Date of Birth

15 December 1986, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

Amber Patrice Riley

Nickname

Mama A

Height

5' 2" (1.57 m)

Trivia

• She auditioned for American Idol (2002), when she was 17-years-old, during the show's second season but was turned down by the producers.
• She and partner Derek Hough were crowned the winners of Dancing with the Stars (2005) Season 17. [November 2013]
• Originated the role of 'Effie White' in the West End production of 'Dreamgirls', for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2017.

Quotes

• I worked at Ikea as a customer service rep for two years and loved it.
• I am so girly. I love dresses.
• I love myself.
• I have great friends around me that are positive and I think that's the key to life is making your own path. Set your own rules because there is no set rule, there is no set look, there is no set anything. You make your own rules in your life. You make your own decisions.
• Back in high school, I went on dates, but I was too focused on my career. My parents were like, 'It's nice to have a boyfriend, but it's even nicer to own your house when you're 21.'
• Not having a private life is hard.
• My friends tell me I'm the most boring celebrity they know! A typical night for me is at home in California or watching movies in my pyjamas.
• Everyone needs a creative outlet to express themselves, and the arts in school provides that.
• As long as you are being true to yourself, you will always find happiness.
• I haven't personally experienced bullying, but when I was in high school, I had a best friend who became a bully. I took a stand and took it upon myself to separate from her. I couldn't be associated with her because it wasn't the type of person I wanted to be.
• Being the person I am, you know, the size I am, being a woman, being a black woman, there's not a lot of roles for us.
• I'm a healthy person.
• I auditioned for 'American Idol' at 17. They told me, 'No.'
• As a kid, I was super skinny.
• I never wanted to play a character that hated herself. I wanted people to know that those aren't the only roles for people like me, normal girls.
• Hollywood is a very hard place to be in. It really is.
• I don't ever feel like anybody knows who I am.
• I love Adele, I want her to be my best friend. She could come to the U.S., live with me and sing to me every morning.
• I dreamed really big when I was little.
• When I receive letters from girls that say, 'You give me confidence,' I think, 'Wow, this is amazing.' That's my goal: to let people know it's truly what's on the inside that counts.
• I've always been comfortable with my size.
• I always say as a celebrity you have two choices - you can be a celebrity, or you can be a role model. You can choose to just go to parties and do the red carpets and all that, or you can choose to be an example to these people.
• I'm a little bit of a germophobe - not that bad!
• My parents always instilled knowing that your beautiful, that your fearfully and wonderfully made, and that you know who you are.
• I love, love, love Michael Jackson.
• I want to encourage young women to stand up for each other and speak up when they see others in a tough situation.
• What is the use in being a celebrity if you can't use the platform to help?