Josey Dorsey, the 11-year-old son of the late actress Naya Rivera, is set to make his acting debut in the upcoming film "The Burning Valley." He will star alongside his father, Ryan Dorsey, in the project directed by Evan Coury. Josey's role is listed as "Boy" and Ryan Dorsey's as "Father" on IMDb.
Filming for "The Burning Valley" began earlier this week in Pennsylvania. The production is scheduled to move to the Allegheny River in the western part of the state next month. Director Evan Coury described the film to TribLive as exploring "the emotional truth of deindustrialization," following a steelworker who loses his job.
Rivera died in a drowning accident at Lake Piru in California on July 8, 2020, at the age of 33. Her son, Josey, who was 4 at the time, was found asleep on the boat by another boater. Rivera's body was recovered five days later. She was widely known for her role as Santana Lopez on the musical television series "Glee" and as Hillary Winston in the 1990s series "The Royal Family."
Ryan Dorsey, 43, has spoken about his son's recollection of the accident, noting that Naya Rivera used her strength to get Josey back onto the boat before she disappeared into the water. He also shared that Josey is continuing his mother's memory through piano lessons, an activity he also connects with Rivera. Ryan Dorsey told Page Six in July that Josey has been taking piano lessons for over a year and is improving. He also mentioned that he and Josey maintain "Mommy's Garden," a garden at their West Virginia home filled with roses and flowers.