TCA: Mike O’Malley on ‘Glee’ Co-Star Cory Monteith

Mike O’Malley gave a heartfelt tribute to “Glee” star Cory Monteith during his TCA appearance Saturday, calling the actor who played his stepson “a warm guy” and a “very, very hard working actor.”

O’Malley, who attended NBC’s day to promote his new laffer “Welcome to the Family,” recalled working with Monteith in a scene that he called “the toughest I’ve ever acted” when he had to throw Monteith’s Finn Hudson character out of the house for using a slur.

“What was remarkable to me was the depth of the emotion he was able to portray — the sorry and the shame,” O’Malley said.

Monteith, who died of a drug overdose earlier this month at age 31, also had a special role on the show behind the scenes.

“He was the fictional quarterback on the show and the very real quarterback on that set,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley said he hoped to be able to work it out with CBS and Fox to be take part in the upcoming “Glee” tribute episode to Monteith and to possibly continue in his recurring role on “Glee.” O’Malley noted that the tribute episode will lense while “Welcome to the Family” is on a scheduled hiatus.

“I will do whatever I need to do to participate in honoring Cory and his passing,” O’Malley said.

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