Glee creators pay tribute to Naya Rivera
The creators of Glee Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan have released a lengthy statement paying tribute to Naya Rivera.
They gushed over how incredible she was to work with, revealing they're in the process of setting up a college fund for her son.
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The statement begins, '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.'
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Ryan, Brad and Ian gushed over the actresses multiple talents: singing, acting and dancing.
They added, '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.'
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'She was a joy to write for...'
The statement continues, 'She was a joy to write for, a joy to direct and a joy to be around.'
The boys reminisced on her outstanding Glee performances including her phenomenal Adele mash-up.
'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).'
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The creators pointed out that this was one of the first times, 'an openly lesbian, high school relationship was seen on network television.'
And Naya understood the importance of that to the younger fans who were seeing themselves represented on TV for the first time.
'Naya always made sure that Santana's love for Brittany was expressed with dignity, strength and with pure intentions.'
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The statement continues, '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.'
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'She was warm and caring...'
The trio gushed, '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.'
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The series creators described her as tough, demanding, fun, kind and 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.'
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'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.'
Ryan, Brad and Ian finished, 'The three of us are currently in the process of creating a college fund for the beautiful son Naya loved most of all.'
— 20th Century Fox TV (@20centuryfoxTV) July 14, 2020
To see what Naya's friends in the celebrity world have been saying about her, go here.
