The death of Cory Monteith, who died of a drug and alcohol overdose in a Vancouver hotel room last weekend, is sending ripples through the 'Glee' universe.

In addition to his castmates dealing with their grief, namely his girlfriend Lea Michele, the show is said to be looking to push back the start of Season 5. It is also adding two new characters, but those are unrelated to Monteith's death.

E! reports that the execs at the show are meeting in the next couple of days to sort out how to address the absence of Monteith's character in light of his passing.

Casting calls for the aforementioned new roles went out last week, before the actor, who played the beloved Finn Hudson, died. The show has not stopped that search.

The new characters include a major recurring character named Jenny, described as "a cute and quirky" twentysomething. The other is a new student at McKinley who will be of African-American heritage.

'Glee' cast shake-ups took place earlier this year, with Heather Morris, Dianna Agron and more dropped from regular roles with the possibility to return for guest spots, while Blake Jenner and Melissa Benoist, among others, were bumped up to regular status.

The show was expected to premiere in September, with production on the fifth season to begin at the end of this month. Those dates appear to be in jeopardy due to Monteith's death, although Fox has not issued a statement or amended schedule.

It's also been revealed that Monteith's castmates and producers were aware that he had relapsed and was battling an addiction to heroin, and they were the ones who helped him seek treatment.

A source said that the core group sat down with the actor to have an open conversation --which sounds like an intervention -- so they could tell him they cared and beg him to get help. "It wasn't met with resistance... He was always so grateful and aware of how fortunate he was," the source said.

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