Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith Leaving Glee After Season 3

Entertainment July 13, 2011 AT 7:58PM
Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Cory Monteith Leaving Glee After Season 3 Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images; Stefanie Keenan/WireImage.com; Toby Canham/Getty Images

At the end of Glee's third season, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith will be out work. According to series co-creator Ryan Murphy, the three regulars will not "be back at all for Season 4."

"You can keep them on the show for six years and people will criticize you for not being realistic," Murphy tells The Hollywood Reporter, "or you can be really true to life and say when they started the show they were very clearly sophomores and they should graduate at the end of their senior year."

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Michele, 24, and Colfer, 21, are on-board with Murphy's decision to write their characters off the show. "I involved Chris and Lea and they thought that was a good idea," he says. "They both trust the writing and trust me and felt that it would be great to have an open and closed experience for them to go out while they were on top."

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"I'm much more interested in Lea's character -- not so much on her relationship with Finn, but more on what her dreams are beyond high school and how she plans on getting them," he adds. "That's what my senior year was about."

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Murphy has yet to discuss the casting changes with Monteith, 29, but he doesn't think the actor will be too shocked by the news. "He knows he was a sophomore when the show started," Murphy explains.

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Though he won't reveal the rest of the cast's fate until the Sept. 20 premiere, Murphy warns: "More characters are leaving than are staying."

Tell Us What You Think

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  • December 26, 2011 - 1:19pm Sarah Anderson-Hummel Witty

    this really depresses me. the show will be *nothing* without kurt, and i won't watch it anymore.

  • July 26, 2011 - 3:20am Michele O'Neal

    I loved Glee but not enough to watch it if they let chris go. . . I'll stick to watching the original episodes. Why make so many drastic changes, good luck with that. . .

  • July 15, 2011 - 9:53pm Bella Stevens

    What??? this is not happening!! this is very sad!! the entire Glee series is built around this three people!!!they are the foundation of Glee!! i cant believe they leaving!!! i LOVE watching Glee, n this news is just gonna make me do the opposite!!! aarrrrrhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Murphy!! dont do this!!!! they can go to college in New York and the show must go on with them in it!! :( C'mon! put some creative thinking there!!! PLEASE! but Dont make them Leave the Show!!

  • July 14, 2011 - 3:18pm Amal Attar-Guzman

    I am very sad about this...But they are going to be graduating. And a spin off would be really cool though! But if they decide to continue glee, I hope the show won't go downhill with the new characters.

  • July 14, 2011 - 9:18am Angela Buonavita

    Spin off show would be great! Have Rachel, Kurt and Blaine move to NY, be roommates and show the auditions and stuff that happens!

  • July 14, 2011 - 5:14am Fani Vrentas

    That would be a big mistake. I think that would end their careers.

  • July 14, 2011 - 1:17am Kate Chamberlain

    I'm with Nada - let's end it on a good note, rather than drag it on. So many shows are ruined because they're aired for too long.

  • July 14, 2011 - 1:01am Sydney Weng

    that sucks, they should start another series with them as a show choir club post highschool, and how they're struggling in adulthood. college, work, dreams ...etc. like gossip girl.

  • July 14, 2011 - 12:41am Nada Essam

    Glee has become so popular because of its awesome cast, once the originals leave the show will go downhill. And since they're all seniors now I bet everybody else except maybe Blaine is graduating as well. So,why just not make the next season the last one and end this show on a good note?

  • July 14, 2011 - 12:13am Jesse Andrew

    I remember the creator saying he wanted to keep them on to show what happens after they graduate...

  • July 13, 2011 - 11:42pm Amanda Troup

    Then I will no longer watch Glee. Those were the three that made me keep watching

  • July 13, 2011 - 10:48pm Ana Lanzara

    Oh no! ;(So much talent leaving. I enjoy their singing:(

  • July 13, 2011 - 10:11pm Rebecca Foley

    I don't watch the show, but since when do t.v. shows, especially this one, aim to be realistic?

  • July 13, 2011 - 9:34pm Rebecca Kilkeary

    these people have no future in anything u wait 1 year from now they will be nobodys that teacher was in ghost whispher the other day ahahaha

  • July 13, 2011 - 9:33pm Rebecca Kilkeary

    this show is rubbish just boring and more rubbish

  • July 13, 2011 - 9:32pm Rebecca Kilkeary

    this show season 1 was fantatsic now its just to much the people the storylines the stupid gran finals rubbish this shoiw should finish season 3 well really should have done that season 2 this hsow is rubbish

  • July 13, 2011 - 8:16pm Danny Hahn-Nolan

    I hate this show. Tried to watch it.. gave it shot, but I just couldn't get into it. A story that involved Top 40 songs just so they could sing them, isn't really a story worth watching.

  • July 13, 2011 - 8:12pm Patricia Wang

    I stopped watching the show in the middle of season 2 because I hated Lea's voice. It was nice in the beginning but every show is about her and her voice got strident, the plot was not interesting anymore and I am not interested in this show anymore. The characters that I actually liked the most was Sue, Will, Quinn, Finn, Finn's best friend and that was all. All others were boring.

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