Amber Riley

Amber Patrice Riley, also known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee, which aired from 2009 to 2015. Her role on the show earned her a shared Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and nominations for three NAACP Image Awards, three Teen Choice Awards, and a Grammy Award as part of the Glee cast, with whom she charted over 200 entries on the Billboard Hot 100.

Riley was born in Los Angeles County, California, to Tiny and Elwin Riley. Following her parents' divorce during her childhood, she was raised primarily by her mother alongside her two older sisters, Toiya and Ashley. She graduated from La Mirada High School in 2004. At age 17, she auditioned for the second season of American Idol but was turned down. Prior to her breakthrough, she was cast in the 2002 TV pilot St. Sass, which was not picked up, and later worked as a customer service representative at Ikea for two years.

In 2008, Riley was cast as Mercedes Jones in Glee, serving as a main cast member for five of its six seasons and receiving guest star credit in season five. She performed numerous solos throughout the series and played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a special episode. Beyond Glee, Riley sang the national anthem at the White House in 2010, the 2012 Democratic National Convention, and the 2016 NHL Stadium Series. She also co-wrote the track Leave a Light On for British group The Saturdays and performed the theme song for seasons four and five of Doc McStuffins.

In 2013, Riley won the seventeenth season of Dancing with the Stars alongside partner Derek Hough, becoming the first African-American woman to win the competition. In 2016, she originated the role of Effie White in the West End debut of Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre. Her performance earned her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, an Evening Standard Theatre Award, and a WhatsOnStage Award. In 2017, she formed the musical theatre supergroup Leading Ladies with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, releasing the top-20 UK album Songs from the Stage.

Riley released her debut self-titled EP, RILEY, in October 2020, preceded by the singles A Moment and BGE. She competed on both the American and British versions of The Masked Singer, winning season eight of the U.S. version as Harp in 2022 and finishing fourth on season four of the UK version in 2023. She has served as a judge on reality competitions such as Let It Shine and Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, and played Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2019.

Her acting credits include NBC's live performance of The Wiz in 2015, the BET+ film Christmas Déjà Vu in 2021, the Lifetime thriller trilogy Single Black Female, and the film Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell in 2025. Since 2024, she has voiced Ursula in the animated series Ariel, receiving a nomination for a Children's and Family Emmy Award. In her personal life, Riley was engaged to Desean Black before ending their relationship in 2022, and began dating photographer Scoobz in October 2022.