Naya Rivera's 11-Year-Old Son Josey Just Landed His First Movie Role — And He's Starring Alongside His Dad 💙

Stop scrolling, because this story is going to make you feel all the things.

Naya Rivera's 11-year-old son, Josey Dorsey, is officially stepping into the spotlight — and he's doing it alongside his dad, Ryan Dorsey. The father-son duo is set to star in the forthcoming film The Burning Valley, marking Josey's very first movie role.

Yes, really. Six years after the Glee star's tragic death, her son is honoring her legacy in the most beautiful way possible.

He's Following in His Mom's Footsteps

According to Page Six, Josey's role is currently listed as "Boy" on his IMDb page, while Ryan's character is listed as "Father." The fact that they're playing a father and son on screen? We are NOT okay.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that filming for the project started in Pennsylvania earlier this week, with the cast heading to the Allegheny River in the western part of the state next month.

Writer-director Evan Coury described The Burning Valley to TribLive as a story about "a steelworker who loses his job when the mill announces a shutdown," calling it "the emotional truth of deindustrialization." Heavy stuff for a debut role — but something tells us Josey can handle it.

The Tea ☕

• Josey Dorsey, 11, is making his film debut in The Burning Valley, a movie about a laid-off steelworker wandering through a Rust Belt town
• He's starring alongside his dad, Ryan Dorsey, potentially playing father and son on screen
• This marks his first major acting role since his mom Naya Rivera tragically died in a drowning accident in 2020

Keeping His Mom's Memory Alive

The movie marks a major milestone for Josey, who was just 4 years old when Naya died in a drowning accident at Lake Piru in California on July 8, 2020. The Glee alum — best known for playing Santana Lopez — was 33.

According to Page Six, Josey was found asleep on the boat by another boater after the accident. In a July interview with the outlet, Ryan explained how Naya wasn't wearing a life jacket and used her last bit of strength to get Josey back onto the vessel before disappearing into the water. Her body wasn't recovered until five days later.

Absolutely devastating.

More Than Just Acting

Beyond his new movie role, Josey has been keeping his mom's legacy alive in other ways too. Ryan told Page Six in July that his son has been taking piano lessons for over a year — something that connects him to Naya.

"He's been taking piano lessons for a little over a year now, and he's getting pretty good. It's the one thing I connected with his mom," Ryan shared. "I said, 'Your mom — she's always listening … You don't understand now, but one day when you're an adult or maybe even a teenager, you're going to thank me.'"

The father-son duo, who moved from Los Angeles to West Virginia in 2023, also have a special garden in their yard filled with roses and flowers that they call "Mommy's Garden." If you're not crying yet, you will be.

A Star in the Making

This isn't technically Josey's first time on stage. According to KTVB, he landed a role in a local theater production of Seussical Jr. in West Virginia back in 2024, when he was just 8 years old. Clearly, the kid's got talent running through his veins.

Ryan Dorsey himself has an impressive résumé, with credits including Yellowstone, Ray Donovan, Justified, and Palm Royale. Now he gets to share the screen with his son — and honestly? That's the kind of full-circle moment that makes us believe in something bigger.

We're already counting down the days until The Burning Valley hits theaters. Something tells us Naya would be incredibly proud of her boy — and we have a feeling this is just the beginning for Josey.

Are you rooting for Josey's acting career? Let us know in the comments below. 💙

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Sources:

• Page Six
• The Hollywood Reporter