Dea Lawrence

In addition to her work as an actor, Dea Lawrence is a prominent business executive in Hollywood and is the Chief Operating and Marketing Officer of Variety, the iconic entertainment industry publication. She has served as executive producer for several TV specials with A&E Networks and in December 2023 she won a Daytime Emmy as Executive Producer of A&E's "Power of Women Changemakers" television special. Also in December of 2023 she launched a new podcast for Variety, "Variety Confidential, Sex, Money, Murder in Hollywood," which she conceptualized and executive produced. Dea began her career as theatre actor in NYC starring off-Broadway, Broadway national tours and in regional theaters. She moved to Los Angeles where she met award-winning actor and filmmaker, Michael Zelniker when they were both performing at the Coast Playhouse... and married him. She and actress, Saratoga Ballantine, had a comedy act called "White House Chicks" and that collaboration led them to make the documentary film, "Troupers" about actors over 80 in Hollywood. You can watch "Troupers" on Amazon Prime, Google Play and Tubi. Dea is on the Board of Directors of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the advisory board of Exceptional Minds and a board member of Hollywood in Pixels.