Glee cast: Where are the actors now?

A documentary titled The Price of Glee will be released on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 9 pm EST/8 pm CST on ID and will be available to stream on the same day on discovery+.

The documentary will feature conversations and interviews with people who were close to the actors of the insanely popular 2010s show, Glee. This includes set decorators, hairdressers, stylists, publicists, and entertainment reporters who covered the show. The interviews will reveal the demands of being on a hit TV show and the dark behind-the-scenes drama.

While most of the actors went on to become Hollywood superstars, some suffered unfortunate fates, with three tragically passing away.

Let's take a closer look.

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Glee cast: Are all the actors alive?

Unfortunately, three Glee actors are no longer with us. Let's take a look at some who are still active and the three who tragically died.

Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry

Rachel Berry was the self-proclaimed leader of the fictional singing group. Show creator Ryan Murphy gave Michele a role in Scream Queen, and the show lasted for two years. She then went on to work in The Mayor on ABC in 2017.

Michele was in a relationship with her late Glee co-star, Cory Monteith. She then dated Matthew Paetz and, subsequently, Robert Buckley.

She married clothing company president Zandy Reich and has a child with him. Samantha Ware, who portrayed Jane Hayward in the sixth season of Glee, accused Michele of making her life miserable and said that Michele threatened to have creator Murphy fire her from the series.

Michele later apologized for her behavior. She joined Broadway's Funny Girl as Fanny Brice after Beanie Feldstein exited the production in July 2022.

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Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson

Finn Hudson was the loveable jock in Glee who tragically passed away when the show was still on the air.

He was dating co-star Lea Michele when he passed away at 31. On July 13, 2013, he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room. The coroner wrote that the actor struggled with drugs. The report said:

"After a period of cessation from opioid drug use, a previously tolerated drug concentration level may become toxic and fatal. His stay in rehab only months before his death, and his attempt to stay off drugs resulted in his lowered tolerance to the drug."

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Amber Riley, who played Mercedes Jones

Amber Riley went on to participate in Dancing with the Stars season 17 and ended up winning the show.

She also appeared on the NBC TV musical, The Wiz, in 2015 and starred in theatre in the London production of Dreamgirls in 2016. Riley went on to act in the 2022 film Single Black Female, which was inspired by 1992's Single White Female.

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Mark Salling, who played Noah "Puck" Puckerman

Mark Salling was arrested for possession of child pornography in 2015.

In 2017, he pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal. He died by committing suicide on January 30, 2018, before a sentencing hearing that was scheduled for March 7.

He hanged himself near his home in the Sunland area of Los Angeles. His body was found six hours after he was reported missing. He was 35 years old at the time.

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Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez

Santana Lopez was the tough but loyal cheerleader in Glee. Rivera dated co-star Mark Salling from 2007 to 2010. She received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for two Grammy Awards.

On July 8, 2020, Rivera drowned in Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California, while on a boating excursion with her four-year-old son. Thankfully, her son was unharmed. Her body was later recovered from the lake. She was filming for the TV series Step Up at the time, in which she played Collette Jones - the female lead.