

She's really witty so I love playing her." She has characterized Santana as "a bit of a bad girl" who is "really snarky and always has these really witty one-liners she throws out there." Rivera enjoys the fact Santana is competitive and headstrong as she herself shares those traits, but dislikes Santana's mean streak. Rivera drew on her own high school experience of unpopularity to prepare for the role, as well as watching films such as Mean Girls to "really get in the zone and feel like a bitchy sophomore." She has described Santana as "your typical high school cheerleader, for the most part," explaining: "She's really mean and loves boys. Rivera auditioned for the opportunity "to sing, dance and act all in the same show," and because she was a fan of co-creator Ryan Murphy's previous work on Nip/Tuck.

Rivera's character comes off as a cold-hearted and vicious cheerleader, who often shows her softer side to fellow cheerleader Brittany (played by Heather Morris).
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In 2009, Rivera was cast as Santana Lopez, a high school cheerleader, on Fox's musical comedy series Glee, about a high school glee club. Rivera auditioned for an unspecified season of American Idol during the San Francisco auditions, she was cut in the first round.Ģ009–11: Breakthrough and acclaim with Glee Swinton's play, U Don't Know Me: The Musical, both in Los Angeles and when the production was taken on national tour. In 20, Rivera took part in a production of Mark E. In between auditions and roles, Rivera worked jobs as a telemarketer, a nanny and a greeter at an Abercrombie & Fitch store. She was later featured in episodes of 8 Simple Rules and CSI: Miami.
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She was hired for a single episode guest appearance on The Bernie Mac Show in 2002, but she was brought back to work on a further ten episodes throughout all five seasons. In 2002, she also appeared in the music video for B2K's "Why I Love You". Rivera received a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance in the series.īetween 19, she had small roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Family Matters, Live Shot, Baywatch, Smart Guy, The Jersey, House Blend, Even Stevens and The Master of Disguise. The show received positive reviews and high ratings initially, but it was canceled soon after star Redd Foxx suffered a sudden heart attack on set. Rivera appeared in commercials for Kmart as a baby, but her first significant acting job was at age 4 when she appeared as Hillary Winston in The Royal Family sitcom in 1991. At 8 or 9 months old, Rivera began to be represented by the same talent agent as her mother, who had moved to Los Angeles to pursue modelling. Her younger brother is NFL tight end Mychal Rivera, and her younger sister is runway model Nickayla Rivera. Her parents are Yolanda, a former model, and George Rivera. She is of Puerto Rican, African American, and German descent. Rivera was born and raised in the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, California, and has lived in or around Los Angeles for most of her life.

Her first solo single "Sorry", featuring American rapper Big Sean, was released on September 17, 2013.

She also played the role of Hillary Winston on The Royal Family at the age of 4, for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination. Naya Rivera Dorsey (born Naya Marie Rivera January 12, 1987) is an American actress and singer, known for playing Santana Lopez on Fox's musical comedy-drama television series Glee.
