Naya Rivera plays the sassy Santana – head cheerleader and glee club member – in Glee. Find out more about this actress in her Kidzworld Bio!
Child Star
Naya Rivera grew up in Los Angeles, California, and started acting when she was very young. As a baby she appeared in a series of Kmart commercials and when she was only 4 years old she was cast the TV show The Royal Family with Eddie Murphy. Unfortunately the show was cancelled after one of the main cast members suddenly passed away.
After that Naya made appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Baywatch, Even Stevens and The Bernie Mac Show. In 2006 Naya was cast in the play U Don’t Know Me: The Musical, which appeared in Los Angeles and then went on a tour across the country. She was also in a music video for BTK’s song ‘Why I Love You.’ Can you spot her?
Gleek
In 2009 Naya landed the role of a lifetime when she was cast as Santana on the new show Glee. The series follows a group of high school students who band together to form a singing group (also called a glee club). Naya plays Santana, a snarky cheerleader who is the mean girl at school. She joins the glee club as a spy for Sue Sylvester, but eventually comes to love singing and her friends in the group. Santana also struggles with her feelings towards her best friend Brittany, who is played by Heather Morris.
Did You Know?
- She worked as a greeter at Abercrombie & Fitch.
- Naya is best friends with Heather Morris, who plays her on-screen best friend in Glee.
- On Glee she was originally cast as a supporting character but was soon promoted to main cast member after she was well received.
- She is a singer and songwriter, and signed a record contract with Columbia Records in 2011.
Have Your Say!
Who is your favorite cast member on Glee? What is the best Santana moment? Leave a comment and let us know!
