The late “Glee” star Cory Monteith will be honored at Sunday's Emmy Awards along with four other actors during a special “In Memoriam” portion of the show, a move that has some questioning the young actor's addition instead of more acclaimed stars
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Monteith’s death earlier this year from an accidental overdose hit fans hard, but many others say other stars who died during the past year deserve the recognition.
The actors who will be honored include Monteith, James Gandolfini, Jean Stapleton, Jonathan Winters, and writer-producer Gary David Goldberg.
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Variety Editor-in-Chief Andrew Wallenstein addressed the issue in a recent article.
“The unspoken, uncomfortable truth of the matter is that while the work he did on ‘Glee’ showed great promise, it was not equal to the incredible careers the other four amassed,” he wrote.
Wallenstein pointed out that Monteith hasn’t ever been nominated for an Emmy.
“But to merit special treatment like what the Academy is doing here, an actor should have a body of work that puts him head and shoulders above his peers,” Wallenstein wrote. “There will surely be disagreement from his ardent fans, but if Monteith had really achieved that status, those accolades would have been coming even before his death. Unlike many of his co-stars, Monteith never received an Emmy nomination.”
A Today Show blog post raising the question of whether Monteith should be honored has drawn numerous comments, and many say the actor’s drug addiction makes him unworthy of recognition. Others, though, focused on the fact that Monteith did not have the same level of achievements as the four other actors, like Stapleton.
“I liked Monteith, and enjoy Glee, but to mention him in the same breath with Jean Stapleton is sacrilege! Stapleton is probably the greatest actress of all time, with a long, varied, wide ranging career. Monteith had talent and promise, but his achievements are paltry compared to the achievements of Stapleton,” wrote Michael on the Today article.
Other names tossed out as possibilities to replace Monteith on the Emmys special memorial were Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman, and Dennis Farina.
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