Glee cast still miss Cory

Cory Monteith left "a big, obvious hole" in Glee, says Mark Salling.

Both actors shot to fame playing teenage American football players in the musical series, but Cory tragically passed away last year, at the age of 31, after taking a lethal mix of heroin and alcohol.

His co-stars had to continue without him, with many talking about how tough it was. As Glee gets ready to wrap after six award-winning seasons, Mark says the void Cory left is still felt.

"Cory Monteith was a great leader as a character and person in real life. It's a big, obvious hole. I still think about him all the time," Mark sighed to People magazine.

"He was kind of like the quarterback of the show, which sounds cliché because the [tribute] episode was called that, but he was kind of like that in real life."

Glee also launched the career of Lea Michele, who dated Cory in real life and on screen.

A-list stars have flocked to feature on the show since its 2009 premiere, with Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson just a few of the names involved.

While some cast members left along the way, many were on board to reunite for the last season.

"It's like we never left," Mark smiled. "I've been through so much with some of these cast members. Travelling the world, international tours … it's really like family."

"I'm going to miss it. Absolutely."

However, he has Camp Coyote to focus on, a joint venture with friend Mike Miller. The music project features tunes performed by the pair's alter egos Saw and Mill.

"I'm really open to any project, but my heart right now is getting Camp Coyote off the ground. If it's successful, it'll satisfy all my artistic inclinations, from writing to singing to acting," he admitted.