Lea Michele
The 'Glee' cast paid tribute to Cory Monteith with an emotional farewell last night (10.10.13).
The moving episode of the musical TV show, entitled 'The Quarterback', did not reveal how the late actor's character Finn Hudson died, but instead centred around the mystery of his stolen letterman jacket and the group saying their goodbyes by performing songs that reminded them of him.
The long-awaited tribute was a fitting farewell to Cory, who passed away aged 31 of "a mixed drug toxicity" consisting of heroin and alcohol on July 13.
The cast kicked things off with a solemn rendition of Rent's 'Seasons of Love' on the McKinley High stage, with Puck (Mark Salling) and Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr.) returning to the school.
The characters all dealt with their loss in different ways, with Kurt (Chris Colfer) breaking down in tears, Puck turning to alcohol to numb the pain, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) making jokes and Santana (Naya Rivera) working herself up into a rage.
Some of the most memorable performances in the tear-jerking episode were given by vocal powerhouse Mercedes (Amber Riley) belting out 'Stand By You,' and Artie (Kevin McHale) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) singing 'Fire and Rain'.
There was no doubt Cory's real-life girlfriend Lea Michele - who plays Finn's love interest, Rachel Berry - provided the most unforgettable tribute of the night. The actress only appeared in the last 15 minutes of the episode and stole the show with a heartbreaking rendition of Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' in the Glee classroom.
Rachel is consoled by Mr. Shue (Matthew Morrison) when she breaks down in tears, telling him, "He was my person", as they hang a framed photo of Finn on the wall.
The 'Glee' cast took to Twitter to share their mixed emotions about the episode and express their love for their friend and former co-star.
Kevin McHale - who plays wheelchair-bound Artie - posted: "Tonights Glee was made out of a lot of love & a lot of tears by our incredible crew, cast & creators for our friend Cory. We miss you Cory. (sic)"
Jenna Ushkowitz - who stars as shy Tina - wrote: "Tune in with all of us tonight to say goodbye to our friend Cory and our quarterback, Finn."
Tagged in Cory Monteith Mark Salling Amber Riley