Amber Riley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amber Riley
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Riley at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born |
Amber Patrice Riley
February 15, 1986 Compton, California, U.S.
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| Other names | RILEY |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Leading Ladies |
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She is also known by her stage name, RILEY. She is most famous for playing Mercedes Jones in the popular TV show Glee from 2009 to 2015.
Her powerful performances on Glee earned her many award nominations. She and the cast won a Screen Actors Guild Award. As part of the Glee cast, she was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 2013, Amber won season 17 of the dance competition show Dancing with the Stars. She also won the eighth season of The Masked Singer in 2022.
Amber has also had a successful career in theater. In 2016, she starred as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls in London's West End. For this role, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, one of the highest honors in British theater.
Contents
Early Life
Amber Riley was born in Los Angeles County, California. She has two older sisters named Toiya and Ashley.
When she was 17, Amber auditioned for the TV show American Idol. Even though the producers didn't choose her, she didn't give up on her dream. She graduated from La Mirada High School in 2004 and continued to pursue her passion for performing.
Career
Breakthrough with Glee
In 2008, Amber was cast as Mercedes Jones in the TV show Glee. She was a main character for five of the six seasons. Her character was known for her incredible voice and confident personality.
On the show, Amber sang many famous songs. Some of her most memorable solos include "Respect", "Bust Your Windows", and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". After singer Whitney Houston passed away, Amber performed a moving tribute of the song "I Will Always Love You". Her performances were loved by fans and critics.
While on Glee, Amber also performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2012, she sang the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention.
Success on Stage and Screen
After Glee, Amber continued to shine. In 2015, she played Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in the live TV musical The Wiz Live!.
A year later, she took on the lead role of Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls in London. Her performance was a huge success, and she won two major awards: the Laurence Olivier Award and the Evening Standard Theatre Award.
In 2017, Amber formed a music group called Leading Ladies with British singers Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson. They released an album called Songs from the Stage, which featured songs from famous musicals.
In 2019, she played Audrey II, a singing plant, in the musical Little Shop of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Winning Dancing with the Stars
In 2013, Amber competed on season 17 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Derek Hough. The pair impressed the judges and the audience with their amazing routines.
They received five perfect scores of 30 and tied the record for the highest score in the first week. Amber became the first African-American woman to win the competition.
- Performances
| Week # | Dance/song | Judges' score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/"Wings" | 9 | 9 | 9 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive/"Reet Petite" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston/"Bang Bang" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango/"Love Lockdown" | 9 | 91 | 9 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot/"Try a Little Tenderness" | 9 | 7 | 10 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba/"Get It Right" Switch-Up Challenge |
10 Awarded |
8 4 |
10 Points |
No Elimination |
| 7 | Paso Doble/"Diablo Rojo" Group Dance Freestyle/"The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" |
10 10 |
10 10 |
9 10 |
Safe |
| 8 | Rumba/"If I Could Turn Back Time" | 9 | 92 | 10 | Safe (Immunity) |
| 9 | Quickstep/"That's It!" Salsa (Trio challenge)3/"Que Viva la Vida" |
8 9 |
8 9 |
8 9 |
Safe |
| 10 Semi-finals |
Jazz/"Locked Out of Heaven" Viennese Waltz/"Locked Out of Heaven" (Acoustic Version) |
10 10 |
10/94 10/104 |
10 10 |
Safe |
| 11 Finals |
Charleston/"Bang Bang" Samba relay/"No Scrubs" Freestyle/"Can You Do This" |
10 Awarded 10 |
10 4 10 |
10 points 10 |
Safe |
| Quickstep & Samba Fusion/"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | 10 | 10 | 10 | Won | |
| 1In week four, judge Len Goodman was absent and guest judge Julianne Hough filled in for him. 2In week eight, judge Len Goodman was absent and guest judge Cher filled in for him. 3The dancer Hough and Riley chose for the Trio Challenge is Mark Ballas. 4Scores from guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy. |
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Recent Work and Music as RILEY
In 2020, Amber began releasing music under the name RILEY. She released an extended play (EP) called RILEY, which included songs like "A Moment" and "BGE".
Amber has also been a popular contestant on The Masked Singer. In 2022, she competed as "Harp" and won the eighth season of the American version of the show. In 2023, she appeared as "Jellyfish" on the British version and finished in fourth place.
In December 2023, she performed the song "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the movie Mary Poppins on a TV special honoring actor Dick Van Dyke.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2015 | Glee | Mercedes Jones | Main role; 93 episodes |
| 2010 | The Simpsons | Aiesha (voice) | Episode: "Elementary School Musical" |
| 2011 | Glee: The 3D Concert Movie | Mercedes Jones | Concert film |
| 2013 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself / Contestant | Season 17 winner |
| 2015 | My One Christmas Wish | Jackie Turner | Television film |
| 2015 | The Wiz Live! | Addaperle | Television special |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Dream Ghost #2 | Episode: "Josh Has No Idea Where I Am!" |
| 2018 | Nobody's Fool | Kalli | |
| 2019–21 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The Little Mermaid Live! | Emcee | Special |
| 2022 | Single Black Female | Simone Hicks | Television film |
| 2022 | The Masked Singer | Harp | Season 8 winner |
| 2023 | The Masked Singer UK | Jellyfish | Season 4; fourth place |
| 2023 | Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream | Herself / Judge | |
| 2024 | Ariel | Ursula (voice) | Main role |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Cotton Club Parade | Performer | New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
| 2014 | Hair | Dionne | Hollywood Bowl |
| 2016–17 | Dreamgirls | Effie White | Savoy Theatre, West End |
| 2019 | Little Shop of Horrors | Audrey II | Pasadena Playhouse |
| 2024 | The Preacher's Wife | Julia Biggs | Alliance Theatre |
Discography
Extended Plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| RILEY |
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Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Colorblind" | 2014 | Glee: the Music, Bash |
| "A Moment" | 2020 | RILEY |
| "BGE" | ||
| "Creepin" |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Glee | Won |
| 2011 | Grammy Award | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals version)" | Nominated |
| 2011 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Dreamgirls | Won |
| Evening Standard Theatre Award | Best Musical Performance | Won | ||
| WhatsOnStage Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Amber Riley para niños
