Amber Riley at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California, on March 6, 2024.Photo:Gilbert Flores/Billboard via GettyAmber Rileyis thankful for her time onGlee.While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE during Wednesday’sBillboard Women in Music Awardsin Inglewood, California, the actress — who played Mercedes Jones in the hit series — said the show trained her in many ways for future projects.Ahead of her upcoming role as Julie in the Atlanta-basedPreacher’s Wifemusical, Riley, 38, suggested the “lack of sleep” she had while filming nearly 100 episodes ofGleefrom 2009 to 2015 means she can now function on limited rest.“That good ol’Gleesleep training, you better know how to function on four hours,” she joked, going on to reference the show’s multi-talented cast having to sing, dance and act.“It literally was like bootcamp. It was theater bootcamp — it was just on television,” Riley said.Amber Riley at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California, on March 6, 2024.Christopher Polk/Billboard via GettyRiley told PEOPLE that to this day, “I always try to apply that same focus and professionalism that we had to have” in her career.“You had to be professional, you had to be on time, you had to hit your mark, you had to know your lines. There’s 17 of us, we have X amount of things that have to be done in a day,” the star went on.“Everyone has to be a team player. So I think that that’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve taken into other jobs. It’s like, play your part so the day can go through smoothly,” Riley continued.The actress singer also said that despiteGleebeing “in the rearview mirror” for her career-wise, she will forever look at the show in a positive light.Naya Rivera and Amber Riley on Glee in 2010.FOX Image Collection via Getty"I always try to take good things from whatever experience I have, and I always just try to move forward. I mean, it’s been off television for such a long time, and it’s in the rearview mirror for me, but it’ll always be a fond memory," she told PEOPLE.Riley continued, “It was the thing that catapulted my career. Nobody would know who Amber Riley was — well, I don’t know that, but I’m just saying as of now, you guys wouldn’t know who I am if it was not forGlee, you know what I’m saying?“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.“And it really was the reason that people got to hear my voice. So I will always be so thankful and so grateful for that,” she said.Tickets forThe Preacher’s Wife, which runs from May 11 to June 16 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, are available now atalliancetheatre.org.
Amber Riley at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California, on March 6, 2024.Photo:Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty
Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty
Amber Rileyis thankful for her time onGlee.While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE during Wednesday’sBillboard Women in Music Awardsin Inglewood, California, the actress — who played Mercedes Jones in the hit series — said the show trained her in many ways for future projects.Ahead of her upcoming role as Julie in the Atlanta-basedPreacher’s Wifemusical, Riley, 38, suggested the “lack of sleep” she had while filming nearly 100 episodes ofGleefrom 2009 to 2015 means she can now function on limited rest.“That good ol’Gleesleep training, you better know how to function on four hours,” she joked, going on to reference the show’s multi-talented cast having to sing, dance and act.“It literally was like bootcamp. It was theater bootcamp — it was just on television,” Riley said.Amber Riley at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California, on March 6, 2024.Christopher Polk/Billboard via GettyRiley told PEOPLE that to this day, “I always try to apply that same focus and professionalism that we had to have” in her career.“You had to be professional, you had to be on time, you had to hit your mark, you had to know your lines. There’s 17 of us, we have X amount of things that have to be done in a day,” the star went on.“Everyone has to be a team player. So I think that that’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve taken into other jobs. It’s like, play your part so the day can go through smoothly,” Riley continued.The actress singer also said that despiteGleebeing “in the rearview mirror” for her career-wise, she will forever look at the show in a positive light.Naya Rivera and Amber Riley on Glee in 2010.FOX Image Collection via Getty"I always try to take good things from whatever experience I have, and I always just try to move forward. I mean, it’s been off television for such a long time, and it’s in the rearview mirror for me, but it’ll always be a fond memory,” she told PEOPLE.Riley continued, “It was the thing that catapulted my career. Nobody would know who Amber Riley was — well, I don’t know that, but I’m just saying as of now, you guys wouldn’t know who I am if it was not forGlee, you know what I’m saying?“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.“And it really was the reason that people got to hear my voice. So I will always be so thankful and so grateful for that,” she said.Tickets forThe Preacher’s Wife, which runs from May 11 to June 16 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, are available now atalliancetheatre.org.
Amber Rileyis thankful for her time onGlee.
While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE during Wednesday’sBillboard Women in Music Awardsin Inglewood, California, the actress — who played Mercedes Jones in the hit series — said the show trained her in many ways for future projects.
Ahead of her upcoming role as Julie in the Atlanta-basedPreacher’s Wifemusical, Riley, 38, suggested the “lack of sleep” she had while filming nearly 100 episodes ofGleefrom 2009 to 2015 means she can now function on limited rest.
“That good ol’Gleesleep training, you better know how to function on four hours,” she joked, going on to reference the show’s multi-talented cast having to sing, dance and act.
“It literally was like bootcamp. It was theater bootcamp — it was just on television,” Riley said.
Amber Riley at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards in Inglewood, California, on March 6, 2024.Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty
Riley told PEOPLE that to this day, “I always try to apply that same focus and professionalism that we had to have” in her career.
“You had to be professional, you had to be on time, you had to hit your mark, you had to know your lines. There’s 17 of us, we have X amount of things that have to be done in a day,” the star went on.
“Everyone has to be a team player. So I think that that’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve taken into other jobs. It’s like, play your part so the day can go through smoothly,” Riley continued.
The actress singer also said that despiteGleebeing “in the rearview mirror” for her career-wise, she will forever look at the show in a positive light.
Naya Rivera and Amber Riley on Glee in 2010.FOX Image Collection via Getty
FOX Image Collection via Getty
“I always try to take good things from whatever experience I have, and I always just try to move forward. I mean, it’s been off television for such a long time, and it’s in the rearview mirror for me, but it’ll always be a fond memory,” she told PEOPLE.
Riley continued, “It was the thing that catapulted my career. Nobody would know who Amber Riley was — well, I don’t know that, but I’m just saying as of now, you guys wouldn’t know who I am if it was not forGlee, you know what I’m saying?”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
“And it really was the reason that people got to hear my voice. So I will always be so thankful and so grateful for that,” she said.
Tickets forThe Preacher’s Wife, which runs from May 11 to June 16 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, are available now atalliancetheatre.org.
source: people.com
