The show received positive reviews and high ratings initially, but it was canceled soon after star Redd Foxx suffered a sudden heart attack on set, which Rivera witnessed. So in my own small way, I wanted to pay tribute to her in the only way I really know how – by talking about pop culture.To put it simply, Naya Rivera was an actress and a singer of rare calibre, and the world is a quieter place without her in it.In the context of the episode in which it was performed, Santana and Mercedes attempt to win an inner-Glee Club competition for a free meal, teaming up for the track even though they aren’t friends, because they both know they’re the best performers.There are few examples of what a true star looks like, of what it takes to make it when others fail, but you can see it in Naya during this, or any, Glee performance.
She inspired my personality-driven queerness (which I sometimes called bisexality, pansexuality or gayness), and allowed me to accept myself at every stage. Rivera drew on her own high school experience of unpopularity to prepare for the role, as well as watching films such as Mean Girlsto "really get in the zon… In her debut during the show’s pilot episode, she’s little more than a lackey of head cheerleader Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) – but as the show continued, so did Santana’s character grow and expand, thanks mainly in part to Naya’s portrayal of her, soaked in venom and her barbs honed to devastating perfection, a small knife to slip in under the ribs.Yet it kept going, extending the location to New York, where Santana eventually lived with Rachel (Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer), before returning to McKinley in the show’s final season to marry Brittany.The speech is just over a minute long, and not one line is wasted from Naya, every word, syllable and insult is delivered perfectly. She was as adept at singing Britney Spears as she was Barbra Streisand.Santana’s character is a potent reminder of this. Actress Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez in the hit TV musical show "Glee," was missing feared drowned on Wednesday at Lake Piru, California, authorities said. I am forever grateful for Naya Rivera’s moving nuanced portrayal of her, and hope that despite the actress’ short life, her TV legacy will be recognized forever. In “Glee,” there was someone else who was struggling with those feelings. Your support makes a difference in helping give staff members from all backgrounds the opportunity to develop important professional skills and conduct meaningful reporting. I was attracted to girls.With Santana, it was the opposite — she chose to be with the girl she loved over the boys that would have gladly taken her.