Heartbreaking Details About Naya Rivera Have Us In Awe
Naya Rivera's life should be defined by more than her untimely death. Before we unpack the circumstances that led to her passing, we need to celebrate Naya for who she was: A passionate, talented, and ground-breaking force of nature whose influence goes way further than Glee.
An L.A. Girl
Naya was always a Los Angeles girl at heart, so it makes sense that a passion for entertaining also ran through her veins. Her mother, Yolanda Riviera, was a former model, which gave Naya glimpses into the industry she’d later transform for herself.
The Talented Riveras
Unsurprisingly, talent ran in Naya’s family. As the oldest of three kids, Naya was a successful singer and actress while her brother, Mychal Rivera, played football for the NFL. Her younger sister Nickayla is, like their mother, a model.
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Hollywood Baby
Most people recognize Naya from Glee, but any eagle-eyed viewers out there will know that Naya was acting for years before the 2009 hit. By nine months old, Naya was being represented by her mother’s manager, and most unusually, she was booking jobs.
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First Significant Role
Even as a tot, Naya nabbed “roles” in several national commercials for stores like Kmart. At four years old, she got her first significant role in the short-lived sitcom The Royal Family, where she played a character named Hillary Winston.
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