Naya Rivera's son, 10, steps into the spotlight six years after mother's tragic passing

Glee star Naya Rivera tragically passed away from a drowning accident at the age of 33 in 2020 at Lake Piru, California, while she was on a trip with her son Josey Dorsey, who was four at the time and was discovered sleeping on the boat.

Now at 10 years old, Josey is taking after his parents, with his recent big career move. Per his IMDb profile, her son made his acting debut in the upcoming film The Burning Valley, which was directed by Evan Coury.

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Josey portrayed the role of "boy," while his father Ryan Dorsey also played his dad in the movie, which was shot in Pennsylvania this week.

On top of following in his parent's footsteps acting-wise, he also learned to play the piano just like her.

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Ryan gushed about Josey with Page Six last month, expressing: "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."

He added: "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. You're never going to quit as long as you're living with me.'"

The duo also keep Naya's memory alive by regularly nurturing "Mommy's Garden" situated in their home in West Virginia. 

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What Naya Rivera said about being a mother

In 2016, Naya opened up with TIME about what motherhood taught her, sharing: "It's made me a much more observant person."

She added that becoming a parent made her realize "how truly selfless you become."

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The star gushed about her strong bond with her son, adding: "The love I get from him. Little things like the two kisses he stood up and gave me last night to say thank you for making him mac and cheese from scratch. It's a love never found anywhere or with anyone else."

Naya also explained the good characteristics that were essential for her to teach her little one, as she continued: "I hope to instill good morals and values in him. I want to teach him to be confident but kind, strong but not proud, and to always be in love with life."