Cory Monteith talks "Glee," drugs, Finn Hudson
(CBS) News flash: Cory Monteith, who plays Finn Hudson on "Glee," is not Finn Hudson. Or so he says.
Pictures: "Glee" Goes Wild for GQ
In an interview with Parade magazine, the Canadian actor says he's lucky to be alive. His parents divorced when he was 7 and by the time he was 13, he was cutting class, drinking and smoking pot.
He says he had a "serious problem" with drugs, using as much and as often as possible. He went to rehab at 19 but didn't stop using and eventually got in trouble with a family member for stealing "a significant amount of money."
When the family member said he'd have Monteith arrested if he didn't get clean, he made the decision to change the course of his life. Then came roofing, acting and finally "Glee."
In the interview, he makes clear that he doesn't suggest dropping out of school. "I don't want kids to think it's OK to drop out of school and get high, and they'll be famous actors, too," he told the magazine