Celebrity News

SEE: Cory Monteith in his final role as a drug-addicted criminal

A chilling new image of Cory Monteith in his final role as a drug-addicted criminal in upcoming film “McCanick” has been released.

The still, depicting the late 31-year-old Glee star as a long-haired street hustler in the Josh C. Waller-directed film, follows the announcement that the crime drama will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 9.

Monteith plays Simon Weeks, a young criminal who is released from prison and then hunted down by two policemen in an effort to hide one of the officer’s dark past.

Waller said recently that the challenging role helped Monteith come to terms with his own battle with substance and alcohol abuse.

“The character he plays is this drug-addicted street hustler, and he was wanting to tap into things from his youth – which he’s been very open about publicly. I think he saw the role as an opportunity for catharsis”, Waller told Entertainment Weekly prior to his death last month.

Waller admitted he was hesitant about casting Monteith in the role, but agreed to a meeting.

“The second that we started shooting, like literally the moment that he was on camera, any concerns that I had were gone. Immediately gone”, he told US Weekly.

“McCanick” was the first serious film role for the star, who had previously only appeared in romantic comedies, along with the Glee 3D concert movie.

Monteith’s other final movie, All the Wrong Reasons, will also premiere at Toronto next month.

Monteith was found dead in his hotel room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver on July 13.

This story originally appeared on News.com.au.