Born and raised in the nation's capital, Washington DC, Houston departed her hometown at the tender age of 16 to pursue a career in experimental theater in the vibrant city of New York. Her early work and studies were under the guidance of renowned theater figures such as Liz Swados, Joseph Papp, Joe Chaikin, Peter Brook, La Mama, Woody King, and the celebrated playwright Ntozake Shange. This diverse and eclectic background laid the groundwork for her subsequent immersion into the worlds of film and television.
In 1996, Dianne Houston breathed new life into a forgotten Harlem Renaissance short story, transforming it into the Academy Award-nominated short film Tuesday Morning Ride. Not only did she write and direct the film, but her nomination also made her the first African American woman to be recognized in the Live Action Shorts category. Houston's impressive credentials continued to grow, as she was nominated for the 2017 Writer's Guild Award for her script Surviving Compton. This script not only earned her a nomination but also won the 2017 Gracie Award and premiered to great acclaim on Lifetime, reaching number one among adult viewers on its premiere night.
Houston's script for New Line's Take the Lead, starring Antonio Banderas, Alfre Woodard, and Yaya DeCosta, garnered her an NAACP Image Award nomination. Her most recent endeavors include directing the cable picture Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland and writing an episode of the ABC miniseries When We Rise, which was created by Dustin Lance Black.
