A fallen actor mourned in a ‘Glee’ tribute

Cory Monteith. AP Photo

NEW YORK —”Glee” said goodbye to Finn, its beloved singer-quarterback, while paying tribute to Cory Monteith, the late actor who had portrayed him, in a highly anticipated episode of the Fox high school musical drama that aired Thursday.

Finn’s death wasn’t dramatized, nor was his funeral on-screen. The episode picked up some weeks after he had died and focused on how his passing affected his friends. The cause of his death was not disclosed.

Just how “Glee” would handle Monteith’s death had haunted the show, and its fans, since July when the 31-year-old star was found dead in a Canadian hotel room of an accidental alcohol and drug overdose.

Monteith, a native of Canada, had waged a public battle with substance abuse for years.

“Glee” now takes a several-week break as Fox airs baseball’s World Series.