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The 29-year-old may play a high-schooler on the hit TV show, but Monteith's character Finn's high school experience couldn't be farther from his own. Cory described his past drug use as "Anything and everything, as much as possible." "I had a serious problem." Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, a 13-year-old Monteith was regularly skipping school to drink and smoke pot and eventually dropped out at 16.
Cory describes stealing money from a family member as the turning point in his addiction, which led to a trip to rehab by age 19. "I knew I was going to get caught, but I was so desperate I didn't care," he recalls. Cory continues, "It was a cry for help. I was confronted and I said, 'Yeah, it was me.' It was the first honorable, truthful thing that had come out of my mouth in years."
Talk about a twist! Who would have guessed that the guy who portrays the lovable, squeaky-clean, good guy Finn struggled with drug addiction?
Cory is quick to discourage young 'Glee' fans from following in his footsteps. "I don't want kids to think it's okay to drop out of school and get high, and they'll be famous actors, too," he insists. "But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it. If I can, anyone can."
Watch Cory Monteith perform 'Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow' on 'Glee.'
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