Chris Colfer: Naya Rivera was a comforting presence during Glee's tough times

Variety

"When someone is as talented as Naya, saying she was also one of the funniest and most quotable people that I’ve ever met sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s the absolute truth," Colfer writes in Variety. "Naya could defuse a bomb with a witty remark. Her comebacks and quips were legendary, and I used to follow her around set, jotting down everything she said into my phone. On particularly rough days of filming, you might find her outside enjoying a cigarette in her bright red cheerleading uniform. She would raise an invisible glass and say, 'To being role models!' or 'City of dreams, huh?' Whenever the Glee cast commiserated about the demanding shooting schedule, Naya would instantly cheer us up with a line like, 'Gosh, this internship blows!' or 'Guys, we know what we signed up for. The first person to guess the mole gets the cash.' Even after an eighteen-hour day of singing and dancing, when mustering a smile felt impossible, Naya could make you laugh out loud. Once, during a heated exchange between an actor and a director, I’ll never forget her turning to me with a cheeky grin and asking, 'Is this a bad time to tell someone the DVD player in my trailer isn’t working?' As a friend, you could talk to her about anything. She was the cool older sister you went to for advice, to blow off steam, or to get the hottest take on the latest gossip. Just being in Naya’s presence made you feel protected and regardless of the situation, you knew she’d have your back. She was never afraid to stand up to authority, she always called out mistreatment where she saw it and she always told you the truth — even when it was hard to hear." ALSO: Heather Morris dances to a Naya Rivera song in tribute to her late friend.