Cory Monteith’s roommate recalls late ‘Glee’ star’s struggles with fame: ‘It was really hard on him’

Justin Neill was feeling hopeful for his roommate, “Glee” star Cory Monteith, who was eager for a fresh start.

The actor, who had entered rehab in April 2013, was back home in Los Angeles, and appeared optimistic about his future as he focused on his sobriety.

“When he got back from rehab, we were hanging out a bit, and it seemed like he was really leaning into that healthy lifestyle,” Neill told Fox News Digital. “He was working out again. And at that time he was back and forth between Canada and here in LA for the first month.”

However, the final weeks of Monteith’s life raised questions for Neill.

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Justin Neill, left, Cory Monteith’s roommate, spoke out in ID’s "The Price of Glee."
(Taken by Denise Neill, courtesy of Justin Neill)

“In the last three weeks, texts and calls would be unanswered,” he recalled. “That was among all our friends in LA. So we were annoyed and just kind of like, ‘It’s Cory, he needs to go off and find himself.’ But there was definitely a concern. I was having conversations with his friends in Canada. You know, ‘Is he OK?’ ‘Is he staying sober?’ And from all accounts, they made it sound like he was doing really well. And they knew him better than anybody. So I really trusted what they had to say. But I think he had them fooled, too.”

It’s been nearly 10 years since the heartthrob passed away from an overdose in July 2013 at age 31. He, along with several of his castmates, are the subjects of a new docuseries premiering Monday on Investigation Discovery (ID) titled “The Price of Glee.” It explores how scandals, tabloid gossip and tragedies plagued a cast of unknowns who were catapulted into international superstardom following the success of the musical TV series.

Neill said that before he sat down for the show, he reached out to Monteith’s mother, Ann McGregor, for her blessing. Neill, along with many of Monteith’s other friends, wanted to share their truth, he said.

Cory Monteith passed away on July 13, 2013, at age 31. The cause of death was listed as "mixed drug toxicity, involving intravenous heroin use combined with the ingestion of alcohol."
(FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)

“I didn’t want the last part of his life to be his entire legacy,” Neill reflected. “I wanted the story of Cory, this goofy, generous, smart friend, to be told. His mom [said], ‘I can’t bring up those feelings again.’ I made it very clear that I would honor his memory for her. So throughout this whole process [of speaking out], it was very much honoring Cory as best as I could for his mom.”

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Neill first met Monteith when he was a budding performer from Canada who just scored a gig on the series co-created by producer Ryan Murphy. The men had agreed to be roommates. Monteith raced straight down the Pacific Coast in his car from Vancouver, ready to embark on an acting career.

“When he was telling me about the show, I’m like, ‘That sounds just horrible,’” Neill chuckled. “Singing, dancing, high school – what is this? That’s not gonna work. But he drove down here on New Year’s Eve 2007 in his little black Honda Civic with blacked-out rims that he thought were the coolest things in the world – we constantly made fun of him about it… I remember a friend and I were heading out the door to go to a party. He was just staying there, like, ‘Do your thing, guys.’ I just thought this guy was very shy and kind of nerdy.”

Cast members of "Glee," from left, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Amber Riley perform at The Gibson Amphitheater on May 20, 2010, in Universal City, California.
(Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

On screen, Monteith played a high school quarterback who put his status and popularity at risk to join the glee club and its outcast members. Neill said the real Monteith was far from his teen idol character Finn Hudson.

“Cory wasn’t a good athlete,” Neill laughed. “Cory was goofy and gangly. I watched him play basketball once, and I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is really uncoordinated.’ But Cory was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my life. He would use words that I had to Google a lot. We always thought that was funny.”

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“He didn’t give me a lot of advice, but when he did, it was probably some of the best advice I’ve ever been given,” Neill continued. “I was at this point where I was hanging out with this girl that was treating me poorly. But then I met this new girl who was just sweet. I didn’t know where I was going with it. I remember him pulling me aside and just saying, ‘That’s the kind of girl for you. You need to go after that girl. She’s perfect for you.’ I ended up dating her for two and a half years.”

Unlike his character Finn Hudson, Cory Monteith was "goofy" and "lanky," Justin Neill said.
(FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)

Monteith faced his own personal struggles. He openly spoke about dealing with addiction since he was a teenager. He told Parade magazine in 2011 that he was “lucky to be alive.”

When Monteith entered rehab months before his death, he went to a treatment facility for “substance addiction” and asked for privacy as he took steps toward recovery. Lea Michele, his “Glee” co-star and real-life girlfriend, told People magazine at the time that she supported him and was proud he was seeking help.

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Cory Monteith was romantically involved with his "Glee" co-star Lea Michele.
(Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

“We got the sense that he was struggling, but we thought it had to do with the pressures of being famous,” Neill explained. “The pressures of not being able to hide. He was a private person. He loved to just put on his headphones and play video games for hours… It just seemed like he was struggling… with the fame that was coming his way. And people always asked for something. He didn’t have a place to just hide anymore and have down time… [Fame] happened so quickly that he lost control of just, his private life… And losing control of every aspect of your life because people are trying to get information out of you and not knowing who to trust… I think it was really hard on him.”

“He was just so good at being an actor,” Neill added.

Monteith’s body was discovered by staff at the Fairmount Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, after he missed his checkout time. According to investigators, Monteith had been out with people earlier. Video and electronic records from the hotel indicated Monteith returned to his room and was believed to be alone when he died. Investigators noted Monteith had been dead for several hours by the time his body was found.

Justin Neill, right, admitted he’s still coping with Cory Monteith’s death.
(Courtesy of Justin Neill)

According to the British Columbia coroner, Monteith’s cause of death was an overdose of heroin and alcohol. Neill said he and his friends were shocked by the revelation.

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“I’m still coping with it, to be honest with you,” Neill admitted. “Cory was a friend and almost family. We lived together for five, six years… [During] the six months after he passed away, there was no time to deal with it because everywhere I went, there were paparazzi, people asking me what did I think was going on with Cory… It was very hard to deal with it on a personal level. It just felt like a movie. It felt like I was stuck in a movie and I didn’t know how to really get my alone time to just deal with it.”

In 2018, McGregor told People magazine that Monteith began drinking and smoking marijuana at age 13. She took her son to rehab at 15 and then again at 19. He became sober before moving to Los Angeles, where worked bit parts on television before landing a starring role in “Glee.” According to McGregor, Monteith admitted he was using drugs again in December 2012 – seven months before his death.

"When I was a kid, I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in," Cory Monteith once told Project Limelight. "And I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me."
(Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)

“Drugs were his way of checking out,” she told the outlet.

“I think Cory was just looking for an outlet to relax – there was so much pressure,” said Neill. “Not just the work, not just ‘Glee,’ but just the fame – it was a huge pressure. I saw it firsthand. And if you’re already dealing with stuff like Cory was, it just intensifies it. Fame for him was not what he expected.”

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Today, Neill hopes audiences will remember Monteith for what he was – a gifted friend who was determined to find his way.

Cory Monteith was mourned by his "Glee" castmates. The show, which premiered in 2009, came to an end in 2015.
(Getty Images)

“I think most people kind of wish they were famous,” said Neill. “There are cool perks [to it]… But fame doesn’t change things. If you’re unhappy with yourself and you’re dealing with stuff before fame and success, I think it’s just going to be magnified… Fame doesn’t solve your problems.”

"The Price of Glee" premieres Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. on ID. The Associated Press contributed to this report.