twitter by mentioning how he learned the news of Monteith's death with another late co-star, Naya Rivera, who played cheerleader Santana Lopez.

"10 years later, not a day has gone by where I don’t miss you — both of you. Thanks for sharing your light with us for as brief as it was," wrote McHale.

Rivera was 33 years old when she went missing on July 8, 2020, after taking her young son out on a boat in California’s Lake Piru. Her drowned body was found on the seventh anniversary of Monteith's passing.

10 years ago today I was in London with Naya. We immediately met up after being woken up by the worst possible news. We spent the day partly in shock, partly laughing at our memories, partly crying at the impossibility of it all. 10 years later, not a day has gone by where I…

— Kevin McHale (@druidDUDE) July 13, 2023

Monteith was found dead at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, on July 13, 2013. The coroner said the star's death was due to a mixture of heroin and alcohol. The actor had entered rehab for substance addiction a few months prior, leading to his character getting written out of "Glee" during its fourth season.

"Glee" paid tribute to Monteith with an episode in the following season titled "The Quarterback," wherein Monteith's Hudson had passed away and everyone in the show gathered to remember their colleague.

Monteith and Michele had been dating for just over a year when he passed. The actress has several tattoos honoring Monteith, including the number five, which was Hudson's football jersey number on "Glee."

RELATED: Pinoy 'Glee' co-stars Darren Criss, Jake Zyrus honor Naya Rivera

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