Amber Riley

Amber Patrice Riley, born on February 15, 1986, is an American actress and singer. She gained recognition for her role as Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee (2009–2015), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award and received nominations for Teen Choice Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and a Grammy Award. In 2016, Riley originated the lead role of Effie White in the West End debut of Dreamgirls, earning her a Laurence Olivier Award and Evening Standard Theatre Award. Additionally, she won season 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013 and appeared as a judge on BBC One's Let It Shine in 2017. Riley is also part of the musical theatre supergroup Leading Ladies.