DTH Mag Vol 5 - Flipbook - Page 21
A
mber Riley is in her healed girl era.
The multihyphenate entertainer is also, at the very least, the voice of a big sister telling you to
hold your head up high and not take mess from others.
Still, the journey has come with its highs and lows.
Known for her groundbreaking role as Mercedes Jones on the hit TV show Glee, the Los
Angeles-born Riley redefined what it means to be a Black woman in an industry often
criticized for its lack of diversity and representation. With a voice that can soar through
octaves as effortlessly as it captivates the soul and acting chops that have garnered critical
acclaim, Riley is a multifaceted talent whose contributions extend far beyond the screen and
stage.
Beyond her on-screen achievements, Riley's off-screen evolution speaks volumes about her
commitment to authenticity, growth, and the reclamation of her narrative in an ever-changing
entertainment landscape.
She can give something to everyone: For the musical theater lovers, she9s soared in Glee but
also renditions of Little Shop of Horrors, Dreamgirls, and The Wiz, among others; for the
politically-minded, she9s sung the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention;
for the dancers, she won the seventeenth season of ABC9s dancing competition Dancing with
the Stars, becoming the first African-American woman to do so; for the music lovers, she
competed in and won on season eight of The Masked Singer and, among her works such as
RILEY, is preparing new music for us all.
She has the receipts to back up everything she says, a necessity these days when society
challenges Black women to be more humble.
Yet, her current chapter feels most compelling—a period of introspection, creativity, and bold
new projects that signal not just a comeback but a profound homecoming to her essence. Her
time is now, not only because the industry is catching up to the necessity of genuine
representation but because Riley herself is steering her narrative with an authenticity and
vision that's impossible to ignore.
Riley chatted with Deeper Than Hair to discuss what readers should expect of her new movie
Single Black Female 2, which premieres March 2nd on Lifetime, how she9s rediscovered
herself, and advice for others hoping to follow in her footsteps.
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