'Glee' Star, Cory Monteith, Receives High School Diploma at 29

As the American musical comedy-drama hit show Glee is preparing for its third season this fall, the star actor, Cory Monteith, is taking time to share his personal story as a troubled teen and how he has overcome many hardships in his life before the TV series.

The 29-year-old Canadian actor claimed that he is nothing like his character, Finn, in the hit TV show. He emphasized while growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, he felt like an outsider and had a hard time fitting in with the socially constructed society in high school. At the age 16, he dropped out of high school to support his bad habits of drinking and smoking pot. Cory remembers his addiction was so bad that it controlled the next three years of his life until he hit bottom at 19 years old. He recalled stealing a large amount of money from one of his family members and got caught for it. He had a choice to either turn himself in to the police or go to rehab. This was a turning point for the Canadian actor.

After getting himself cleaned up, Monteith moved in with a family friend and started rebuilding his life. He got a job at an acting studio, cleaning and running errands in exchange for acting classes. One day he was challenged to act in front of a camera and soon discovered his true calling. This spring, Cory finally received his high school diploma! Monteith felt good for the first time in his life receiving his diploma. Cory Monteith is sharing his struggles and pain growing up with addictions so that others like him can also overcome their weaknesses. Cory believes that there is hope and a true calling for everyone. They just need to be patient with themselves, have strong mind, believe in themselves, and surround themselves with people who care.

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