Malaya Rivera Drew was born and raised in a very urban neighborhood in Washington D.C. Her parents, both activist lawyers, sent her to public schools with her two brothers. She then attended Middlebury College, where she studied English Literature and Theater. After graduating college, she moved to London and attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts for graduate training in classical acting. She left a term early, when she was cast in the world premiere of Neil LaBute's The Distance From Here at London's Almeida Theater. She works in television, film and theater. She lives in Los Angeles.