Cory Monteith, the Canadian actor who rose to fame as Finn Hudson on the hit television show Glee, has been found dead in a Vancouver hotel room.

Vancouver police held a hastily arranged news conference Saturday night to announce Mr. Monteith's death.

Police were called to the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel around noon Saturday regarding a sudden death in a room on the 21st floor.

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"I want to pass on our condolences to the family, friends, castmates and millions of fans of Mr. Monteith," Deputy Chief Doug LePard told reporters. "As was the case in countless homes, I watched Glee regularly with my daughters and I know there will be shock and sadness in many households with the news of his tragic death."

Mr. LePard said Mr. Monteith, 31, checked into the hotel on July 6 and was supposed to check out Saturday.

The deputy chief said Mr. Monteith was with others on Friday night, but returned to his room alone. Police believe he was alone when he died.

Staff went to his room when he missed his check-out time.

Mr. Monteith was born in Calgary but grew up in Victoria, B.C., according to his IMDB profile.

He reportedly sought help for a substance addiction earlier this year. In a 2011 interview with Parade, Mr. Monteith said he had a "serious problem" with drugs earlier in his life.

The BC Coroners Service and Vancouver police are still investigating. They have not found any evidence of foul play.

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Mr. LePard and chief coroner Lisa Lapointe would not comment on what was found in Mr. Monteith's hotel room. Mr. LePard said the cause of death wasn't immediately apparent.



"The death of a young person is a tragedy for their family, friends and community. A sudden death is more shocking and our hearts go out to the family and friends who are mourning the loss of this young man," Ms. Lapointe said.

