Naya Rivera’s son lands first movie role 6 years after her tragic death

Naya Rivera’s son is taking a major step into the entertainment world, six years after the death of the beloved Glee actress.

Josey Hollis Dorsey, the 10-year-old son of Rivera and actor Ryan Dorsey, has landed his first on-screen movie role. Josey is set to appear alongside his father in the upcoming independent drama The Burning Valley, marking a poignant new chapter for a child whose connection to Hollywood began long before he was old enough to understand his famous parents’ careers.

The project is especially notable because Josey and Ryan will share the screen. Current cast listings identify Josey’s character as “Boy” or “Son,” while Ryan is attached to play Sam Pope, with some early reports describing the roles simply as a father and son.

For Rivera’s fans, Josey’s first film role carries another layer of significance. Rivera began acting as a child herself before becoming a breakout star as Santana Lopez on Glee.

Naya Rivera’s Son, Josey Dorsey, Joins The Burning Valley

The Burning Valley is the feature directorial debut of writer-director Evan Coury and began filming in Pennsylvania in August 2026. The story is rooted in the decline of the region’s steel industry and follows a steelworker whose life changes when the mill where he works announces it is shutting down.

“The movie is about a steelworker who loses his job when the mill announces a shutdown,” Coury told the Tribune-Review.

The filmmaker said his goal is to tell a deeply personal story against a much larger economic and historical backdrop. “My hope is to encapsulate the history of our region through one guy’s personal experience,” Coury said.

Filming has been taking place around the Pennsylvania area where Coury grew up, including Brackenridge and Arnold. The cast also includes Tyler Miles, JB Brown, Joseph Ducar, Whip Hubley, Patrick Jordan, Sam Lothard, Joseph Mazza and Sheila McKenna.

Josey Dorsey Was Already Testing Out Acting on Stage

Although The Burning Valley will be Josey’s first on-screen role, acting is not completely new to him.

In 2024, at age 8, he appeared in a West Virginia theater production of Seussical Jr. Reports indicate he played one of the Wickersham Brothers. Josey and Ryan moved from Los Angeles to West Virginia in 2023, allowing the young performer to explore theater away from the Hollywood spotlight.

Ryan had previously hinted that his son showed natural ability onstage, even though he was not pushing Josey toward an acting career. “He hasn’t had the lead part or anything, but he’s so good,” Ryan said of his son’s theater experience.

Ryan also explained that his approach has been to let Josey try different activities rather than steer him toward one particular career. “I’m just trying to expose him to all the things,” he said, noting that Josey has tried activities ranging from piano and violin to chess and sports.

Still, when it comes to performing, Ryan acknowledged one undeniable family connection: “It’s definitely in his blood.” Now, father and son will get the unusual opportunity to act together.

Ryan Dorsey Is a “Very Proud Dad”

Ryan confirmed his excitement about Josey’s latest milestone, telling E! News that becoming part of The Burning Valley has made him a “very proud dad.”

That pride follows years in which Ryan has largely focused on giving his son a childhood beyond the circumstances surrounding Rivera’s death.

In a 2025 interview, he described Josey as “such a happy kid,” adding that his son wakes up with plenty of energy. “I’m trying to be the best parent that I can be and raise a good little man,” Ryan said.

Josey has also continued to find ways to connect with his mother. Ryan told Good Morning America that his son was taking piano lessons, something he associated with Rivera and her own love of music. “I said, ‘Your mom would definitely have you playing,’” Ryan recalled telling Josey.

Ryan has also made an effort to ensure Josey understands who his mother was, both privately and through the work she left behind. “I’m grateful that he has memories of his mom still,” Ryan said in the same interview, pointing out that Rivera’s television career means Josey will always have another way to see her.

Naya Rivera Considered Josey Her Greatest Achievement

Rivera died in July 2020 at age 33 after an accidental drowning at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. Josey, who was 4 at the time, had been on the boating trip with his mother and was later found safely aboard their rented boat. Rivera’s body was recovered five days after she disappeared.

The circumstances of her death made Josey part of an intensely public tragedy at an extraordinarily young age. In the years since, Ryan has spoken about trying to help his son maintain positive memories of Rivera while allowing him to grow up outside constant public scrutiny.

Long before her death, Rivera had made clear that motherhood ranked above even her considerable professional accomplishments. She once described Josey as “my greatest success,” adding that she would “never do any better than him.”

Josey Dorsey Is Following Both Parents Into Acting

Josey comes from two professional actors. Rivera started working in entertainment as a child before eventually landing the role that transformed her career: Santana Lopez on Fox’s Glee. Her performance turned Santana from a supporting cheerleader into one of the musical comedy’s most memorable characters.

Ryan has built his own lengthy television résumé, with credits including Justified, Ray Donovan, Yellowstone, Big Sky and Palm Royale.

Rivera’s relatives have previously noticed similarities between mother and son, too. In 2021, Rivera’s mother, Yolanda Previtire, described Josey as having his mother’s drive and adventurous personality. “He’s just Naya in boy form,” she said.

Rivera’s sister, Nickayla Rivera, offered another clue that performing might eventually become part of his life. “He loves entertaining,” she said. “He loves singing at the top of his lungs.”

Five years later, that instinct has taken Josey from children’s theater to his first movie set.