Dianna Agron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron in 2017
Born	Dianna Elise Agron (1986-04-30) April 30, 1986 (age 39) Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer dancer
Years active	2006–present
Works	Performances
Spouse(s)	Winston Marshall ​ ​ (m. 2016; div. 2020)​
Musical career
Genres	Cabaret folk-country folk rock jazz Songbook soul
Instruments	Vocals
Signature

Dianna Elise Agron (born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She has worked in movies, TV shows, and on stage. She has won a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Brit Award.

Dianna started acting in small plays when she was young. She first appeared on screen in 2006. She became well-known for her main role as Quinn Fabray in the TV show Glee (2009–2015).

After Glee, Dianna started working more in movies. She starred in I Am Number Four (2011). She also appeared in The Family (2013) and Bare (2015). She has directed short films and music videos too. In 2017, she began singing at the Café Carlyle in New York City. She continued acting in films like Novitiate (2017), Shiva Baby (2020), and As They Made Us (2022). She also acted in and directed part of the movie Berlin, I Love You (2019). In 2023, she returned to TV as the lead in the Netflix series The Chosen One.

Dianna Agron is Jewish and has talked about how her faith connects to her work. She also does a lot of charity work, especially to support LGBTQ+ rights and human rights.

Early Life and Growing Up

Dianna Elise Agron was born on April 30, 1986, in Savannah, Georgia. Her mother, Mary, was a seamstress, and her father, Ronald, managed hotels. Her father's family was Jewish, and her mother became Jewish before they married. Dianna has a younger brother, Jason, who is a photographer. Her family is Ashkenazi Jewish, with roots from Eastern Europe.

Dianna grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and Burlingame, California. Her family often lived in hotels because of her father's job. Dianna remembers a lot of music from the 1960s and 1970s playing at home. Her mother encouraged her to watch classic musicals, which made Dianna want to become an actress.

Dianna lived in the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport for seven years from age nine.

Dianna started dancing at age three, learning jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. She performed in school plays, like playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when she was eight. She attended Hebrew school and a Jewish day school. She faced bullying because of her Jewish faith when she lived in Texas. When her family moved to California, she found it easier to make friends. She had her Bat Mitzvah at a Reform Judaism temple.

In high school, Dianna was involved in school theater. She performed in plays like Grease. She also helped with set design and costumes. As a teenager, Dianna taught dance and worked at a clothing store, where she became interested in fashion. She also loved photography. When she was a teenager, her father became very ill. This was a difficult time for her family, and Dianna felt she had to be strong for them.

Dianna's Career Journey

Starting Out in Acting (2006–2008)

Dianna moved to Los Angeles in 2005. She wanted to be in musicals, but was told they were not popular. She started appearing in TV shows like Shark, CSI: NY, and Numbers. Her first movie role was a small part in When a Stranger Calls (2006).

In 2007, she played a main role in the MTV series It's a Mall World. She then had a recurring role in Heroes as Debbie Marshall, a cheerleading captain. Playing a "mean" character helped people see her acting range. During a writers' strike, Dianna wrote a movie script, hoping to direct it herself.

Glee and First Movies (2009–2011)

Dianna at the Glee premiere party in 2009

Dianna got her big break in 2009 as Quinn Fabray on the TV show Glee. She was the last main actor to be cast. Producers were impressed by her audition, where she sang "Fly Me to the Moon". Her acting made the character of Quinn more real and emotional. Critics praised her performance. She sang her first song on Glee, "I Say a Little Prayer", in the second episode. The Glee cast, including Dianna, performed the national anthem at the 2009 World Series.

During a break from Glee in 2009, Dianna wrote, starred in, and directed a short comedy film called A Fuchsia Elephant. She also directed a music video in 2010. She took on more movie roles, like Natalie in Burlesque (2010). Dianna was considered for big roles in The Amazing Spider-Man and Man of Steel, but her busy schedule with Glee made it hard.

In the Glee episode "Born This Way", Dianna's character Quinn is encouraged to embrace self-love by wearing a past mean nickname on a T-shirt, as her friends are doing with their flaws. The cast recreated the performance set to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" during the tour.

In Glee's second season, Dianna performed a duet of "I Feel Pretty" and "Unpretty" with Lea Michele. This song was highly praised by fans and critics. Dianna enjoyed the musical episodes like "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" and the performance of "Thriller". On Glee, Quinn often sang in a high voice, which Dianna said was challenging for her. She later changed it for the third season.

Her big movie role came in 2011 with I Am Number Four, where she played Sarah Hart. Dianna chose this role because it was different from her character on Glee. The movie was filmed during her Glee break.

In Glee's third season, Dianna sang her first solo song since season one, "Never Can Say Goodbye". While her character's storylines were sometimes criticized, Dianna's acting was praised. Many songs she performed as Quinn were released as singles and appeared on Glee soundtrack albums. The Glee cast, including Dianna, won an American Music Award in 2010 and were nominated for Grammy Awards and a Brit Award.

New Projects and Music Videos (2012–2014)

Dianna at the New York premiere of The Family in 2013

Dianna appeared less often in Glee's fourth season to work on other projects. She starred as Belle Blake in the 2013 movie The Family, alongside Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. The director, Luc Besson, reportedly wrote the role with Dianna in mind after seeing her on Glee. Critics praised Dianna's performance in the film.

In 2013, she appeared in the Killers' music video for "Just Another Girl", playing the band's lead singer. In 2014, Dianna starred in Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One" music video, showing off her acting skills. She also directed a music video for Goldroom and worked as a photographer. In 2015, she directed a short film for designer Tory Burch. Dianna returned to Glee for its final season.

Independent Films, Singing, and Directing (2015–2019)

Dianna performing the national anthem in 2015

After Glee, Dianna chose to work on independent films. She played the lead role in the 2015 drama Bare. In 2015, she also made her professional theater debut in the play McQueen in London. She performed the U.S. national anthem in London for Independence Day 2015.

Dianna moved to New York City in 2016. She appeared in several films released in 2017. She had a supporting role in Novitiate, playing Sister Mary Grace. Critics praised her performance in this film. Dianna also played Alison Miller, the main character in the drama Hollow in the Land.

Dianna in the Carlyle after performing in January 2019

In September 2017, Dianna started singing at the Café Carlyle in New York. She performed songs originally sung by male artists, using her natural singing voice. Music critics praised her voice, describing it as "smooth" and "soulful." She returned to the Carlyle in 2019 for more performances. Dianna has mentioned that she might release an album in the future.

In 2019, the movie Berlin, I Love You was released. Dianna directed a part of the film and also acted in it, playing a puppeteer.

Recent Work (2020–2023)

Starting with Shiva Baby in 2020, Dianna began appearing in more independent films. In Shiva Baby, a comedy about a Jewish mourning service, she played Kim Beckett. Her performance received a lot of praise from critics. She then played Laura Riding in the historical movie The Laureate (2021).

In As They Made Us (2022), directed by Mayim Bialik, Dianna played the main role, Abigail. She had previously worked with Candice Bergen, who played her mother in this film. The movie deals with losing a parent, which Dianna could relate to because of her own father's illness. She also worked on Acidman in 2020, which also explores father-daughter relationships.

In 2022, Dianna performed her third singing show at the Café Carlyle. Critics noted her charming way of talking to the audience and her "husky" voice.

Acidman was released in 2023. Also in 2023, Dianna starred in the sci-fi horror film Clock on Hulu/Disney+. She also returned to TV in the Netflix show The Chosen One, where she spoke both Spanish and English.

Helping Others: Activism

Dianna Agron is known for her activism and supporting charities. She believes that being able to help others is a great part of her job. She supports LGBTQ+ rights and human rights. She also helps charities that support children, like Camp Wonder and UNICEF. She has hosted fundraisers for a literacy non-profit called 826LA.

Since 2012, Dianna has been an ambassador for GLAAD, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ rights. Since 2014, she has been a Global Citizen Ambassador, taking part in their festivals to end poverty. In politics, she has supported Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden in their presidential campaigns.

In 2012, Dianna hosted the GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco, raising money for their campaigns. She also speaks up for women's rights. In 2013, she spoke at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. She criticized the Supreme Court of the United States when it changed this ruling in 2022.

In the arts, Dianna works with Platform Presents, a group that helps new talent. She also supports female filmmakers. She has been a judge for film awards at the Tribeca Film Festival. For youth causes, Dianna has helped raise money for Children's Mercy Hospital and supported arts programs in public schools through the Young Storytellers Foundation. In 2014, she wrote an article for NBC News to promote United Nations (UN) International Youth Day.

Dianna and Meghan Markle with General Martin Dempsey and others on a USO tour in Italy in 2014

Dianna is a strong supporter of charities for refugees, especially children affected by war. In 2012, she visited a center for children and teenagers in Cambodia. In 2014, she was featured on the United Nations Children's Fund charity song "Imagine". She has raised money for War Child since 2014, helping Syrian refugees. In 2016, she traveled with the UN to visit Syrian refugees in Austria and Jordan. She has also supported military families by providing entertainment to U.S. troops overseas.

You, Me and Charlie

You, Me & Charlie (YM&C) was a website Dianna launched in 2011. She and other people wrote and shared posts about music, art, fashion, and daily inspiration. The name "Charlie" was one of Dianna's childhood nicknames. The website aimed to inspire young artists and was praised for spreading positive messages and activism. Dianna said she wanted it to be a "community." In 2013, Dianna hosted a concert for YM&C in Los Angeles, where she performed songs with a band.

Movies and TV Shows

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Dianna Agron para niños