Naya Rivera knew how to jazz up a scene.
The actress and singer, best known for her role as popular cheerleader Santana Lopez on Fox’s « Glee, » wasn’t …
Naya Rivera knew how to jazz up a scene. The actress and singer, best known for her role as popular cheerleader Santana Lopez on Fox’s « Glee, » wasn’t the star of the show, which aired from 2009-15, but she livened it up with powerful performances, witty one-liners and acting chops that allowed her character to pivot from a one-dimensional high school stereotype into an entertaining role model. Rivera died July 8, 2020 at age 33 after disappearing from a boat she had rented with her 4-year-old son, Josey, who was found safe. Southern California officials recovered her body from Lake Piru following a six-day search for the actress, mourned by her family, friends, co-stars and fans. Let’s look back on some of Rivera’s best moments and performances as Santana: Contributing backup vocals and dancing to Dianna Agron (who played head cheerleader Quinn Fabray), Rivera’s first « Glee » performance established her as a storyteller, no matter who the scene focused on. Santana and enemy Warblers captain Sebastian Smythe duked it out in Season 3 with the help of two dueling cellists and Michael Jackson. It was iconic from the moment Rivera stepped in front of the camera in a fedora and power suit.
