IEM Profiles Diana Madison — First Generation ArmenianAmerican Breaking Barriers

Diana Madison started her career as an intern for E! News and Entertainment Tonight. When she could not get any on camera opportunities, she launched the YouTube channel Hollyscoop, which became on the biggest entertainment news channels in the world. After some time, one channel became four and Diana was able to sell her digital media studio to American media company Radio One/TV One.

After the sale, she decided to pursue her lifelong passion of acting. She has filmed several movies, including Mob Town, starring David Arquette and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and I Love Us, starring Katie Cassidy.

In 2020, after executive producing the show Glam Masters for Lifetime, alongside Kim Kardashian, Diana was inspired to launch her beauty brand, Diana Madison Beauty. Her “clean beauty” line is now sold at Neiman Marcus, Revolve, Anthropologie, and Naimies. She currently is in pre-production on the film First Gen (Working Title), and has teamed up with Village Roadshow to executive produce a crime documentary.

NM: Tell us a little about your background? How did you get into the media industry?

DM: I was born and raised in Los Angeles, in a tiny sector called Little Armenia. My parents were Armenian immigrants who had fled the Soviet Union and were political refugees. In my backyard was the Hollywood sign and I would dream of one day making it in Hollywood. However, there was no way my immigrant parents were going to let me pursue a career in Hollywood. For my parents, it was either pursuing a career in law or medicine. I studied communications and political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. When I graduated I got a low wage job working the news desk at Entertainment Tonight at Paramount Studios. I was then pursuing a career as an on air talent. When I realized that they weren’t going to hire me as an on-air talent because I didn’t look like “middle America,” I walked out of the studio with my rolodex and started a YouTube channel. The channel took off, launching my on camera career. I was able to create a digital media studio creating over 21 billion views a year, where I was hosting videos and producing 150 shows a week on Amazon Prime, Roku and YouTube. Right before the pandemic, I sold the YouTube channels to Radio One/TV One. It was then that I wanted to pursue making longer form content and pursuing my lifelong dream of acting. Currently, I am producing a documentary with Lionsgate and developing a movie titled First Gen, about being first generation Armenian American.

NM: What projects are you promoting at Cannes 2023?

DM: I am currently developing First Gen, an independent movie about being a first generation Armenian American. It’s a dark comedy and I can’t wait for the world to see this movie.

NM: You are involved in activism (Armenia/Artsakh, prisoner reform). Can you tell us a little more about this part of your work?

DM: My great grandparents were massacred in the Armenian

Genocide in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire. My great grandparents from both sides of my family were raised as orphans in Lebanon. I grew up hearing stories about the Armenian Genocide and what my ancestors went through to be able to grant me this life that I have now. It wasn’t until the Artsakh war in 2020 that I felt compelled to become an activist. I had always been involved in the Armenian community, but it wasn’t until the war of 2020 where the world stood silent and allowed Azerbaijan to keep committing war crimes. I knew a lot of families who lost their sons in the war, and I was left devastated. I felt helpless and didn’t know what I could do to stand up for my people and take action. Since I am an artist, I have made it my life’s goal to create content to amplify Armenian voices and stories. That is my intention with my movie that I am writing, producing and will act in. I can’t go out on the frontlines and fight for Armenia, but I can use my platform to tell my audience what is going on. I can use my talent and showcase our amazing culture through the arts.

NM: How has your role as an influencer helped you (or hindered you) in your film/TV career?

DM: Social media has always been a platform for me to show my work to my followers. Most of my followers have been following me from my days as a YouTuber. They have seen my journey and support it. They have seen how my career has developed and transformed. My followers know about all my projects because I share it daily with them. I also use social media to meet like minded individuals who have similar dreams and visions. I feel like if you know how to use social media, it can be a great asset in your career in whatever you do.

NM: What shows or films are doing the best job of portraying strong women today?

DM: To be honest, there aren’t enough shows or films out there today that really showcase strong women that I see in my community. Let’s be real, there isn’t any and I plan to change that! There is no woman that I can connect to on TV or in film right now and that is a big problem.

NM: If being a woman is your superpower, what is your kryptonite?

DM: My kryptonite is sometimes letting people intimidate me in meetings because I am a female minority. There are times I own it and times where I feel that I get pushed in corners in Hollywood because of it.

NM: While there will be others, what do you consider your biggest achievement to date?

DM: Breaking barriers anyway that I can is an achievement. When Entertainment Tonight didn’t hire me as a host and I created an outlet for myself which then beat ET in numbers, it was a way to break barriers for me. When I sold my company and decided to act in my thirties with two kids and everyone laughed in my face and I still booked two movies, which was a big moment for me. Right now, doing meetings with amazing people who are known in the industry for my movie First Gen is an accomplishment in itself. Being in Cannes and speaking on a panel about my work is an accomplishment. I look at all steps whether it is major or minor as an achievement as long as it takes me to my goals.

NM: Who are your mentors?

DM: My film mentor is actor, director and producer Danny A. Abeckaser. He casted me in two movies and always gives me opportunities. He recently gave me the opportunity to come in as a producer and actor for a movie that he is working on. He always gives me the best advice and has really pushed me to pursue acting. When everyone laughed in my face about becoming an actor in my with thirties with two kids, he gave me hope. When I told him I wanted to make a movie about my Armenian heritage, he told me to write my story. He was one of the first people who read my script and always gives me great advice.

NM: Predict your future! Where are you in 5 years?

DM: In the next five years, I want to be creating movies. shows, documentaries that will amplify diverse female voices. I want to keep breaking barriers!