Naya Rivera | |
|---|---|
 Rivera in 2010 | |
| Born | Naya Marie Rivera January 12, 1987 Valencia, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 8, 2020 (aged 33)[a] Lake Piru, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Drowning[b] |
| Body discovered | July 13, 2020 |
| Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), California |
| Other names | Naya Rivera Dorsey[4] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991–2020 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mychal Rivera (brother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Columbia |
Naya Marie Rivera (/ˈnaɪə rɪˈvɛərə/ NY-ə riv-AIR-ə;[5][6] January 12, 1987 – July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series Glee, in which she starred from 2009 to 2015, she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for two Grammy Awards.
She began her career as a child actress and model, first appearing in national television commercials. At the age of four, she landed the role of Hillary Winston on the short-lived CBS sitcom The Royal Family (1991–1992), earning a nomination for a Young Artist Award at age five. After a series of recurring television roles and then guest spots as a teenager, she got her breakthrough role in 2009 as Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee. For the role, she received critical acclaim and various awards, including a SAG Award and ALMA Award, as well as earning nominations with the rest of the cast for two Grammy Awards and one Brit Award.
She was signed to Columbia Records as a solo musical artist in 2011 and – despite never releasing a studio album – released a single, "Sorry", in 2013. She won two ALMA Awards as a music artist. On the big screen, Rivera made her debut in the horror film At the Devil's Door (2014) before playing a supporting role in the comedy Mad Families (2017). Besides performing, Rivera championed various charitable causes, particularly for LGBT rights, immigrants' rights, and women's rights. She also spoke out against racism, especially in entertainment. Her personal life garnered significant press and media attention throughout her career, and in 2016 she published a memoir titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. Because of her varied roles across her three decades as a performer, Rivera is seen as having been a vanguard of Afro-Latino and LGBT representation on television.
On July 8, 2020, Rivera drowned at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California, while on a boat with her four-year-old son. Following a five-day search, her body was recovered from the lake on the morning of July 13. At the time of her death, she was between seasons of the television series Step Up, in which she played Collette Jones, the female lead.
- ^ a b "Glee star Naya Rivera died of accidental drowning". BBC News. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
peoplefuneralwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Naya Rivera: Wrongful death lawsuit filed over Glee star's drowning". BBC News. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Naya Rivera marries actor Ryan Dorsey in surprise wedding". Los Angeles Times. July 23, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
- ^ Countdown to the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards (United Airlines). Television Academy. 2012. Event occurs at 00:31. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ How to Pronounce Naya Rivera. American Pronunciation Guide. July 9, 2020. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via YouTube.
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