A triple-threat performer with a beauty queen smile,
Dianna Agron first gained notoriety as the mean-girl cheerleader who gets taught a lesson by Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) on NBC's cult hit, "Heroes" (2006- ). A talented actress, singer and dancer, Agron became a household name with yet another mean-girl cheerleader - this time as Quinn Fabray, the conflicted head Cheerio and celibacy club leader who finds herself pregnant on creator Ryan Murphy's breakout musical drama hit, "Glee" (Fox, 2009- ). Able to finally showcase her full range of talents on the popular program, Agron captured the hearts of audiences, bringing a more touching, human side to the resident high school beauty queen than usually shown onscreen. Exhibiting versatility and vulnerability, Agron proved why she was more than just a fresh pretty face.
Born April 30, 1986 in Savannah, GA to Ron and Mary Agron, she was raised in San Francisco, CA. A bourgeoning performer from a young age, Agron began to take dance lessons at the age of three and continued studying ballet and jazz dance throughout her childhood.
Involved in musical theater as a teen at Burlingame High School, Agron became interested in acting and aspired to pursue a professional career upon graduation. Relocating to Los Angeles at the age of 18, she enrolled in acting classes and appeared in a number of student films to gain experience. Agron made her professional acting debut in 2006, landing a small role in "After Midnight: Life Behind Bars," a forgettable made-for-TV movie about LA's nightlife.
Though not the most promising career start, Agron used that role to land a series of small TV parts in episodes of "CSI: NY" (CBS, 2004- ), Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh" (2004-07), and "Shark" (FOX, 2006-08). She went on to appear opposite Kristen Bell as rich-kid Hearst College student Jenny Budosh on the popular teen detective series, "Veronica Mars" (UPN/The CW, 2004-07).
Agron next appeared as a cat-loving retail store greeter in "It's a Mall World," a series of short webisodes for American Eagle Outfitters directed by actor and future "Heroes" star Milo Ventimiglia. The webisodes aired online and ran as an advertising campaign during episodes of MTV's "The Real World: Sydney" (2007-08).
In 2007, Agron received a major career boost when cast as stuck-up head cheerleader Debbie Marshall opposite the indestructible Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) on the second season of NBC's cult superhero drama "Heroes." After a four-episode arc on the hit series, Agron appeared on the CBS crime drama "Numb3rs" (2005- ), as well as in a number of small projects, including the web-based series "Celebrities Anonymous" (2009), the short film "Dinner With Raphael" (2009) and "A Fuchsia Elephant" (2009), a 10-minute short which Agron wrote, directed and starred in
Agron's big break was still to come, however, arriving in the form of yet another primetime cheerleader; this time as musically gifted head "Cheerio" Quinn Fabray on the breakout musical hit, "Glee" (2009- ). Created by Ryan Murphy of "Nip/Tuck" (FX, 2003- ) fame, the pilot was initially broadcast after FOX's perennial hit "American Idol" (2002- ) in May 2009.
Somewhat surprisingly, the episode - sans any A-list talent outside of film comedienne Jane Lynch - pulled in a solid 9.6 million viewers and hooked audiences for the show's fall premiere. Centered on a group of misfit glee club students at an Ohio high school, "Glee" caught on quickly with viewers, leading fans of the series to anoint themselves 'Gleeks.' Picked up to full series after its third episode, "Glee" rose to become one of the network's top new shows, with sales from the series' first soundtrack landing on Billboard's Top Ten sales chart only two months after the series' fall premiere.
With her dance and musical theater background, Agron was a natural fit for the show. She had performed a rendition of Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" during her audition for the series - a mere day before filming was set to start on the pilot - so there was no doubt in her vocal skills.
However, it was not until the second episode that Agron's true talents began to shine. When Quinn decides to infiltrate the glee club in order to keep an eye on boyfriend Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), she leads the Cheerios into a sugar-sweet rendition of Dionne Warwick's "Say a Little Prayer" - a number that showcased Agron's vocals and gift for musical theater.
Faced with a teen pregnancy as the series progressed, Quinn began to develop as a character, allowing Agron to delve deeper as an actress and make possible the seemingly impossible - bringing vulnerability and likability to the often caricatured bitchy, popular high school girl.
