(CNN) — A number of “Glee” stars thought of Cory Monteith like a brother, and on Thursday they gathered to mourn the loss of their show business sibling.
The comedy’s co-creator, Ryan Murphy, joined Lea Michele in rounding up “Glee’s” cast, crew and producers for a private memorial service in honor of the 31-year-old actor. Monteith died July 13 from a mixed drug toxicity that included heroin and alcohol.
The “Glee” team was joined Thursday by mourners from the network and studio, according to a statement from Fox. They gathered “to share memories and music in an emotional celebration” of Monteith’s life, the statement said. “We thank the public for their continued outpouring of love and support as we grieve our friend and colleague during this difficult time.”
Lea Michele requested privacy in the wake of her boyfriend’s death, and has not yet commented publicly on his passing. Some of her co-stars, including Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Charice, Jane Lynch, and now Chris Colfer, have stepped forward to share their grief with “Glee’s” fans.
On Thursday, Colfer broke his silence with an Instagram photo of himself and Monteith during what appears to be an interview.
“I’ll never forget all the laughs we shared or the faces we made after awkward interview questions,” Colfer wrote. “Love and miss you, buddy.”
In the wake of Monteith’s shocking death, questions have abounded as to how the series will move forward without the star’s lovable jock, Finn, who was a central character.
“When you’re faced with something so sad and so shocking, what do you do? Do we cancel the show? Do we start shooting in January? What do we do?” Murphy, who looked at Monteith as an “older son,” told the Hollywood Reporter. “Ultimately, we decided the best thing for everyone is to get back to work and be around people who knew him and loved him so that everyone can grieve together.”
While it’s still unclear how they’ll address Monteith’s absence, one idea is to pay tribute to the actor in the show’s third episode of the fifth season.
Production on upcoming episodes has been delayed until late August, pushing “Glee’s” fall premiere date back to September 26.
CNN’s Douglas Hyde contributed to this report.
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