Amber Riley

Amber Riley is an actress and singer best known for her role as Mercedes Jones on Glee and her award-winning work on stage and television. Riley was raised in Los Angeles, where she developed an early interest in acting and music. She auditioned for singing competitions, including American Idol, as a teenager, and later began auditioning for acting roles while working part-time.

Riley’s early career took off in 2009 after landing her breakthrough role on Glee. As Mercedes, she became a standout performer known for powerhouse vocals on songs like “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “Respect.” During and after her time on Glee, she expanded her career into theater and reality television, appearing on shows like Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer and winning her seasons.

Other notable work includes starring in Dreamgirls in London’s West End, for which she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, as well as roles in Little Shop of Horrors and television projects like The Wiz Live (2015). She has also ventured into music and released her debut EP, Riley, in 2020.

Riley has kept her personal life private over the years. She was previously engaged to Desean Black before the couple split in 2022. She moved on with photographer Scoobz later that year.