Birthday:
30 April 1986, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Height:
5' 6" (1.68 m)
Biography
Dianna Elise Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, to
parents Ronald and Mary Agron. She grew up in a middle class family, in
Savannah, before moving to Texas, and later, San Francisco, California,
due to her father's career as a general manager for Hyatt. Dianna and
her brother, Jason, were raised Jewish, and she graduated from
Burlingame High School with honors.
While Dianna was growing up,
she spent much of her time performing. She began dancing at the age of
three, focusing mainly on jazz and ballet, and she later began hip-hop
dancing as well. Dianna also spent much of her time performing on stage,
appearing in many local musical theater productions when she was
younger.
After graduating from high school, Dianna decided to
pursue acting as a career and began appearing in several commercials and
television shows including "CSI: NY" (2004), "Numb3rs" (2005),
"Veronica Mars" (2004), and "Heroes" (2006/II). In 2009, Dianna won the
role of high school cheerleader, Quinn Fabray, on the FOX television
series, "Glee" (2009). Since the premiere of the hit television show on
May 19th, 2009, Dianna, as well as her fellow cast mates, have received
critical praise for their incredible work on the show. In addition, to
her work on "Glee" (2009), Dianna has begun to venture into films, such
as Burlesque (2010/I), where she had the opportunity to star alongside
Christina Aguilera, Cher, and Stanley Tucci, and the action thriller I
Am Number Four (2011). There is no doubt that due to Dianna's beautiful
gift and talent, we will continue to see her shine on the silver screen
2006–2009: Early work
Agron has appeared on television shows such as
Shark,
Close to Home,
CSI: NY,
Numb3rs,
[14] and had a recurring role on
Veronica Mars. She then appeared as Harper on a 13-episode series of short films called
It's a Mall World, directed by Milo Ventimiglia, and airing on MTV, and then on the second season of
Heroes
as Debbie Marshall, the head cheerleader/captain of the cheer squad at
Costa Verde High School. Dianna has also hosted a mini Music Festival
for 826LA in Los Angeles called Chickens in Love.
[15]
She along with Cory Monteith, Cassie Ventura, Jessica Szohr, Trevor Donovan and Alex Meraz were selected to be in Wal-Mart's Ocean Pacific spring 2010 marketing campaign. The national campaign debuted in fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines such as
Elle,
Teen Vogue,
Seventeen and
Cosmopolitan, outdoor and online at the official Ocean Pacific website.
[16] In addition, the celebrities hosted an Ocean Pacific party in Los Angeles in late April and made personal appearances on behalf of the brand.
[16]
Glee: 2009–present
Agron's most notable role to date is as Quinn Fabray, a high school cheerleader, on the Fox series
Glee.
She and the other cast members were awarded the Screen Actors Guild
Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in
2010, and nominated in the same category the following year.
[17][18][19] and two Golden Globes for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
[20][21]
Agron at the
Glee premiere party, May 11, 2009.
The character's accidental pregnancy storyline received mixed reviews from critics. Tim Stack for
Entertainment Weekly deemed it "a good dramatic twist", but hoped that it would not be a long-lasting storyline.
[22] Reviews of her storyline became increasingly negative,
[23] though Agron was praised for her dramatic acting during the confrontation scene with Quinn's parents in "Ballad".
[24] Gerrick D. Kennedy, writing for the
Los Angeles Times, was critical of the ongoing pregnancy plot in the episode "Hairography", and noted that he cringed whenever Quinn appeared on screen.
[25] Conversely, Bobby Hankinson of the
Houston Chronicle enjoyed Quinn in the episode, and wrote: "I love that she can keep her
Mean Girls edge while being heartbreakingly sad or as joyful as she was singing "Papa Don't Preach".
[26] Reviewing the episode "Journey to Regionals",
Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich called Quinn's birthing scenes—interspersed with Vocal Adrenaline performing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"—both
"brilliant" and "terrible". He wrote, "If nothing else, it was
definitely the most visually arresting way to represent the birthing
process I've ever seen outside of
The Miracle of Life. But I kind of liked it. Somewhere, Freddie Mercury is nodding proudly, and saying, 'World, I forgive you for We_Will_Rock_You_(musical).'"
[27]
Brett Berk, writing for
Vanity Fair,
was positive about the scripting of the Quinn character in the second
season premiere, now that the pregnancy storyline was over, and was
happy to see the return of "evil Quinn".
[28] Joel Kelly of
TV Squad criticized the decision to pair Quinn with Finn again in the Valentine's Day oriented episode. He saw it as a regression of the characters, and commented: "Yes, it feels like
Glee
Classic, because the series started with the two of them together. But
both of them have changed—Quinn more so than Finn—and having them dating
again seems like they're going back to the days when Quinn was the icy
lead Cheerio and Finn was the nice but dumb star quarterback."
[29]
Quinn's season three reinvention attracted mixed reviews. Lesley Goldberg of
The Hollywood Reporter listed her change as a highlight of the episode, and hoped to see more of her new attitude.
[30] The Atlantic's
Kevin Fallon called it "the most interesting thing Quinn has done since
giving birth to a baby to the soundtrack of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'",
[31] but VanDerWerff suggested the development hinged on the fact the producers no longer knew how to utilize Agron.
[32]
It has been reported that she has been demoted to recurring/guest star status for Season 4.[33] She has appeared in the Season 4 episodes; Thanksgiving, Naked and I Do.[34][35][36]
Musical performances
Agron performing "Lucky" with her
Glee co-star Chord Overstreet at the Glee Live! In Concert! tour 2011.
Several songs performed by Agron as Quinn have been released as singles, available for digital download, also featured on the show's soundtrack albums.
[37][38] Agron made her musical debut at the end of the episode "Showmance" where she performed Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer".
[37] Quinn's next solo was in the episode "Throwdown", where she performed The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On".
[37] The song was released on
Glee: The Music, Volume 1.
Flandez deemed the cover of "Keep Holding On", the ensemble performance
on the episode, an "emotionally satisfying showstopper", however was
critical of Quinn's cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On", which he called
"thin and jarring".
[39] Aly Semigran of MTV observed that Quinn spontaneously bursting into song brought
Glee "dangerously close to
High School Musical territory".
[40] Agron later performed a solo in the episode "Hairography" singing Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" after her father learns she is pregnant. This performance by Agron was released as a single.
[37] She performed a rendition of James Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" in the episode "Funk".
[38] CNN's
Lisa Respers France was "slightly disturbed" by Quinn's "weird"
performance of "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" using pregnant teenagers
as backing dancers.
[41]
In season three, Quinn sings her first solo number since the first season, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson 5, which received mostly positive reviews. Jen Chaney of
The Washington Post
gave the song a "B−", and said it "worked much better than every track
that preceded it" because it adapted the song to the show "instead of
trying to out-Jackson Jackson".
[42] Entertainment Weekly's
Joseph Brannigan Lynch called it "a nice summation of her character's
journey, but not vocally impressive enough to justify listening to
outside of the episode" and gave it a "B".
[23] Crystal Bell of
HuffPost TV described it as a "blah performance", but Kate Stanhope of
TV Guide said it was "sweet and reflective".
[43][44] Erica Futterman of
Rolling Stone wrote that it was "a tune well-suited for Quinn's sultry voice and the flipped meaning she gives the lyrics", and
TVLine's Michael Slezak had a similar take: he gave it an "A" and called it a "remarkably lovely fit" for her voice.
[45][46]
Quinn's characterization
Quinn is described by Agron as Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele) enemy, and "terrible, the meanest girl".[47]
Agron said that her favorite part of Quinn is that "she's smart. But
she's also human, and through her tough exterior, she's often a little
girl lost."[3] Interviewmagazine.com's Lauren Waterman has described her as being "lovable, but occasionally a manipulative deposed queen bee."[48]
Agron commented: "Yes, there is a stereotype with these characters and
it wouldn't be fair if [those stereotypes] didn't exist a little bit.
But [co-creator] Ryan Murphy has a way of taking everything and turning
it upside down. That's the great thing about this show and these
characters: nobody is one note, which is amazing."[13]
Quinn was originally conceived as the antagonistic queen bee head
cheerleader, a departure from Agron's actual high school experience.
Agron said in an interview with HitFix:
"I definitely wasn't cool in high school. I really wasn't. I did belong
to many of the clubs and was in leadership on yearbook and did the
musical theater route, so I had friends in all areas, but I certainly
did not know what to wear, did not know how to do my hair, all those
things."[49]
She added: "I think that it shows that regardless of who you are and
what group you belong to, that there are so many emotions behind each
person in high school. Sometimes with teens, writers or directors,
anybody, short-changes them and makes them be simple, simple
individuals, you're either the jock or the popular kid or the nerd. They
don't show those shades. Everybody has those shades to them. This show,
it really expands upon vulnerability and excitement and anger all the
experiences that you probably actually go through in high school."[49]
Quinn's role as head cheerleader is central to understanding her
character. Agron said that she had never had any prior cheer experience
before the "Pilot". "If I had been [a cheerleader], I would've ended up on crutches," she told Emmy magazine.[3] In an interview with HitFix
she said, "I have new respect for the craft, because I slightly hurt
myself during the pilot, coming down from one of the stunts. It's better
now. I didn't tear something in my knee, but I strained it. Knees are
very sensitive, I've learned. It's crazy, because I've been dancing
since I was three on my toes and all these things. And you should never
say this, but I've never injured myself ever. I'd seen gnarly injuries
with dance and all these things. You shouldn't say that, though, because
every day is an opportunity to fall, hurt yourself, so that was my
experience."[49]
Other works
In 2007, Agron appeared as Dyanna in the action drama thriller film
T.K.O., directed by Declan Mulvey, alongside Samantha Alarcon, Daz Crawford and Christian Boeving.
[50] And she also appeared as Megan in the independent comedy film
Skid Marks, directed by Karl Kozak, alongside Tyler Poelle, Mikey Post and Kathy Uyen.
[51] And she also appeared as Kyle's Girl (Dianna Argon) in the short comedy film
Rushers, directed and starred in by Joey Boukadakis, starring Paul Boukadakis and John Patrick Jordan.
[52]
Agron at the Glee
Hot Topic Tour, August 17, 2009
In 2009, Agron wrote, starred in, directed and executive-produced the short comedy film
A Fuchsia Elephant.
The plot revolves around Agron's character, On the day before her
eighteenth birthday, Charlotte Hill makes a decision to change. Not
wanting to follow in the footsteps of her alcoholic mother, she enlists a
sober partner named Michael (Dave Franco) to help guide her. It was shot during the
Glee hiatus in the summer of 2009
[53] And she also appeared in a short comedy film
Dinner with Raphael alongside Paul Boukadakis and Michael Bower, written and directed by Joey Boukadakis.
[54] And she also played a small role as Sadie in the independent comedy film
Celebrities Anonymous, directed by Dennis Hemphill Jr., alongside Lindsay Zir and Joey Kern.
In 2010, Agron directed the music video for "Body" by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.[55]
Also in 2010, Agron appeared as Minnow, the younger sister of Lila Hayes in the romantic comedy
The Romantics alongside Anna Paquin, Katie Holmes and Josh Duhamel.
[56] And she played the small role of Natalie, fiancée to main character Ali's love interest Jack, in the film
Burlesque alongside Christina Aguilera, Cher, and Stanley Tucci.
[57] And also she also appeared in
Bold Native, a film about animal liberation.
[58][59]
Dianna at the Giffoni Film Festival, July 22, 2012
In 2011, Agron appeared as Alice alongside Steven Waddington and Tony Becker in the horror thriller
The Hunters, directed by Chris Briant.
[60][61] And also appeared in the science-fiction action thriller
I Am Number Four, directed by D. J. Caruso, alongside Alex Pettyfer and Timothy Olyphant.
[62][63]
Agron hosted the GLAAD Media Award on June 2, 2012 in San Francisco.[64] Her co-stars of Glee, Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith
hosted them on March 24, 2012 in New York City. Following Rivera's
tradition of auctioning off kisses to an audience member, she raised
$5500.
On March 2012, it was announced that Agron will appear as Sophia, alongside Famke Janssen, Rosario Dawson and Sebastian Stan in the upcoming film Famous directed by David Foote.[65][66]
Agron was the host committee member for City Year’s 2nd Annual "Spring Break: Destination Education" on May 5, 2012. The benefit was held at Sony Studios in Culver City, California.[67]
On July 13, 2012, Agron confirmed reports of her role as Belle Blake in the upcoming film
Malavita with Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.
[68]
In September 2012, it was announced that Dianna Agron will be part of the "Play As You Are" Nintendo campaign, that will show how games for Nintendo 3DS
engage their respective interests and personalities. She will be
featured in ads for Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! The game lets
players of any artistic skill level learn a wide range of painting and
drawing techniques that can be applied in real life, from pencils to
paints to pastels. She will also appear in spots for the puzzle-solving
adventure Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask.[69]
On February 25, 2013, Dianna hosted and performed "
Dreams" and "
What's Love Got to Do with It" featuring A House For Lions to the 1st "You, Me and Charlie" concert in Los Angeles.
[70][71]
Agron spoke at the 18th San Francisco Power of Choice Luncheon to
celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade – 40 years of Choice! on
March 7, 2013 in San Francisco,
[72][73] and attended
The Hollywood Reporter and Jimmy Choo 2nd Annual 25 Most Powerful Stylists Luncheon on March 13, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
[74][75]
Charities
Agron worked with The Trevor Project in 2012 to raise money in honor of her birthday. After promising to match donations, she and her fans raised over $26,000.[76] She has also been known to use her Tumblr account to encourage fans to donate to several organizations, such as 826LA and the Wildlife Waystation.[77][78]
Personal life
Agron and her
Glee co-star Lea Michele decided to rent an apartment together in downtown Los Angeles
in early 2009. "We have these smack downs at work and come home and are
like, "Wasn't it so funny when we were fighting today? Let's make
cookies!" said Michele to New York Magazine.
[79] Agron dated
I Am Number Four co-star Alex Pettyfer for a year.
[80]
Agron is a vegetarian and a supporter of PETA.[81] Also, she is a supporter of gay rights.[82]
In 2011, she underwent nose surgery to repair her deviated septum which was the result of a blow to the nose when she was fourteen.[83]
Using her Tumblr account as a starting point, Agron released her website You Me & Charlie
on December 12, 2011. Along with help from several other contributors,
she writes and collects posts, which subjects vary from music, art,
fashion, and daily inspiration.[84] Vanity Fair has complimented the site, stating that the site is "full of sunshine, optimism, and pretty people".[85]
Agron's Twitter
account was hacked on December 18, 2011 and had started many trending
topics. The hacker also got into her personal email and started leaking
songs, scripts and episodes.[86]
In the media
Agron was chosen by
People to be part of their Most Beautiful 2010.
[87] She also came 8th in the 2011 Afterellen.com "Hot 100" list.
[88] Additionally, she came in 13th in the 2012 AfterEllen.com "Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters" list, thanks to her character, Quinn Fabray, on
Glee.
[89] Later on that year, she and her co-stars, Naya Rivera and Heather Morris, came in the first three places at the "2012 AfterEllen Hot 100" list, with Agron at the 2nd place.
[90]
Rankings
| Year |
Title |
Rank |
| 2010 |
AfterEllen.com's Hot 100 List |
#26 |
| BuddyTV's "TV's 100 Sexiest Women" |
#50 |
| People Magazine's Most Beautiful People |
#9 |
| 2011 |
AfterEllen.com's Hot 100 List |
#8 |
| AskMen's Top 99 "Most Desirable Women" |
#81 |
| BuddyTV's "TV's 100 Sexiest Women" |
#75 |
| FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" |
#81 |
| People Magazine's "25 Beauties (and Hotties) at 25" |
#9 |
| 2012 |
AfterEllen.com's Hot 100 list |
#2 |
| AfterEllen.com's "Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters" |
#13 |
| AskMen's Top 99 "Most Desirable Women" |
#28 |
| FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" |
#44 |
| 2013 |
MuchMusic's "5 Stars to Watch in 2013" |
#2 |
| Opposing Views' "Hottest Actresses On Primetime TV" |
#7 |
Discography
Main article: Glee Cast discography
- Glee: The Music, Volume 1
- Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
- Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
- Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
- Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
- Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
- Glee: The Music, Volume 4
- Glee: The Music, Volume 5
- Glee: The Music, Volume 6
- Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Glee: The Music, Volume 7
- Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album
- Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1
Tours
- Glee Live! In Concert! (2010)
- Glee Live! In Concert! (2011)
Filmography
Awards
| Year |
Award |
Category |
Work |
Result |
| 2010 |
Screen Actors Guild Awards |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series |
Glee |
Won |
| Teen Choice Awards |
Choice TV: Female Breakout Star |
Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards |
Choice Music: Group (with: Glee Cast) |
Nominated |
| Breakthrough Of The Year Awards |
Breakthrough Newcomer |
Herself |
Won |
| Lesbian/Bi People's Choice Awards |
Favorite Music Duo or Group (with: Glee Cast) |
Glee |
Nominated |
| Gay People's Choice Awards |
Favorite Music Duo or Group (with: Glee Cast) |
Won |
| 2011 |
Screen Actors Guild Awards |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series |
Nominated |
| Grammy Awards |
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media |
Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards |
Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer |
Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards |
Choice Music: Group (with: Glee Cast) |
Nominated |
| Victoria's Secret: What's Sexy List |
Sexiest Smile |
Herself |
Won |
| 2012 |
Screen Actors Guild Awards |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series |
Glee |
Nominated |
| Grammy Awards |
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media |
Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards |
Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer |
Nominated |
| Giffoni Film Festival |
Giffoni Award |
Herself |
Won |
| 2013 |
Screen Actors Guild Awards |
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series |
Glee |
Nominated |
