“Glee” co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan honored the late Naya Rivera on Tuesday, following the recovery of her body and confirmation of her death the previous day, saying the are “heartbroken over the loss” of the 33-year-old former “Glee” actress.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of our friend Naya Rivera,” the three said in a statement. “Naya wasn’t a series regular when we cast her on ‘Glee.’ She didn’t have more than a few lines in the pilot. But it didn’t take more than an episode or two for us to realize that we had lucked into finding one of the most talented, special stars we would ever have the pleasure of working with. Naya could act, she could dance, and she could sing (could she ever sing!) She could nail a joke as well as she could crush you with an emotional scene. She could move between being scary tough and deeply vulnerable with ease. She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.”
“Naya is responsible for numerous iconic Glee musical performances- The Adele Mash Up, Valerie, Songbird- but her greatest Glee legacy is probably the humor and humanity that she brought to Santana’s relationship with her best friend and eventual girlfriend/wife Brittany (played by Heather Morris). It was one of the first times an openly lesbian, high school relationship was seen on network television and Naya understood what ‘Brittana’ meant to the many young women who were seeing themselves represented on television for the first time. Naya always made sure that Santana’s love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions. Naya was always moved by the girls who reached out to her to tell her how much Santana and Brittany’s love affected them. Naya’s obligation to them- and to all of her fans- was obvious. She had the rare combination of humility and endless confidence in her talent.”
“Naya was a real pro. Always on time, always knew her lines (which wasn’t easy considering the giant mouthfuls of dialogue we often gave her), always kept everyone laughing on the set. She was warm and caring and fiercely protective of the rest of the cast. She was tough and demanding. She was fun. She was kind. She was generous. There were ups and downs during the wonderful and stressful years we spent making Glee. We disagreed, we fought, we made up, then we fought some more, than we made up again. The kinds of things that happen in a family. Naya was more than just an actor on our show- she was our friend.”
“Our hearts go out to her family, especially her mom, Yolanda, who was a big part of the Glee family and her son Josey. The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.”
The day before the “Glee” creators shared their tribute to Rivera, Fox and 20th Century Fox Television, the network and studio behind “Glee,” said in a joint statement: “Naya Rivera was a fierce talent with so much more to do and this is such a terrible tragedy. We are forever grateful for the indelible contribution she made to ‘Glee,’ from the first episode to the last. Our hearts are broken and our thoughts go out to Naya’s family, friends and young son.”
Also Read: Naya Rivera’s Death: No Indication of Foul Play or Suicide, Sheriffs Say
A body was discovered at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California, early Monday morning on Day 6 of the search for Rivera, who went missing following a swimming accident at the lake. The sheriff’s office confirmed to TheWrap the body was Rivera’s.
During a press conference later Monday, Sheriff Bill Ayub said “based on the location where the body was found, physical characteristics of the body, clothing found on the body, and the physical condition of the body, as well as the absence of any other persons reported missing in the area, we are confident the body we found is of Naya Rivera.”
Authorities said that there was “no indiction of foul play and no indication that this was a suicide.” A cause of death has not yet been determined.
Also Read: ‘Glee’ Cast, Other Stars Pay Tribute to Naya Rivera: ‘What a Force You Were’
Rivera went missing last Wednesday after renting a boat at Lake Piru with her 4-year-old son. When the boat was not returned on time, rental stand employees found the boat with the child wearing a life vest and unharmed, but alone, and authorities began a search. Sonar technology was brought to the lake given its low visibility.
The former “Glee” star most recently appeared in the TV series adaptation of the “Step Up” dance movies, which previously aired on YouTube Red and will air on Starz for its upcoming third season. Her other credits include “Devious Maids,” “The Bernie Mac Show” and “American Dad.”
More to come…
Naya Rivera’s 11 Most Memorable Roles, From ‘Family Matters’ to ‘Glee’ (Photos)
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Though she’s best known for the role of Santana Lopez on Fox’s musical series “Glee,” on which she starred from 2009 to 2015, Naya Rivera’s acting career began with television roles in early 1990s. Here is a list of 11 of Rivera’s most memorable roles throughout her career, from her beginnings as a child actress in the early up through her most recent role in “Step Up: High Water.”
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“The Royal Family” (1991-92)
Rivera’s first television role was in the CBS sitcom “The Royal Family” when she was just 4 years old. She played the granddaughter of a mail carrier (Red Foxx) and his wife (Della Reese) whose grown daughter moves back home with her three kids.
CBS
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“Family Matters” (1992-93)
She played another little girl named Gwendolyn in three episodes of “Family Matters.” In one scene in the episode “Heart Strings,” she asks Steve Urkel for love advice.
ABC
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“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1993)
Her next role was in one 1993 episode of “Fresh Prince” called “Bundle of Joy,” playing a little girl named Cindy when she was 6 years old.
NBC
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“Baywatch” (1996)
She also appeared in one 1996 episode of “Baywatch” called “Scorcher” as a girl named Willa who gets lost on the beach.
YouTube
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“Even Stevens” (2002)
In 2002, Rivera appeared in one episode of this Disney Channel comedy, playing a girl who gets peeved when Shia LaBeouf’s Louis gets gum stuck in her hair.
Disney Channel
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“Soul Food” (2003)
She played Ahmad’s girlfriend Lauryn in two 2003 episodes of this series that followed a multigenerational Black family in Chicago.
Showtime
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“The Bernie Mac Show” (2002-06)
Rivera had a recurring role in this Fox sitcom, appearing in 11 episodes as a girl named Donna who befriends Mac’s niece Vanessa (Camille Winbush).
Fox
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“Glee” (2009-15)
Rivera’s best-known role was Santana Lopez on Ryan Murphy’s Fox musical series “Glee.” Santana is a popular cheerleader who explores her identity as a lesbian and later falls in love with and marries her best friend, Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris).
Fox
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“The View” (2014-15)
As she was wrapping work on “Glee,” Rivera made six appearances as a guest co-host on the beloved ABC daytime talk show.
ABC
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“Devious Maids” (2015)
She also had a recurring role as a maid named Blanca Alvarez in the third season of this Marc Cherry dramedy-mystery series.
Lifetime
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“Step-Up: Highwater” (2018-19)
in this YouTube Original series, Rivera co-stars as the head of a performing arts high school in Atlanta where twins Tal and Janelle Baker have enrolled after moving from Ohio.
YouTube
Source: TheWrapTheWrap
