All About Naya Rivera
Acting is all Naya Rivera has ever known. A California native, Naya began her life behind the camera as a baby, booking numerous commercials. By the time she was four, Naya had landed a series regular role on “The Royal Family.” Unfortunately, due to Red Foxx’s tragic death, the series was cut short. According to Naya, acting is more than just a hobby. It’s her passion. She has gone on to pursue her dreams and can be seen on episodes of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters,” “Smart Guy,” “Even Stevens,” “8 Simple Rules,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” and “CSI: Miami.” Naya also remains as versatile as possible and has written several screenplays, television pilots, and even her own original music.
In addition to acting and writing, Naya also has a strong enthusiasm for music. This enthusiasm, along with her exceptional acting skills, helped her land her most recent role on the FOX primetime television series “Glee.” Set to premiere after “American Idol” in March 2009, Naya will play “Santana Lopez,” a popular cheerleader.
We sat down with the gorgeous brunette to get to know her better…
[caption id="attachment_26717" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Photo Credit Shaun Lang"]
[/caption]Hollywire: What was it like working on the sitcom "The Royal Family" also starring Red Foxx and Della Reese?
Naya Rivera: Working on "The Royal Family" was an amazing experience. I was only 5 at the time and it was my first series regular role on a television show. The cast was great and made it feel like I wasn't even working. Red Foxx was the most genuine person I have ever met. He used to call me his grand daughter and would bring me presents back from all of his vacations. He even had a custom outfit made for me to match his and brought me up during his interview on the Arsenio Hall show. Della was amazing as well. We hung out with her and her husband and attended their church for a while after the show ended. Everyone bonded on the show and we all helped each other cope with Red's sudden death. That was an experience in itself for me. We were rehearsing a scene when he collapsed and had a heart attack. I was rushed upstairs so I wouldn’t have to see all that was going on but it was really scary and shocking to see. All in all the show was one of the biggest highlights of my childhood and I feel lucky to have been a part of it.
HW: Did you get to work with Will Smith on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"?
NR: I didn't get to work directly with Will Smith on the show but I did get to meet him. He was very nice and hilarious to watch on set. I did however work with Hilary, and that was awesome. She, along with everyone else was very welcoming and great to work with.
HW: Out of being on "Family Matters," "Smart Guy," "Even Stevens," "8 Simple Rules," "The Bernie Mac Show," and most recently, a challenging role as a heroin addict on the hit show "CSI: Miami" what was your favorite role and why?
NR: I would have to say that my favorite role was Family Matters. Even though I was really young, I loved my character. I played little Ritchie’s girlfriend in a couple of episodes and had a blast doing it. My mom was my manager and acting coach at the time and helped me do some really cute things in my scenes. My character was only supposed to do one episode but they brought me back for a lot more. I even developed my first little crush on the kid who played Richie. We became childhood friends while filming the show and had a great time on set. Out of all of the things I've done Family Matters seems to be the one that people remember most which I think is hilarious. The funniest part about that role is that I was actually crying after the audition because I thought I had blown it. But I guess it just goes to show that you never really know whats coming for you!
HW: Tell us more about your passion for music.
NR: My passion for music is one of my greatest loves. I don't think I would be able to live without music in my life. I listen to absolutly everyting and sing all the time. I love to write because it's such a release. It's very theraputic when I sing and it makes me feel like I'm escaping for a while. I started singing when I was three. My favorite things to perform for my family was Paula Abdul and Michael Jackson's leave me alone. I had a little kid piano that my dad would play notes on while I made up lyrics and sang along. I love how different songs can make you feel different things and take you to different memories in your life. I still currently record things in the studio and write in my free time. I would love to release my own album someday and work with some of the artists that I admire most. I can die happy when that happens haha. I just love performing all together, and music is just one of the outlets that I use
HW: How did it feel to book your role on "Glee"? Everyone's talking about the show.
NR: When I booked GLEE I was actually kind of in shock. I hadn't worked in a while and knew that this was such a great opportunity. The premis of the show really intrigued me and the fact that I would get to sing on it was the cherry on top. I had just finished working on CSI Miami which was exciting in itself but then to turn around and book GLEE in the same week was amazing. I was on cloud 9 when I found out that I had gotten the role. I was happy enough to just do the pilot but when I found out that it had been picked up for 13 episodes I felt like I had finally done something right. It was refreshing and reassuring to know that not only could I do the things that I so desperatly want to but that I was in fact on my way to accomplishing more. I'm anxious to get shooting under way and work with the cast which is a great group of young poeple. It will be kind of a blast from the past because we are actually shooting on the Paramount lot which is where I worked on Royal Family. It's cool to see things kind of come full circle and work out for the best! I hope people enjoy the show the way I think they will and I hope they like what I do with my character.
