Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes born December 13, 1967 is an American television personality, actress, presenter, author, and fashion designer. Born in Queens, New York and raised in Athens, Georgia, she is best known for having appeared on the reality television series The Real Housewives of Atlanta as an original cast member and for her recurring character Roz Washington on the Fox comedy-drama series Glee. Leakes also played Rocky Rhoades as a series regular on the sitcom The New Normal on NBC until its cancellation in 2013. She has participated on NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice and ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Leakes made her Broadway debut as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella in 2014 and in 2015 starred as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago.