Debbie Allen | |
|---|---|
 Allen in 2025 | |
| Born | Deborah Kaye Allen (1950-01-16)January 16, 1950 (age 76) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | Howard University (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingVivian Nixon |
| Relatives | Phylicia Rashad (sister) Condola Rashad (niece) |
| Website | Debbie Allen Dance Academy Debbie Allen Twitter |
Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of thePresident's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.[1][2] She has been nominated for 22Emmy Awards (winning six),[3] and twoTony Awards.[4] She has won aGolden Globe Award,[5] and received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. In 2025, she received anAcademy Honorary Award.[6]
Allen is best known for her work in the musical-drama television seriesFame (1982–1987), where she portrayed dance teacher Lydia Grant, and served as the series' principal choreographer. For this role in 1983, she received aGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Choreography and also received four nominations forOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Allen later began working as director and producer, most notably producing and directing 83 of 144 episodes of the NBC comedy seriesA Different World (1988–1993). She returned to acting, playing the leading role in the NBC sitcomIn the House from 1995 to 1996, and in 2011, began playing Dr. Catherine Avery in the ABC medical dramaGrey's Anatomy also serving as an executive producer/director.[7] She has directed more than 50 television and film productions.
In 2001, Allen opened the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles,[8][9] where she currently teaches young dancers. She also taught choreography to formerLos Angeles Lakers dancer-turned-singer,Paula Abdul. She is the younger sister of actress/director/singerPhylicia Rashad.
Allen was born inHouston, Texas, the third child of orthodontist Andrew Arthur Allen and artist, poet, playwright, scholar, and publisher,Vivian (née Ayers) Allen.[10] She earned aB.A. degree in classicalGreek literature, speech, and theater fromHoward University and studied acting atHB Studio in New York City.[11] She was a member ofChi Delta Mu Health Professional Fraternity.[12] She holdshonoris causa doctorates fromHoward University and theUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Debbie Allen auditioned at theHouston Ballet Academy at the age of twelve, but was denied admission. After another chance, she was admitted a year later by a Russian instructor who accidentally saw her perform in a show.[citation needed] Once recruiters from the academy became aware of the situation, they allowed her to stay because they recognized her talent. While at the academy, she trained underSuzelle Poole.
Her experience at the Houston Ballet Academy is not the only time Allen was refused. When she was sixteen, she had a successful audition for the North Carolina School of the Arts and was given an opportunity to demonstrate dance techniques to other prospective students applying to the institution. However, she was refused admission and was told her body was not suited to ballet.[13][14] After numerous rejections, she decided to focus on her academic studies and was on her way to the start of her acting career.[15]
Allen began her career appearing onBroadway theatre. Allen had herBroadway debut in the chorus ofPurlie in 1970.[4] She later created the role of Beneatha in the Tony Award-winning musicalRaisin (1973), and appeared inTruckload, andAin't Misbehavin'. In 1980, she received critical attention for her performance as Anita in the Broadway revival ofWest Side Story which earned her aTony Award nomination forBest Featured Actress in a Musical and won her aDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.[4]
In 1976, Allen made her television debut appearing in the CBS sitcomGood Times in a memorable 2-part episode titled "J.J.'s Fiancée" as J.J.'s drug-addicted fiancée, Diana. The following year, she went to star in the NBC variety show3 Girls 3.[16] Allen later was selected to appear in the 1979 miniseriesRoots: The Next Generations byAlex Haley where she plays the wife of Haley. Also, that year, she made her big screen debut appearing in a supporting role in the comedy filmThe Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. In 1981, she had the important role of Sarah in themovie version of the best-selling novelRagtime, a role that earnedAudra McDonald a Tony Award for in the Broadway musical.
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In the filmFame (1980), Allen played the role of Lydia Grant. Though the film role was relatively small, Lydia became a central figure in thetelevision adaptation, which ran from 1982 to 1987. During the opening montage of each episode, Grant told her students: "You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying ... in sweat." Allen was nominated for theEmmy Award for Best Actress four times during the show's run.[3] She is the only actress to have appeared in all three screen incarnations ofFame, playing Lydia Grant in both the 1980 film and 1982 television series and playing the school principal in the2009 remake. Allen was also lead choreographer for the film and television series, winning twoPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography and oneGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.[5] She became the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy.[17]
In 1986, Allen received a secondTony Award nomination, at that time forBest Leading Actress in a Musical, for her performance in the title role ofBob Fosse'sSweet Charity.[4] Also that year, she had a supporting role in the comedy-drama filmJo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling directed, produced by and starringRichard Pryor.
AfterFame, Allen focused on working off-camera and as a choreographer. She choreographed the 1988 Broadway adaptation of Stephen King's “Carrie.”Carrie was a collaboration with her fellow “Fame” alumni Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, and Gene Anthony Ray. The show opened to mixed reviews and closed after only 16 previews and 5 performances.[18]
In an article from theMuseum of Broadcast Communications,The Hollywood Reporter commented on Allen's impact as the producer-director of the television series,A Different World. The show dealt with the lives of students at the fictionalhistorically black college, Hillman. The show ran for six seasons onNBC.[19]The Hollywood Reporter is quoted as stating that when Debbie Allen became the producer (and usually director) ofA Different World after the first season, she transformed it "from a blandCosby spin-off into a lively, socially responsible, ensemble situation comedy."[20] She directed a total of 83 episodes.
Allen has released two solo albums,Sweet Charity (1986) andSpecial Look (1989), which also produced several singles.[21] Also that year, she directed musical filmPolly. She later directed crime drama filmOut-of-Sync (1995) as well as a number of television films. She choreographed theAcademy Awards for ten years, six of which were consecutive. In 1995, Allen directed the voice cast and lent her voice to the children's animated seriesC Bear and Jamal forFilm Roman andFox Kids. That same year, she starred in the NBC sitcomIn the House which ran for five seasons. She co-produced the 1997Steven Spielberg historical drama filmAmistad receiving aProducers Guild of America Award.
In 2001, Allen founded the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.[9] Since 2007, Allen has participated as a judge and mentor for the U.S. version ofSo You Think You Can Dance. During Season 4, she stepped aside as a judge at the end of Vegas week to avoid perception of bias, since one of her former dancers, Will, had made it to the top 20.
In 2008, Allen directed the all-African-American Broadway production ofTennessee Williams'Pulitzer Prize-winningdramaCat on a Hot Tin Roof, starring stage veteransJames Earl Jones (Big Daddy), her sisterPhylicia Rashad (Big Mama) andAnika Noni Rose (Maggie the Cat), as well as film actorTerrence Howard, who made his Broadway debut as Brick. The production, with some roles recast, had a limited run (2009 – April 2010) in London.[22] She also directed and starred in the 2001 play and its television adaptationThe Old Settler.
In 2000s and 2010s, Allen directed television shows, including 44 episodes ofAll of Us, as well asGirlfriends,Everybody Hates Chris,How to Get Away with Murder,Empire,Scandal, andJane the Virgin. In 2011, she joined the cast of ABC medical dramaGrey's Anatomy playing the role of Dr. Catherine Fox. As of the 12th season, she served as an executive producer.[7] In 2020, she directed the musical filmChristmas on the Square starringDolly Parton for Netflix.[23][24]
Allen is married to former NBA playerNorm Nixon;[25] the couple have three children: dancerVivian Nichole Nixon (who played Kalimba in theBroadway production ofHot Feet), basketball player Norman Ellard Nixon Jr. (Wofford College andSouthern University), andDeVaughn Nixon. Allen was previously married to Win Wilford from 1975 to 1983.[26][27][28] She is the sister of actress/director/singerPhylicia Rashad (she guest starred in an episode ofThe Cosby Show and Rashad in an episode ofIn the House and alsoGrey's Anatomy), Tex Allen (Andrew Arthur Allen III, born 1945), a jazz composer, and Hugh W. Allen, a real estate banker, who appeared on three episodes ofA Different World as Quincy Tolleson.[10]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh | Ola | |
| 1980 | Fame | Lydia Grant | |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Sarah | |
| 1986 | Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling | Michelle | |
| 1994 | Blank Check | Yvonne | |
| 1995 | Out-of-Sync | Manicurist | Director and producer |
| 1997 | Amistad | Producer Producers Guild of America Visionary Award – Theatrical Motion Pictures Nominated—Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture, Drama | |
| 2000 | Everything's Jake | Librarian | |
| 2001 | All About You | Ruth | |
| 2001 | The Painting | Bertha Lee Gilmore | Executive producer |
| 2005 | Confessions of an Action Star | Herself / Deity | |
| 2007 | Tournament of Dreams | Rhonda Dillins | |
| 2009 | Next Day Air | Ms. Jackson | |
| 2009 | Fame | Principal Angela Simms | |
| 2013 | A Star for Rose | Rose | Producer |
| 2020 | Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker | Herself |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Good Times | Diana Buchanan | Episodes: "J.J.'s Fiancée: Part 1 " and "J.J.'s Fiancée: Part 2" |
| 1977 | 3 Girls 3 | Herself | 4 episodes |
| 1977 | The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened | Julie Sutton | Television film |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | Nan Branch Haley | Episode: "Part VI (1939–1950)" |
| 1979 | Ebony, Ivory & Jade | Claire 'Ebony' Bryant | Television film |
| 1982 | Alice at the Palace | Red Queen | Television film |
| 1979–1983 | The Love Boat | Selena Moore / Reesa Marlowe | 3 episodes (1979 (S02, E22); 1983 (S06, E18-E19) |
| 1983 | Women of San Quentin | Carol Freeman | Television film |
| 1983 | Live... And in Person | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program |
| 1984 | Celebrity | Regina Brown | Miniseries |
| 1985 | Motown Returns to the Apollo | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics |
| 1986 | An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program |
| 1987 | Square One Television | Herself | Season 1 Episode 10 |
| 1982–1987 | Fame | Lydia Grant | Series regular, 136 episodes, also producer Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1983) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography (1982–1983) Golden Apple Award for Female Discovery of the Year (1982) NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1984–1985) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1982–1985) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography (1984–1985) |
| 1988 | The Cosby Show | Emma | Episode: "If the Dress Fits, Wear It" |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Joanna Chapman | Episode: "Private Dancer - October 6, 1979" |
| 1991 | Motown 30: What's Goin' On! | Herself | TV special Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1991 | Sunday in Paris | Sunday Chase | Unsold TV pilot, also executive producer |
| 1992 | 64th Academy Awards | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1992 | Stompin' at the Savoy | Estelle | Television film, also director |
| 1988–1993 | A Different World | Dr. Langhorne/Herself | 122 episodes, showrunner and producer |
| 1993 | 65th Academy Awards | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1995 | 67th Academy Awards | Herself | TV special NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Choreography in Film or Television Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1995–1996 | In the House | Jackie Warren | Series regular, 26 episodes |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Valerie Hill | Episode: "Sins of the Father" |
| 1997 | Cosby | Debra | Episode: "Dating Games" |
| 1999 | 71st Academy Awards | Herself | TV special Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1999 | Michael Jordan: An American Hero | Deloris Jordan | Television film |
| 2001 | The Old Settler | Quilly | Television film, also executive producer |
| 2003 | The Division | Wanda | Episode: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" |
| 2004 | All of Us | Kate | Episode: "Parents Just Don't Understand" |
| 2007–2014 | So You Think You Can Dance | Herself - Guest Judge | 21 episodes |
| 2011 | Grace | Helen Grace | Unsold TV pilot, also executive producer |
| 2011–present | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Catherine Avery Fox | Recurring role, also executive producer Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2014) |
| 2013 | Let's Stay Together | Cougar | Episode: "Kita's Got a Gun" |
| 2016 | Dance Moms | Herself | Episodes: "Abby's Replaceable" and "Debbie Allen to the Rescue" |
| 2016 | Jane the Virgin | Beverly Flores | Episode: "Chapter Forty-Three" |
| 2018 | Raven's Home | Aunt Maureen | Episode: "Switch or Treat" |
| 2018–2025 | S.W.A.T. | Charice Harrelson | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Grace and Frankie | Dorothy | Episode: "The Short Rib" |
| 2022–2023 | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Myrtie (voice) | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Janet Jackson: Dream Street | |
| 1984–1987 | Fame | 11 episodes |
| 1987 | The Bronx Zoo | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
| 1987–1989 | Family Ties | Episodes: "The Play's the Thing" and "Higher Love" |
| 1989 | The Debbie Allen Special | Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1989 | Polly | Television film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography |
| 1990 | Melba Moore: Lift Every Voice and Sing | |
| 1990 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Episodes: "Bang the Drum, Ashley" and "The Fresh Prince Project" |
| 1990 | Polly: Comin' Home! | Television film |
| 1992 | The Boys | Unsold TV pilot, also executive producer |
| 1992 | Stompin' at the Savoy | Television film |
| 1991–1993 | Quantum Leap | Episodes: "Revenge of the Evil Leaper - September 16, 1987" and "Private Dancer - October 6, 1979" |
| 1993 | Sinbad: Afros and Bellbottoms | |
| 1988–1993 | A Different World | 83 episodes, producer in 122 episodes |
| 1993–1994 | The Sinbad Show | 7 episodes |
| 1997 | Between Brothers | Episodes: "The List" and "The Big Three-Oh" |
| 1997–1998 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Episode: "Soul Mate to Cellmate" and "Misery Loves Company" |
| 1998 | Linc's | Episode: "March on Washington: Part 1" |
| 1998 | Martin Luther King Special One Day | Television film, also executive producer |
| 1999 | Kirk Franklin: The Nu Nation Tour | |
| 2001 | The Old Settler | Television film, also executive producer |
| 2002 | Cool Women | Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Directing |
| 2003 | The Twilight Zone | Episode: "The Monsters Are on Maple Street" |
| 2003 | The Parkers | Episode: "The Good, the Bad, and the Funny" |
| 2004–2006 | That's So Raven | 5 episodes |
| 2006 | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Television film |
| 2006 | I Was a Network Star | Documentary film |
| 2003–2007 | All of Us | 44 episodes |
| 2005–2008 | Girlfriends | 9 episodes |
| 2008 | The Game | Episode: "Oh, What a Night" |
| 2006–2009 | Everybody Hates Chris | 10 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Hellcats | Episodes: "Land of 1,000 Dances" and "Pledging My Love" |
| 2010–present | Grey's Anatomy | 31 episodes Also executive producer Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series[29] |
| 2013 | The Client List | Episode: "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" |
| 2013 | Army Wives | Episode: "Adjustment Period" |
| 2013 | Let's Stay Together | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Witches of East End | Episode: "Boogie Knight" |
| 2014 | How to Get Away with Murder | Episode: "He Has a Wife" |
| 2015 | Empire | Episode: "Who I Am" |
| 2014–2015 | Scandal | 3 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Jane the Virgin | Episodes: "Chapter Four" and "Chapter Twenty" |
| 2015 | Survivor's Remorse | Episode: "Guts" |
| 2016 | Insecure | Episode: "Guilty as Fuck" |
| 2018 | Step Up: High Water | Episode: "Solo" |
| 2020 | Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming |
| 2021 | The Ms. Pat Show | Episode: "Pilot: Duck" |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Academy Honorary Award | Herself | Honored | [30] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | West Side Story | Won | [31] |
| 1986 | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Sweet Charity | Nominated | [32] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Fame | Won | [34] |
| 1983 | Nominated | |||
| 1984 | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | West Side Story | Nominated | [35] |
| 1986 | Best Leading Actress in a Musical | Sweet Charity | Nominated | [36] |
