Amber Riley

Amber Patrice Riley[1] (born February 15, 1986)[2] is an American actress, singer, author, and activist. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee (2009–2015). For her performance on the series, she won a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for three Teen Choice Awards, three NAACP Image Awards, and a Grammy Award.

Amber Riley
Born
Amber Patrice Riley

(1986-02-15) February 15, 1986
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • author
Years active2002–present
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Associated actsLeading Ladies
Websiteleadingladiesmusic.com

In November 2016, Riley led the West End debut of Dreamgirls,[3] playing the lead role of Effie White.[3] She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2017 for her role in Dreamgirls.[3][4]

Riley won season 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013.[5] In 2017, Riley appeared as a judge on BBC One musical theatre talent show Let It Shine and formed a musical theatre supergroup with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, known collectively as Leading Ladies and signed to East West Records/Warner. Their debut album, Songs from the Stage, was released on November 17, 2017.

Early life

Riley was born in Los Angeles County, California, with a mother of the maiden name Hightower.[2] She has two older sisters, Toiya and Ashley.[6] Riley auditioned for American Idol when she was 17 years old, during the show's second season, but was turned down by the producers.[7] She graduated from La Mirada High School in La Mirada, California in 2004.[6][8]

Career

Acting and singing
Riley at a Toys for Tots event in December 2009

In 2008, Riley was cast in the role of Mercedes Jones on the comedy-drama television series Glee, and appeared as a main cast member for all but one of the six seasons—she received guest star credit during season 5.[9] Riley performed numerous solos throughout the series' run, including "Respect", "Bust Your Windows", "Hate on Me", "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", "Beautiful", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "I Look to You", "Ain't No Way", "Try a Little Tenderness", "Spotlight", "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and, three days after Whitney Houston's death, performed a tribute version of "I Will Always Love You". She also played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the episode "The Rocky Horror Glee Show", singing the lead on the song "Sweet Transvestite" to generally positive reviews from critics.[10][11] For her role as Mercedes Jones, Riley won a Screen Actors Guild Award and received nominations for three NAACP Image Awards and three Teen Choice Awards.

Riley appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, sang the national anthem at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, and is currently working on a debut solo studio album.[12] She also co-wrote a track titled "Leave a Light On" for British group The Saturdays, which is featured on their album Living for the Weekend.[13] Riley's debut single, "Colorblind", premiered live on April 3, 2014, on The Queen Latifah Show. The song was written by Emeli Sandé, Claude Kelly and Steve Mac, and was released as a digital download on April 8, 2014.[14] The song was also performed by Riley on Glee. In 2015, it was reported that Riley would star in a Christmas television film, her first movie role, and her first acting role, since Glee.[15] In December 2015, she portrayed Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in NBC's live performance of The Wiz.[16] In February 2016, it was announced that Riley would portray the lead role of Effie White in Dreamgirls, at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End, beginning performances in November 2016.[17] Riley recorded a number of tracks for Todrick Hall's visual album Straight Outta Oz.[18]

In 2017, Riley teamed up with British singers Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson to form a musical theatre supergroup, known collectively as the "Leading Ladies". Their debut album, Songs from the Stage, was released on November 17, 2017 and features covers songs from Cats, Beautiful and Rent among others.[19]

In 2019, she took on the role of Audrey II, the carnivorous singing plant, in Little Shop of Horrors at Pasadena Playhouse.[20]

On 28 February 2020 Riley confirmed she finished recording songs for her debut extended play. [21]

Dancing with the Stars

In 2013, Riley won the seventeenth season of ABC's dancing competition Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with the show's one and only six-time champion, Derek Hough.[22] Riley and Hough tied the record for highest first-week score of 27, received 5 perfect scores of 30, and only received a score lower than 8 one time. Riley is the first African-American woman to win Dancing With the Stars.

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.

Fashion

In January 2014, Riley and her sister Ashley launched a plus-size online clothing boutique, Rileyland Fashions. She also models the garments.

Filmography
Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
2002 St. Sass Toby Unsold pilot
2009–15 Glee Mercedes Jones Main role (seasons 1—4, 6); Recurring role (season 5); 93 episodes
2010 The Simpsons Aiesha (voice) Episode: "Elementary School Musical"
2011 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie Mercedes Jones Concert film
2012 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself / Guest judge
2013 Dancing with the Stars Herself / Contestant Season 17 winner
2014 Dancing with the Stars Herself / Performer Season 18, episode: "The Finals Award Show"
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!"
2017 Let It Shine Herself / Guest judge Auditions stage
2018 Nobody's Fool Kalli
2019 A Black Lady Sketch Show Lori 2 episodes
2019 The Little Mermaid Live! Emcee Special
2020 Infamous Elle
2020 Whose Line is it Anyway? Herself

Stage
Year Title Role Location
2012 Cotton Club Parade Performer New York City Center, Off-Broadway
2014 Hair Dionne Hollywood Bowl
2016–2017 Dreamgirls Effie White Savoy Theatre, West End
2019 Little Shop of Horrors Audrey II Pasadena Playhouse

Discography
See also: Glee discography and Leading Ladies (group)

Albums
Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[23]		 SCO
[24]
Songs from the Stage
(with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson as Leading Ladies)		 1919

Soundtracks
Title Details
Dreamgirls (Original London Cast Recording)
  • Released: May 12, 2017
  • Labels: Sony
  • Format: CD, digital download

Promotional singles
Year Title Album
2020 "Someone You Loved" Non-album single

Guest appearances
Year Song Album
2013 "Never Be Lonely"
(with Eric Bellinger)		 In The Meantime
2014 "Gold Generation"
(with Eric Zayne)		 Autobiograme
"This Is What It Feels Like"
(with Kenyon Dixon)		 Twenty Four
2015 "He's the Wizard" The Wiz Live!
2016 "Lions and Tigers and Bears" Straight Outta Oz
"See Your Face"
"#ChangeRightNow" I Am Major
"Dream Ghost" Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
(Season 1, Vol. 2)
2017 "Anybody Who Knows What Love Is"
(with Boyz II Men)		 Under the Streetlight
2019 "Daughters of Triton" The Little Mermaid Live!
"I'm A Mess"
(with Kenyon Dixon)		 R&B Kenny

Awards and nominations
Year Award Work Result
2010 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer Glee Nominated
Teen Choice Award for Choice Music: Group (shared with Glee cast) Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2011 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer Nominated
2012 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2017 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Actress in a Musical Dreamgirls Won
Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical Won
Evening Standard Award for Best Musical Performance Won
2018 Classic Brit Award for Album of the Year Songs from the Stage Nominated

References
  1. Amber Riley verified Twitter account. Retrieved on June 4, 2020. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. "Amber Patrice Riley"
  2. Sole Amber Patrice Riley born in California in this timeframe: "The Birth of Amber Riley". California Birth Index. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020. ...her mother's maiden name is Hightower. Note: Gives siblings names as Benson and Ashley.
  3. Snetiker, Marc (February 4, 2016). "Amber Riley to play Effie in West End Dreamgirls". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. "'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Wins a Record Nine Olivier Awards (Full List)". Variety. April 9, 2017.
  5. "Amber Riley, Derek Hough win 'Dancing with the Stars'". Fox News. November 27, 2013.
  6. Ingrassia, Lisa (May 17, 2010). "Glee's Amber Riley: "I Love My Body"". People. Vol. 73 no. 19. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2011. ...growing up in La Mirada, Calif. ... But like her older sisters Toiya, 34, and Ashley, 26... [In sidebar] Age: 24.
  7. "Glee Star Amber Riley On Idol Rejection: "I Still Work On Fox And Get Paid"". Access Hollywood. September 30, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  8. "Dish Of Salt: Glee Premiere Party, LA (September 8, 2009)". Access Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  9. "Glee Exclusive: 4 Original Cast Members Not Returning as Series Regulars for Season 5". TVLine. June 28, 2013.
  10. "TV Review: Glee – "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"". Blogcritics.
  11. "'Glee,' Season 2, Episode 5, 'Rocky Horror Glee Show': TV Recap". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  12. "GLEEks! Kevin McHale & Amber Riley Are Guest Hosting AT40 This Weekend!". AT40. August 10, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  13. "Ascap Search Note: Type "Saturdays" under the performer field and click search". ASCAP.
  14. "Glee's Amber Riley Premieres 'Colorblind'". QueenLatifah.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  15. "'Glee's' Amber Riley to Star in Christmas TV Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  16. Roots, Kimberly (August 6, 2015). "Glee's Amber Riley, OITNB's Uzo Aduba Join NBC's The Wiz Live". TVLine. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  17. Snetiker, Marc (February 4, 2016). "Amber Riley to play Effie in West End Dreamgirls". Entertainment Weekly.
  18. "Todrick Hall Is Straight Outta Oz In This Emotional, Star-Studded Visual Album Featuring Nicole Scherzinger, Perez Hilton, & More! Watch!". PerezHilton.com. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  19. "Leading Ladies: starring Beverley Knight, Cassidy Janson and Amber Rile". London Theatre. November 8, 2017.
  20. "Little Shop of Horrors". Pasadena Playhouse. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  21. @MsAmberPRiley (February 28, 2020). "Prepare yourselves. She's comin" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. Derschowitz, Jessica (September 4, 2013). ""Dancing with the Stars": Leah Remini, Valerie Harper, Snooki among new cast". CBS News.
  23. Peak chart positions in the UK:
  24. Peak chart positions in Scotland:
  25. O'Brien, Jon. "Songs from the Stage – Release Information". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  26. "Songs from the Stage: Leading Ladies: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough		 Dancing with the Stars (US) winners
Season 17
(Fall 2013 with Derek Hough)		 Succeeded by
Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
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