Debbie Allen - WHAT I KNOW NOW

AFTER 50 YEARS IN SHOWBIZ, THE AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS AND DIRECTOR IS STILL DANCING HER WAY THROUGH LIFE

- CHRISTIAN PEACOCK

For a woman who wears many hats, Debbie Allen keeps her priorities in check. “I put myself last on my list,” says the Grey’s Anatomy actress and executive producer, 70, after taking a FaceTime call from her granddaughter during her interview with WHO’s sister publication People via Zoom. “I’m never just about myself.”

This selflessness, along with a mix of hard work, determination and humility, has earned Allen global recognition as an actress, producer, dancer, director and choreographer. From her work on Fame – the ’80s movie and the subsequent TV show, for which she became the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – to opening the Debbie Allen Dance Academy 21 years ago, Allen has paved the way for artists and creators, all while facing challenges head on and staying true to herself. “I’m one who will stay the course and believe, even though it’s difficult at times,” says Allen, who is the subject of the upcoming Netflix documentary Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker and directed the streaming service’s holiday movie Christmas on the Square, starring Dolly Parton.

Below, the mum-of-three looks back on the years of tears, laughter and, yes, sweat that led her to where she is now. “My life has been such a positive journey in so many ways,” she says, “with the spirit of the dance guiding me all the way. I just feel blessed.”

MUM ALWAYS KNOWS BEST