Reel Life With Jane

Glee - Cory Monteith Death

Ryan Murphy Leaves ‘Glee’ Decisions to Lea Michele

Glee
Lea Michele and Cory Monteith in a scene from “Glee”

In a candid interview over the weekend, “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy told E! that the producers, cast, and crew are looking to star Lea Michele for decisions about the show after the death of co-star Cory Monteith.

Monteith was found dead on July 13, 2013 of a drug and alcohol overdose after a long struggle with addiction. He was Lea Michele’s boyfriend.

In the heartfelt interview, Murphy said that “Glee” will return to Fox on Sept. 26 (one week later than the original air date) for just three episodes to deal with the death of Monteith’s character, Finn. After that, the show will go on hiatus until further decisions are made about how to handle the situation.

Michele’s decision, according to Murphy, was, in part, so that everyone could grieve  together. He said that grief counselors will be brought to the set to help. Read the entire interview.

Posted

in

,

by

Melanie Votaw

Tags:

, , ,

Comments

9 responses to “Ryan Murphy Leaves ‘Glee’ Decisions to Lea Michele”

  1. Jane Louise Boursaw Avatar
    Jane Louise Boursaw

    This seems smart. First, the 3-episode bridge will give the cast and crew a chance to grieve together. Second, I’m glad Ryan Murphy isn’t just pushing through a “show must go on” thing (not that he would), because bringing Lea into it shows that they’re really a family who loves and is looking out for each other.

    Reply
  2. Jane Louise Boursaw Avatar
    Jane Louise Boursaw

    Also, I’ve been thinking that addiction is such a scary beast. Here’s a guy who LOOKS healthy, looks like he’s on top of the world, looks like all is fine, and yet, underneath it all is this horrible demon. He doesn’t look like a drug addict, you know? It just goes to show that whatever you see on the outside, there may be something completely different underneath the facade.

    Reply
  3. Jane Louise Boursaw Avatar
    Jane Louise Boursaw

    Melanie Votaw, do you think the show will go on eventually? Any insights there? It seems to me they could rejigger things and take it in a new direction…

    Reply
  4. Paula Schwartz Avatar
    Paula Schwartz

    I have to agree with my pal Roger Friedman of showbiz411 when he says he doesn’t care what statement Ryan Murphy has issued. There are contracts. He’s going to do what makes a sound business decision. If the show is taped out maybe he’ll go with that. Otherwise, if there’s still money to be made and a contract, they will keep going.

    Reply
    1. Jane Boursaw Avatar
      Jane Boursaw

      Right, and aside from the legalities of the contracts and such, a whole bunch of people would be out of work. It’s an ensemble show, so they have to think about everyone involved.

      Reply
      1. Melanie Votaw Avatar
        Melanie Votaw

        Yes, and as he mentioned in his interview, Lea was thinking about that. No matter how you slice it, some people are going to be out of work for a few months. I’m not sure how all the Union contracts work in that regard.

        Reply
  5. Melanie Votaw Avatar
    Melanie Votaw

    I don’t think anyone knows. The ratings will be good for those 3 shows, but I’m not sure they’ll be an indication of what to expect ratings-wise when it comes back later without Cory. If Lea decides not to return, I think they’ll cancel, based on what Murphy said in the interview.

    Reply
  6. Melanie Votaw Avatar
    Melanie Votaw

    If Lea decides not to continue, I don’t think they’ll have a show, though, and no network is going to air something that isn’t going to fly.

    Reply
  7. Ruthanne Bohrer-Agosa Avatar
    Ruthanne Bohrer-Agosa

    This is all so very sad! It is a powerful reminder of the widespread and devastating consequences of addiction.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *