Days before âGleeâ star Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room, he met with a casting director with whom he credits giving him the inspiration to give acting a try.
Monteith dined with Maureen Webb and others at a café in Vancouverâs east side on Thursday.
Webb is the co-founder of Project Limelight, a free theatre program for children living in Vancouverâs troubled Downtown Eastside that seeks to provide them with a positive, creative outlet.
A long-time friend of Webbâs, Monteith helped launch the Project Limelight program last year, bringing onboard British business magnate Richard Branson, who provided some much-needed financial backing.
âI think kids really need a place to go and feel like they belong,â Monteith says in a video posted to the organizationâs website, in which he talks about his struggles as a child and the impact the arts has had on his life.
âWhen I was a kid, I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. And I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me,â he says.
At the time of Project Limelightâs launch, Monteith told the Globe and Mail that Webb was one of the people who actually turned him onto acting -- a move that would dramatically change the course of his life.
In the Globe interview, the Canadian star says Webb suggested he enroll in acting classes after meeting him through a mutual friend when he was just 19-years-old and going down a âvery dark path.â
The pair remained in contact over the years, and Webb told Monteith about the project before its launch; the star quickly got on board.
âWhen I first started as an actor, mentorship was one of the most important things for me because I didnât know where I was going. I didnât know how to approach getting into the arts,â Monteith says in the Project Limelight video.
âIf it werenât for the teachers and actors who showed me, I would have never gotten into acting,â he says.
âIâd never have been able to find my way.â
âI kind of wish this was around when I was a kid,â Monteith adds.
The 31-year-old actor had in the past opened up about his struggles with substance abuse. He received treatment for his addiction problems when he was 19 and admitted himself to facility this past April.
Lea Michele, his "Glee" co-star and real-life girlfriend, told People magazine that she loved and supported him and was proud he was seeking help.
A photo posted to Twitter shows Monteith at Vancouverâs East of Main Café on Thursday. He was reportedly with Webb and other supporters of Project Limelight at the time.
. and Great meal with good friends. Oh. And this guy.
â Elena K. (@slimyagent)
East of Main Café is also affiliated with Project Limelight, as the restaurant serves as a fundraising arm for the program.