Naya Rivera — Biography

Born Naya Marie Rivera on January 12, 1987, she was an American talent known for her acting and singing. Her journey in entertainment began when she was just a child, gracing national television commercials. Her first significant acting credit came at age four, portraying Hillary Winston in the brief CBS comedy The Royal Family from 1991 to 1992, a performance that earned her a Young Artist Award nomination. Throughout her teenage years, Rivera took on various recurring television parts and guest appearances. Her defining moment as an adult arrived with the role of Santana Lopez in the Fox series Glee, which aired from 2009 to 2015. This role brought her widespread recognition and multiple award nominations. In 2011, she secured a record deal with Columbia Records as a solo artist, and in 2013, she released the single "Sorry," featuring the rapper Big Sean. Rivera ventured into feature films with her role as Vera in the 2014 horror movie At the Devil's Door. She also had a recurring part as Blanca on the third season of Lifetime's Devious Maids in 2015. In 2016, she shared her life story in the memoir Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up, published by TarcherPerigee.