And That's what You Really Missed with Jenna.

And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.

Welcome to you and That's what You Really miss Podcast.

Today, we have a really special episode today we are honoring our friend Naya.

We knew before wrapping up our Glee rewatch that we wanted to do something honoring Naya like we did with Corey.

Yeah, we felt like we obviously did a beautiful one for Corey and everybody wrote in and you know, we got to share that with all of you guys, So we wanted to do the same thing for Naya.

So today we're going to be sharing some of our favorite moments and memories, both on and off the set, and we're also going to hear from some of our wonderful friends who also want to share some thoughts and memories.

And we also know how much Naya and Santana meant to all of you listening who watch Glee, so we're going to turn the podcast over to you guys as well.

There's just like so much stretch we could talk about Naya, but to keep it compassion cohesive, obviously, you know, we know she was a dear friend and on an off screen she was so wildly talented Santana.

I really grew to be one of the most beloved characters on television on our show and you know, spanning across all of TV.

Do you remember meeting her?

I remember, yes.

I think it was.

When we also met Diana, like in passing really quickly.

But the first time I ever like talked to her.

And I think I might have told this at some point, but just give you a quick version again.

I was lunch break during the pilot and I had figured out somehow that my dad had helped her look at a car because my dad was selling cars at the time, and we both lived in Santa Crita, which most people do not live in Santa Creta, and I sat down with her at lunch and I was just like, I think my dad might have talked to you at Mercedes and he's like she was like, oh yeah, and so like we just sat there and talked felt like we had been friends for forever.

And it was one of those things where being like cast as a quote unquote regular on a TV show and she necessarily wasn't.

I did not know her, and it was my first gig like that that I was just trying to make friends, and I wanted her to feel comfortable, and we had this like sort of connection.

It felt like high school where it's like it's awkward, it's hard to make friends.

And she was so funny and obviously so smart.

Like from that one conversation, I was like, Oh, we're going to be actual friends, and it like laid the groundwork of like breaking that uncomfortable we don't know each other bubble and right then you know it's also she is a professional.

She had worked for forever, like since a child.

So she also when you come in there those first two days, you're not trying to, like, I don't know, take up too much space, and so she was really quiet, and so it was really fascinating to think about, you know, how she was then to you know, the eventual Naya on Glee she became.

Do you remember meeting her.

I don't remember the first time I met her.

I think it probably was the pilot as well, just like I remember seeing them up on the balcony shooting filming, and I remember them coming down in between.

But we were for a long time.

We were kind of like divided and not purposefully, but like we had all of our scenes together as like the you know, the five of us or six of us at that time, right, and then as the the Glee clubs started to grow on screen, like I think, we didn't really know how the show was going to play out, like storyline wise, if we were gonna be spending time with these people, if we.

Weren't right exactly.

So I felt very divided, Like you know, I felt like, oh, yeah, we have our little like underdog group and then they're the cheerios.

It felt like kind of like that, you know, the sentiment of like high school a little bit.

But as like the Glee Club grew and they became a part of the Glee Club, we have new directions, we were like, oh, like we're a unit, Like we're starting to really like meld.

And so I remember us like bonding over sushi as we do, and I remember spending a lot of time with her, But like again, like during the touring period between the pilot and like shooting and filming the series, they were a part of the show, I remember, but they weren't being asked to do all the press that we were being asked to do.

And I remember that creating like this tiny divide, and I was like that feels so weird, right, because they are a part of the show.

But then I remember like doing award shows together and they did get invited and it was so exciting, but like they didn't get all of the perks of like being a series regular, where like you get makeup and hair.

So I remember our first girl and Globes.

I invited her to come over and get her hair and makeup done too, So she came to my house and like brought her dress and like came in the car with me, because like this was also new for us.

Anyway, they get to sit at the table with us, right exactly, So like I just remember being like, you're you're all a part of this, and like us having kind of bonding over this experience of like not being the star of the show but also being there.

Like I remember feeling this feeling that like God there.

And I remember sitting with her in a boots somewhere, might have been like Sushi Roku or something on Third Street, and we were like chatting about how and I remember being like, I'm I have so much talent to offer and like feeling a little bit like not complaining, right, not complaining about being undervalued, but like being like I just have a lot to give and I know it, so like she always I remember just knowing that she always knew that she had a lot to give.

And that's like kind of how we bonded.

And then obviously there's like the outside part of that, which was like she grew to be so appreciated on that show and so valued and like really people got to finally see her in the light that she deserved.

But like on the outside, then we were also had this like you know, we all kind of bonded, and we would go to Vegas together for her birthday every year, and like we were always going, you know, going out before a rap party.

We'd go eat dinner and then go to the wrap party.

And it's it's like, I don't know, there's so many of those early memories were tagged with like nine and I doing like little one off things before the Vagley thing.

I don't know if that makes sense.

Yeah, totally.

She was sort of like our resident party planner.

Obviously we've talked about Snick's miss, but she was so good at making creating social situations, yes, for all of us to like going to dinner or lunch or having people over at her house and having game nights and things like that.

She was so good at getting all of us together, and she loved to cook.

She like cooked for us with chickens, and like that's when those memories, like the most valuable memories we all have together would happen.

Yeah, And so if it wasn't for.

Her, like I think we were all a bit more maybe like low key or I was definitely more of a homebody, but like.

She would get people together, yes, right fully, because it was always like she would post those events and those like social events and then the next day like something to like talk about.

Like it just created this like really good vibe of like friendship on set.

I didn't know that story about her telling you she had so much more to give, which makes obviously she did.

But you know, when you think about how her journey from like doing her Monica impression from the Boy's Mind on set and us getting Ryan to like watch it because like, oh my gosh, she's so funny when she didn't really have a lot to do yet on the show and like, oh my god, she can sing.

Yeah, we didn't know, and then watching her sort of like fight her way yep.

To get more in that way.

It's almost like she was it was almost undeniable, right, like at some point people were going to figure it out it was the show or somebody else, like that talent was gonna have to come out somewhere, right like, and so if it didn't come out on screen first, like kind of like Heather and Brittany S.

Pierce, like that was created behind the scenes because Ryan saw the undeniable talent that these people had that was like, let's use it, you know what I mean, like learning about the superpowers that we had, I think, and that was really like to your point about like the monica of it all.

Like she would just sit backstage with that cackle and make us laugh like so much.

Insane, Like she she was so funny.

It's I can't sometimes I get you know when I think if I heard now and I'm just like pissed, I can't hear her like take on something that's going on stupid or big.

Yeah, Like I was.

Thinking of times like early in the Pandemic where I would call her and like talk about something and she would just have some wild yeah They're like oh, I know, well, you know it was crazy to me is like, obviously when they hired her, they did not Santana as she ended up being did not exist, and they did not know the talent that Naya possessed at the time.

And to think about how powerful she is and was in that part, I mean she was always powerful, like she was tiny.

But mighty mighty.

Oh yeah, And the fact that they had her to handle such a difficult role, powerful role, complicated role and just an expert I think one of the best actors I've ever seen, one of us singers I've ever heard, and she never talked like it was always shocking.

I think that going back and watching it now, yes, because you know, people ask us like, oh, how did she handled the responsibility of playing like you never know?

You would never know.

She came on set and she had fun and she was professional, like she showed up, she knew her stuff, she delivered a hundred times over.

But like you never saw it on set where she was like making you feel or think that she was working really hard.

She just kind of did it.

And then she would do it and you'd be like, wow, that's crazy, that just came out of you and that you just did that.

And then you'd watch it and be like wow, everybody gets to see this now and experience this, and it translated from the work to the screen to the audience.

But like you never saw it, like she never presented it to the world like in that way like I'm working really hard.

She never sought like attention for it.

She never she never wanted to be She just wanted to be like utilized for her gifts, and she was.

And it's like when you challenge her, when you give her a lot to do, like that was yeah, yeah, I never I never heard of like her process, her working her like if anything was too much or too hard.

Never, no, never ever ever, no, no no.

And her and Chris were similar in that way where they like were silently like lethal yes, and that's like they were.

But they're both so so talented and have really heavy stuff to do, yep, and you never saw them like working on it or like they would just show up and.

Deliver and just deliver.

And that didn't mean that they weren't working on it, but they just didn't.

They didn't feel like everybody needed to be a part of that process or like be proving something, you know, they just did it.

That's how like they both, and I especially like we learned from her in those ways of her like subtlety, how friendly she was with every cast and crew.

She got along with everybody.

Everyone left it.

The crew really loved her.

She brought so much joy to that set, and even in like the hardest of times, like things would be like she was so unafraid that like if there was tension on the set, like because you know, sometimes there was like between anybody, like if you're just like get me out of here, this day is like awful, she would never be afraid to like cut the tension with a joke that would like make you laugh and be like right, You're totally right, you know what I mean.

Like it was just like never never afraid to say what she was feeling or thinking or like want to make somebody laugh, even on set, like watching her do do Valerie, or watching her do any of these like huge numbers, Like I don't think I realized the gravity of like how that was going to translate on screen until we got to the tour and I saw her do it live night after night, Like that's when I think it really translated for me.

I knew she was talented, and I knew she was like going to be huge.

I just didn't I think being able to witness it from behind on stage and watch her do that day after day and night, like I was like, Oh, that's a different kind of I don't know, it's just very special.

It was very special to watch.

What's interesting to me?

I had forgotten about this or I because she was so funny and so seemingly casual, like we were saying, like you wouldn't ever see her sort of like put on the presentation of working hard.

There would be times where I'd be like, can you throw in this dance move?

Like can you do this thing?

And she would do it sometimes, but it's like she would never do it to the extent where it compromised what she was doing in the scene, like or I might go overboard and do it just to try to make her laugh.

Yeah, she would do it maybe to see if I could laugh.

But she was very very serious about like what she was doing all the time, like when the camera was on, and it's easy to forget about that because she was so disarmingly like jovial when the camera was off, and even like during the tour or when I would ask her like you know, she would tell me to do certain things and I would be like, can you throw this in and she'd be.

Like, no, no, no, I can't do it.

It's gonna throw me.

And she wanted to be perfect.

She wanted it like she wanted to dance correctly, sing correctly, and like not mess with it.

And even you know, doing scenes.

It's like when we had our one scene together and it really bothered her that she kept cracking and she she was very, very very professional.

Yeah, very and so it's it's such a lesson to like that balance of you know, being fun, being the person you want on set, and then also being the most professional when that camera is on.

And like just how you were saying, how you know, if there was tension or people got in little TIFFs, that she would crack a joke or something.

But she also would be the first to like charge full steam ahead to speak up for people or situations that didn't feel feel right right, and she would she didn't care, like she may face the brunt of the blowback from doing things like that, right, she didn't care.

And I learned that, you know, I've always said I've learned from all the girls on the show to like learn how to speak up for myself.

Obviously she was a huge part of that.

She was like fiercely loyal to all of us and protective of all of us.

And when you know, she felt like we should speak out for ourselves, she would she would encourage that.

And I think something else that was really important for me to see was how she would call herself out just as much as she would call anybody else.

And it was it was wild to see that, you know, when somebody is if she got into it with somebody and I would ask her for the story or and I would maybe saw it and I would talk to her out and she would be like, yeah, I shouldn't have said I did that, and I said this thing and that thing and that was.

Not okay, Well you're right, And I think that just speaks to like how self aware she was.

Like it's so it might be, you know, like she would say things that would not be how somebody would normally handle something right like it would it's always it's not always the way that somebody would handle something.

But she was so self aware of herself and everything around her, and god, she was so smart and so fast, Like I mean, you you said this before, She's like whip smart.

It is actually yeah, every joke, every serious moment, Like she just she saw a situation, she clocked who she was in that situation, but then she clocked who that person was in that situation, and like if there was some kind of like something that went down, she'd be able to give you the recap in like thirty seconds in the most seamless way, and you're like, she's right, You're right.

Like it was really amazing.

And I think that's like why I respected her so much was because she was so aware and rounded.

Yet there's this element to her that's like a little bit out there and a little bit in the clouds, but not in a bad way, just in a way that's like, wow, I wish I could kind of be like that.

It was like aspirationally sometimes and like she's just she was just so like without a doubt herself all the time.

Oh yeah, she had no choice and exactly, and that was so admirable in so many ways.

And yet like she knew who she was and she knew when she was wrong, she knew when she was right even more so, and that was just like she's just one of a kind.

And she knew she could depend on us, like she was an open book.

And when she trusted you, she gave you all of it.

And so there were no walls up.

If there's ever a time when I felt like maybe there, you know, something was going on, we could snap each other out of that.

Yep.

And like seeing her with her family again, all those qualities that she had with us, she had them tenfold with her family.

Totally loyal, rejective.

Yeah, and we all feel like family with her family because of that.

And she brought us in to all of that.

And when my family would visit, she would treat them like they were her family.

I think they would go for any of our families.

And she made herself, She made herself so memorable and you know, unforgettable and a vital part of like my nieces and nephew's memories of the show growing up and my family and my experience there were like you said, she was one of a kind and always herself.

When I think about like the fans and how they related to Santana so deeply, like resonated with her character and who she was and her talent, you know, like in tandem with that, Like I think I want all of you guys to just hear over and over again, like how awesome and incredible and special Santana was.

Nya was just the same, And I think you guys know that that at this point.

Like I think that they mirror each other in a lot of ways.

They're also different in a lot of ways, but like they the I think the thing that brings it all together is like that Nya and Santana were both one of a kind, right, Like they were both so special and on screening off like when they say like, oh we were you know, be worried about meeting your heroes.

Like I think if anybody met Naya, they would feel like it was a win, not a loss.

Yeah, I think that, Like I think Santana was probably a little more from like abrasive than Naya Nyaga.

An elevated version of yes exactly.

But that power, Yeah, that like steadiness that Santana has is all Naya.

And the openness that I feel like Santana has with her emotions and Naya yeh all day.

Yeah, And the fact that Nya could do those insane monologues written by Ian and could make them funny and have levels.

Here my favorite thing besides her obvious insane talent.

Hearing Naya tell a story like monologue for you for five to ten minutes, Kelly and I would talk about like I can't wait to hear it, like Naya's version of what happened or she went to this thing.

I can't wait to hear about it.

Yeah, yeah, it would just be the most elevated, truthful and like funny, funny version of whatever you're going to hear.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, wild insane.

And I just you know, we're so lucky that she did get so many opportunities on the show to showcase her talent, extraordinary talent in so many ways.

And we do get that for forever, in a terrible situation where I wish, you know, she was here and making more things and giving us more, many more things to watch and fawn over.

At least at a minimum, we have, you know, all of this.

And yeah, it's been I was worried about coming into this rewatch.

You and I talked about it about how it would be to watch her right, and it's been such a gift.

It is such a gift, such a gift.

Well, we talk about her a lot.

We talked about Santanna a lot.

You guys talk about her a lot, so obviously we wanted to give this episode to you guys, and also we wanted to talk about her because you know, we talked about Santanna, but just to give Niah her own like moment.

But in addition to us, we've asked some of our fellow cast member and Glee family to send us some of their favorite Nya memories.

So let's kick it off with the one and only.

Heather Morris, one of my favorite memories of Naya.

And this is shuffling through probably hundreds of memories, but I think I really love this one because it's just such a simple memory of Nya.

And I think those ones are really important because our lives at that moment in time were so chaotic and so busy, and so I remember from the beginning, Nya was always obsessed with food, and like loved really good food.

We'd go to restaurants and she'd find good restaurants with great food.

She loved to cook.

I would go over there and she would have like a full spread of food.

It was amazing.

I think that's why her and Telly were so close because of their love for food.

But I remember it was like season four or five, I can't remember which one.

I think it was after Eli was born, and we were sitting in the auditorium in the audience in the chairs, watching some sort of performance, and she had brought a three ring binder with like clear plastic covers inside and magazines with like food magazines and recipes, and she would shuffle through them, and I just remember sitting next to her and looking at her do this.

She was shuffling and like picking her recipes and her favorites, and then she would tear it out and she would put it in the binder and we would sit there and like just salivated all the food that we would find in all the recipes that we're getting.

So to this.

Day, I have a white three ring binder that I keep and it's my recipe binder, and I do the same thing.

Obviously, I don't always print have magazines, but I like to print out my recipes and put them in my binder, and I always think of Nio when I do it, and it's just so comforting.

Thank you, Heather.

We love you very much.

We know how much you loved Naya.

And here is Paris Barclay.

Here's my thing about Naya.

I don't know anyone in the world, I mean literally in the entire world who could have done what she did.

I mean, it's if you take a part the talent and there and put it into little boxes.

Her ability to dance, her ability to be funny, her ability to be dramatic, her ability to sing.

I mean, it's not just a triple threat.

It's a quadruple threat.

And there are no weaknesses in any of those categories.

Plus, I always found she was a lovely person to me.

She was incredibly respectful, She committed to every single thing she did.

Her relationship, her love relationship with Heather was completely real to me.

The way they looked at each other, the way they kissed, it was to me, it felt really authentic and really real.

And I just thought, there's nothing this girl can't do.

And that's why her loss is so difficult, because she would have had an enormous career, just an enormous career.

And it pains me to not have her because I would love to be doing some other show with her some other time.

But we do have the things we have and the moments that we have, and we have you know, dance with somebody, which was hilariously great with her in Heather and I just think there can't be enough enough tribute to her.

I seldom have seen like that in my thirty years of doing this.

It's hard to think of another person who could do everything she did.

Thank you, Paris, I wholeheartedly agree with everything that you said.

And one of our dear friends and cohorts in Snacksmus also tell Because.

Naya Rivera was my best friend, we became a part of one another's lives.

We became part of one another's families.

We spent holidays together, we took trips together.

We spent every day together at work or at home.

I have so many memories of her, But the memories that come up most often, and the ways in which she's still such a part of my life, are in the words that she made up or we made up invented, the turns of phrase, the funny little sayings, the jokes, the commentaries.

So whenever I'm saying anything that was something that passed her lips, it feels like she's right.

Next to me again.

Love you, Kelly and one of our best friends, megsd Megan Doyle, my.

Fondest memory of Naya is she gave everything she did one hundred and ten percent.

If she was given a three page monologue, which she was pretty much every day, she'd show up and nail it on the first take, and she made it look easy as hell.

Most people tend to downplay their birthday, but Naya totally owned the fact that she loved her birthday, and she always planned a wild trip for everyone to celebrate her.

This usually involved a talent show where she sat there and had everyone perform in her honor.

On her birthday.

She was the queen and we were her jesters, and honestly, I've never laughed so hard in my life.

The irony is that we were all performing for the most talented person in the room, and yet she was absolutely tickled.

Her snicks miss parties were obviously legendary.

She had carolers and elves and Sanna and missus claws.

Her individual Halloween costumes were always next level, though I'd say the best Halloween we ever had was when we were all dressed as rugrats.

We had a party bus take us around town and we even carried a playpen with us.

She really loved any excuse to celebrate and bring everyone together.

And it wasn't just parties where she gave it her all.

If you were lucky enough to make Nia laugh, she threw her head back and cackled with her whole soul.

There was no better feeling.

Her fearlessness was contagious.

Having Nia in your corner rooting for you and your success was just the best feeling.

We have the one and only Sugarmna here to share, Vanessa Lenji's.

Kevin and Jenna asked me to do a voice note for a memory or a remembrance of Nya.

And I'm sitting here and I'm eight months pregnant, and my mind originally goes to her laugh and her joy and her talent, and I'm thinking about listening to her and Kelly make jokes about anything in the laughter that came from it and the sound of her laugh.

Or I'm thinking about trips to Mexico we took, and funny things that happened, like you know, Paaras sailing with Britt Parks and crashing into a family on the beach, and thinking about set and how funny she was and how she always had something to say about what was going on that was so cutting and true, but also.

You know, wise and brilliant.

And then I was thinking about all the time since we finished filmingly and her becoming a mom, and just with what I'm understanding of myself going through this process now, I think that I wanted to remember her as a wonderful mother and a loving mother and a fun mother.

And I know that she was close with her mom and her sister and family was really important to her, and I feel lucky that I knew that side of her too.

And I think that Nya, and I'm sure I've said this before, is someone irreplaceable on the planet.

She was a unique individual who was outstanding and as a friend, as a talent, as a beauty, as a mother, as a family member, as a partner, just an incredible, irreplaceable human being.

And I love her.

I love you, Naya.

We carry you with us everywhere we go.

You've left a legacy, we have the icon and legend.

Jameinch to share her favorite memory of Nia.

It was the episode after Corey died and I had a scene with Nya and as Sue Sylvester, I say something just horrible about Finn played by Corey and Nya grabbed me by the collar and threw me up against a wall.

I mean it was I was scared.

It was powerful, it was real, and she meant it.

And I was very impressed with her, her commitment and her strength because I'm a big girl.

Also, I remember how she would have these monologues and she'd be word perfect in first take.

She was a real pro.

So missed.

Thank you to everyone in our Glee family who shared your Naya memory with us, and all of you, Like we said, we just we felt like this podcast wouldn't be complete without just sharing our wonderful memories and reflections on the amazingly talented but also incredible human Nya bus and was.

So we obviously know how much Naya and santanamental of you guys, as well as the fans, and so we wanted to give you guys the space to share some of your thoughts and your tributes to Nayas as well.

So next episode it's for you, and we're turning things over to you guys.

We love you, Naya.

That's what you really miss Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and That's what you really miss pod.

Make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars.

See you next time.