Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera was an American actor, singer, and model who worked across television, film, and music throughout a career that began in early childhood.
Born on January 12, 1987, in Valencia, California, Rivera began performing at the age of four, when she landed the role of Hillary Winston on the CBS sitcom The Royal Family, which ran from 1991 to 1992. That early start established her as a child actor before she went on to attend Valencia High School and later the New York Film Academy. She worked in both English and Spanish, reflecting a versatility that carried through her professional life. In 2009, she secured the role that would define much of her public profile: Santana Lopez on the Fox television series Glee, a part she held for the duration of the show's run. Her work on that series earned her, as part of the cast, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also appeared in Step Up: High Water, extending her presence into film alongside her television work. Among her other honors were an ALMA Award, an American Music Award for Top Soundtrack, a NewNowNext Award, a TV Land Award, and a recognition from the Giffoni Film Festival.
Rivera died on July 8, 2020, at Lake Piru, California, at the age of thirty-three. Her career spanned television, film, and recording, and her work across those forms — from a CBS sitcom in early childhood to an ensemble-driven musical drama in adulthood — remained the consistent thread connecting her decades in the industry.
Quotes by Naya Rivera
I’d fallen back on my looks over and over because I didn’t think I had anything else to offer, but now I was starting to see that I was actually smart. Getting a graded paper on which the professor wrote “well written!” felt a million times better than getting a 25 percent tip because some d-bag got to ogle my butt when I dropped off his burger.
If I had a dollar for everytime my mother told me god had a plan I’d probably buy a new prada bag.
Mark and I went on to date for three years. During that time, we were either very much on or very much off, but he was my first real boyfriend.
I don’t trust people who claim to like everyone, because, really, how is that possible? If that is true, then you must not have any standards. If you care about your life, then there are going to be certain people you don’t want in it.
Honestly, I never thought I’d actually be playing a teen lesbian. I didn’t think it was going to go this far. But I’m glad that it did, because there have been a lot of fans who have expressed that they’ve been going through similar situations in their lives.
I watch Pretty Little Liars with my best friend Telly. We go to each other’s houses when it airs and we watch it.
It’s kind of cool – and it makes me feel like a badass. I get more girls than my boyfriend. They always tweet me about my booty.
Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.
Music is one of my greatest loves. I don’t think I would be able to live without music in my life.