Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Leakes (; née Johnson; born on 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 appearing 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. She also played Rocky Rhoades as a series regular on the sitcom The New Normal on NBC until its cancellation in 2013. She has also 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 played Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago. She was one of the regular panelists on ABC's revival of the 1950s game show To Tell the Truth. In addition to her television projects, Leakes has launched a clothing line on Home Shopping Network, and has a national comedy tour entitled "So Nasty, So Rude".