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Rivera's acting career began when she was an infant and appeared in a national Kmart commercial campaign. At the age of 4, she went on to star as Hillary Winston in the short-lived sitcom \"The Royal Family,\" for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination.

\"PHOTO:
Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Naya Rivera attends a film premiere on Sept. 19, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
>

Before finding mainstream success in 2009 with \"Glee,\" Rivera appeared as a recurring character on \"The Bernie Mac Show,\" \"8 Simple Rules,\" and \"CSI: Miami.\" She also appeared in the 2002 movie \"Master of Disguise.\"

Following her breakout success, Rivera joined the 2014 thriller \"At the Devil's Door,\" where her acting received praise from film critics. Then, in 2017, she starred alongside Charlie Sheen and Leah Remini in the comedy \"Mad Families.\"

The next year, she signed on for a recurring role in the Lifetime drama \"Devious Maids,\" and appeared in the third season, which aired in 2015.

Her last acting role came in 2018 when she signed on the YouTube Red series \"Step Up: High Water\" as school administrator Collette Jones.

During her time on \"Glee,\" Rivera embarked on a brief music career and signed with Columbia Records. Her debut album was released in 2011.

She was previously featured in 2CELLOS' cover of Muse's \"Supermassive Black Hole\" and appeared in the duo's music video.

Rivera also wrote a memoir in 2016, entitled \"Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.\" The actress is one of several \"Glee\" stars to have died in recent years; Cory Monteith died of mixed drug toxicity in 2013, and Mark Salling died by suicide in 2018.

Rivera leaves behind her son, whom she shared with ex-husband Ryan Dorsey.

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