Naya Rivera’s 10-year-old son Josey follows in her footsteps with career move

Naya Rivera and Ryan Dorsey’s son Josey is set to make his movie debut, following in the footsteps of his famous parents.

The 10-year-old, whose Glee star mother tragically died from accidental drowning in July 2020, is reportedly taking on a role in the upcoming movie The Burning Valley, directed and written by Evan Coury.

At the moment, little is known about the exact role he’ll be playing, as he’s simply listed on IMDB as ‘boy’.

His father, Ryan, 43, is also on the cast list as ‘Sam Pope,’ so it looks like the pair could even share some screen time during Josey’s big-screen debut, which comes after Josey's roles in multiple children's theatre productions, often shared by his dad on social media.

On the movie site, the film’s synopsis reads: “A steelworker faces unemployment when his mill shuts down, prompting him to wander through his Rust Belt town on a personal journey.”

Among other members of the cast listed on IMDb are Tyler Miles as the protagonist Nick Pope, as well as JB Brown, Joseph Ducar, Whip Hubley, Patrick Jordan, Sam Lothard, Joseph Mazza and Sheila McKenna.

Coury told the Tribune Review of the lead role: “It sets him on a journey as he wanders through his Rust Belt town.

“My hope is to encapsulate the history of our region through one guy’s personal experience.”

Josey’s movie debut comes six years after the devastating death of his mother Naya, who lost her life in 2020, aged just 33, after drowning in California’s Lake Piru.

Heartbreakingly, Josey, who was four at the time, was swimming with his mother on a boat trip when she died.

He told police at the time that his mother had boosted him onto the deck after their boat had drifted away, before she drowned.

Police believe that after saving her son, the actress didn’t have enough energy to save herself.

Nivera was best known for her role as Santana Lopez on the musical comedy-drama series Glee, after kicking off her career as a child actress and model.

She married Ryan, who is also an actor, in July 2014, after dating him on and off since 2010.

They went on to welcome Josey in September 2015, before she and Ryan finalized their divorce in June 2018.

Ryan spoke to PEOPLE Magazine last year, reflecting on the terrible day they lost Naya for the first time.

Speaking of Josey, he told the outlet: “He said that the last thing she said was his name, and then she went under, and he didn’t see her anymore. It just rocks my world that he had to witness her last moments.”

He explained that the holidays are especially difficult, adding: "We made this book of memories for Josey that sits by his bed, and during the holidays he was crying looking at it.

“You can only give him a hug and tell him, 'I know, life is not fair. Bad things happen, and there's no reason for it, and you just have to do your best to be a good person.'"

The actor continued: "It's hard trying to explain things that you can't really make sense of no matter what age you are.

I'm not a big believer in everything happens for a reason because I can't ever think of a reason why he doesn't have his mom."