Shooting Star: Diana Madison

L’Officiel Arabia: How and when did you decide to be an actor?

Diana Madison: Growing up, I dreamed of being an actor, but it didn’t seem like a real possibility for an Armenian kid in America. It was always in the back of my mind when I was hosting TV shows and Youtube shows. 

That is, until a major setback shook that dream (and my courage) loose. In 2018, I was pregnant with my son, Christian, when I was turned down for a job as a television presenter with a major network. The job went to a famous actress, the network said. I was devastated.

Now, I can look back and see that my disappointment and anger pushed me to take the risk, and pursue acting, and I’m so grateful I did. Soon, I was very pregnant and taking acting classes, even though a career change at that point in my life was laughable to many people I knew. 

A year later, I booked my first acting role in the film Mob Town and while on set, I knew I was where I belonged. I felt aligned with my purpose and passion, and it was magical.

Since then, my acting career has flourished: I’ve made two films, I’m preparing for a third, and I’ve also got some writing projects in the works that I can’t wait to act in! 

I believe that acting has changed my life. I felt for a long time I was living a robotic lifestyle. With acting, I learned how to feel my emotions...something that I was hiding for a long time. The one thing that I take away from the biggest rejection of my life is that God's plan was bigger than mine.

 

LOA: Tell us more about your business venture - Diana Madison Beauty?

DM: Diana Madison Beauty began as a personal solution for my own skin struggles. After my first baby — Collette — was born, my body had changed and so had my skin; I developed severe eczema. A dermatologist suggested that I hydrate my skin with clean beauty products that did not contain silicones or alcohols to help prevent future breakouts.

For the next four years, I was on a mission to find clean ingredients to hydrate my skin. Prickly pear seed oil from Morocco became my hero ingredient, not only in my own skin care routine but also for the first product in my beauty line: Glowtopia Face Oil. 

Once the face oil launched, word spread and my beauty line grew from there. My goal is to help others heal their skin and make it GLOW using high quality, exotic natural ingredients. The line also includes Glowette Body Polish — with Kukui nut oil from Hawaii to rejuvenate dry skin — and the newest product, Glow Factor Face Sheet Masks — one of the cleanest masks available.

It was important to me that this line also serve a larger purpose, which is why we donate $1 of every bottle sold to charitable organizations, like SOAR which helps Armenian orphanages and Rhonda’s Kiss — a charity that helps disadvantaged cancer patients pay their bills. 

I am very proud of what we’ve created so far and I’m excited about what we’ll be creating next.

LOA: How has your Armenian and Lebanese lineage influenced your life?

DM: My parents were Armenian immigrants and while I was growing up, they set a great example for me of how hard work can make your wildest dreams a reality. This work ethic definitely still impacts my life as I chase my passions. While my parents did not really understand what my career was, since it wasn't a typical career path for an Armenian kid, they were very supportive.

They also urged me to start a family of my own and pass down our culture. And, they were right! There’s a long-held belief that women should delay having kids in order to pursue their careers, especially in Hollywood. For me, the opposite has been true — once I had kids, my career took off.  It's been the biggest blessing in my life and my kids inspire me daily.

In regards to the Lebanese culture, I grew up eating food at my grandparents house inspired by their time in Lebanon. Both sets of grandparents — my mom’s parents were born in Lebanon, and my dad’s parents lived there for 20 years. So I grew up listening to Arabic music and hearing stories about their lives there. 

LOA: Have you ever been to the UAE? If yes, how was your experience?

DM: Yes! I traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi right before I got pregnant with Collette. That trip was so special because of all the great friends I made. 

A few of my favorite adventures during my visit were off-roading on the dunes and feasting on delicious, traditional Arabic fare with some friends in the desert.

 

I fell in love with the UAE and as I still have friends and family there, I am counting down the minutes until I can return.  

LOA: What’s next for Diana?

DM: I am focused on breaking the barriers that exist in both Hollywood and the beauty industry for women who look like me or have similar backgrounds to mine. 

My production company — Diana Madison Productions — will release a slate of shows and films with the purpose of amplifying my culture’s representation in Hollywood and bringing to light the often silent struggles of my own people. The projects we are currently working on run the gamut from serious topics like a documentary on the unjust sentencing of two Armenian immigrants from Lebanon, to light-hearted shows like the comedy I wrote about being a first-generation Armenian in America. I believe it's our time to be seen, and I can't wait to contribute to it.

Also, my beauty brand, Diana Madison Beauty, will be launching more skin-healing products and hopefully expanding all over the world, and especially the Middle East.