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Last week it was revealed that three of the biggest stars from the popular – well, once popular – Fox series would be leaving the show. Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), and Chris Colfer (Kurt), who were sophomores when the show started, will be graduating at the end of the third season.
Show creator Ryan Murphy said, "When they started the show they were very clearly sophomores and they should graduate at the end of their senior year.” He said he wanted to keep it real, but what’s so real about having a 27-year-old play a high school sophomore (Monteith was 27 when he started playing Finn)? But that’s beside the point.
Colfer, who now has two Emmy nominations, apparently learned that he would not be returning for a fourth season via Twitter. But he’ll have no shortage of job offers when he leaves the show. He’s already filming the comedy “Struck by Lightning,” which also stars Christina Hendricks of “Mad Men” fame, Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “About Schmidt”) and Allison Janney (“The West Wing,” “American Beauty,” “Juno”).
Michele, who already had quite a career on Broadway before joining “Glee,” already has two films in post-production: “Dorothy of Oz” and “New Year’s Eve.” But it seems the best place for her would be back on Broadway. Michele has a powerhouse voice, often being compared to a young Streisand. That’s where she really made a name for herself, and how she landed her role on “Glee,” so it only makes sense for her to return to her roots. But if she can keep her increasingly diva-like ego in check, she may be able to make it in Hollywood too, if her two upcoming movie roles go well.
Monteith, the oldest of the three, already had several film and television roles before joining “Glee,” so he could easily go either route. Staying on the small screen seems pretty unlikely, though, so he’ll most likely end up doing more movies with bigger roles or maybe continuing with his music career.
But the big question is how will “Glee” fare without its biggest cast members? The show’s ratings have already been slipping steadily since the first season, as many viewers grew tired of its novelty. It was cute at first, but quickly became predictable (Rachel and Finn would always get the leads, Kurt would make some statement about being gay, Mercedes [played by Amber Riley] would continue to be the sassy black girl, etc.)
To be candid, the show will probably fail once its dream team leaves. None of the other characters (except maybe Jane Lynch’s Sue Sylvester) offer much incentive to stay tuned in. But maybe the show will prove us all wrong like it did with its early success and find a way to stay relevant and successful. Wouldn’t that be something?*
*Editor update on the former stars of Glee
Cory Monteith:
As most know, actor Cory Monteith, who was slated to leave the show, passed away from a drug overdose in Canada in 2013. The actor had a sordid history with substance abuse as a teenager, and relapsed into using drugs in the Spring of 2013. Born in Canada, Monteith, at the time of his passing had taken up residence in a Vancouver, Canada hotel room although, at the time, he was in a relationship with his fellow Glee co-star, Lea Michele.
Some frequently asked questions about Cory Monteith:
How was Cory Monteith's death addressed on Glee?
It really wasn't. While, the story-line of the show did inform audiences that “Finn” had died, the show decided that they would not invent the way that Finn died in it's last season on Fox. Finn's death was announced in the episode “The Quarterback,” which was the third episode of the fifth season of the hit show.
Why didn't they say how Finn died on Glee?
Simply, because show-runners and the writers, as well as his fellow cast members, didn't think it was appropriate to invent a way for the Finn character to die on the show.
Why is Cory Monteith's death controversial?
Because, at the time of his death, at the age of 31, Monteith had already had a history of substance abuse. As a teenager growing up in Canada, Cory Monteith had been to rehab a couple times leading up to him getting the role of Finn on the hit FOX television series, Glee. It was controversial, as at the time of his passing, the young actor had so much going for him. He had just worked for two years on the one of the most popular American television series, had established a relationship with his co-star Lea Michele, and had a promising career in front of him as a film actor.
What is the relationship between Finn and Quinn on Glee?
Finn and Quinn used to date each other in the early seasons of the hit Fox television series. Finn was the school's quarterback, and Quinn was the school's head cheerleader.
Chris Colfer
Since leaving Glee in 2015, Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel on the show has become a successful children's book author. The actor has penned The Land of Stories series that began being published by Little, Brown in 2012. Thus far, Colfer, who originally hails from California, has written nine volumes in the The Land of Stories series as well as several other acclaimed children's books. The young actor, has also made several television and film appearances since leaving the hit FOX television series.
Lea Michele
With Glee going off the air in 2015, actress Lea Michele has remained busy. The young actress, who was the former partner of Corey Monteith, has released two music albums, appeared on several television series, as well as starred in her own series, Scream Queens, as well as appeared in movies. Not to mention, Michele, who was born in raised in New York, and is almost theater royalty, has also maintained her interest in the theater. The young actress has appeared on the stage several times since Glee went off the air at Fox. Michele married for the first time in 2019.