A native of Houston, Texas, Debbie Allen’s childhood was spent surrounded by art. Growing up, musicals on television inspired her to attend a local dance studio. As segregation limited her options for further education at the time, her mother moved the family to Mexico, where Allen formally began her training in ballet at the Ballet Nacional de Mexico. She then attended the Houston Ballet Foundation followed by Howard University where she majored in Acting and Directing. Allen went on to perform on Broadway and made her television acting debut in 1976 on Good Times. In the 1980s she became a regular on the TV series Fame, where she kicked off her directorial career.
Allen’s Directing credits include The Sinbad Show, The Fresh Price of Bel-Air, Everybody Hates Chris, That’s So Raven, Girlfriends, Quantum Leap, All of Us, Empire and Scandal, to name a few. She served as both Executive Producer and Director on Fame, A Different World, Christmas on the Square (2020) and Grey’s Anatomy.
In a career that spans three decades, Allen has earned six Emmy Awards®, a Golden Globe®, five NAACP Image Awards, a Drama Desk, an Astaire Award (for Best Dancer), and the Olivier Award for her vast body of work. She is also a Kennedy Center Honoree and recipient of the Television Academy's Governors Award.
Allen has been a DGA member since 1983.