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You might recognize Naya Rivera from her work on Glee, but that’s not the only gig on her resume. Naya is a popular American actress and singer born and raised in Santa Clarita, California. She’s the eldest of three siblings and was scouted by a talent agent before she was even a year old. Naya eventually moved to Los Angeles in order to pursue a modeling career like her mother. Since then, she’s worked on a number of television sets in her early career before landing her unforgettable role in Glee.
Naya Rivera’s Estimated Net Worth as of 2018: $5 million
Let’s see how she earned all her riches, shall we?
1991 – 2008
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Before she became the unforgettable Santana Lopez on Glee, Naya started off as a young model. She first appeared in Kmart commercials, however her first acting job was on the 1991 set of The Royal Family. Unfortunately, the show was ultimately cancelled after an actor suffered a heart attack on set. Naya still received a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance on the show.
Naya landed a few more small roles between 1992 and 2002. She appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Baywatch, Even Stevens, and many more. In addition to acting, Naya also appeared on B2K’s music video for “Why I Love You”.
From 2006 to 2007, Naya appeared in Mark E. Swinton’s production of U Don’t Know Me: The Musical. Although we currently know how powerful her voice could be, Naya once auditioned in American Idol before being cut in the first round.
2009 – 2011
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2009 marked some of her golden years of acting after she was cast as Santana Lopez, the witty Cheerios cheerleader on Fox’s popular series Glee. Naya admits that she enjoyed playing Santana and drew on her own high school experience as an unpopular kid. She also referenced Mean Girls in order to “really get in the zone and feel like a bitchy sophomore,” according to an interview with Starry Constellation Magazine.
In 2011, Naya was nominated for two ALMA Awards for Favorite Female Music Artist and Favorite TV Actress. After receiving her first solo songs in the second season of Glee, Naya received critical acclaim and praise for her performances.
2012 – Present
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After receiving praise for her performances on Glee, Naya went on to sign a record deal with Columbia Records to produce her first solo album. In addition, her vocals were featured on 2Cellos cover of Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole”. If you don’t recognize 2Cellos, I’d recommend looking up Naya’s performance of “Smooth Criminal”. It’s my personal favorite out of her Glee covers on the show.
Naya eventually released her debut single “Sorry”, which featured Big Sean. Unfortunately, she admitted that she had a lot on her plate, so a full album was put on hold. Columbia Records later cancelled their record deal after her single did not do as well as they hoped.
In 2014, Naya began dating actor Ryan Dorsey and later had a baby boy with him a year later. The couple later split in 2016 after two years of marriage, but continue to co-parent their child, Josey Hollis Dorsey.
When Glee slowly but surely chugged its way to its season 6 finale in 2015, Naya began to appear in other productions. She made her movie debut in the film At the Devil’s Door. Despite the films mixed reviews, many viewers praised Naya’s performance her comfort in front of the camera. Naya also appeared in the third season of Lifetime’s drama series Devious Maids.
In fall 2016, Naya later went on to release her memoir Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.
2018
Naya Rivera has filed for a divorce after attacking husband Ryan Dorsey and getting arrested by the cops in West Virginia.
