Damon Lee is a highly accomplished and award-winning producer, executive, and filmmaker with nearly two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. He is the CEO and founder of Deacon Entertainment, a Hollywood production company that focuses on developing and producing projects for urban audiences and crossover segments.
Damon has a remarkable track record, with his projects winning numerous accolades. He won a 2011 NAACP Image Award as executive producer of the Lifetime movie "Sins of the Mother," which also won for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. The film's star, Jill Scott, won a Best Actress Award in the same category.
Damon has executive produced two of the top five African-American themed films of the past decade: "Obsessed," starring Beyoncé, and "This Christmas," with an ensemble cast featuring Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, Chris Brown, Regina King, and Mekhi Phifer. "Obsessed" is the seventh highest-grossing psychological thriller of all-time.
In addition to his traditional role as a producer, Damon has also taken on the roles of director and writer for public service announcements (PSAs). He has worked with notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Legend, and President Barack Obama.
Damon is a pioneer in using the Internet as a creative laboratory to develop big-screen projects. He was instrumental in developing the animated web series "Undercover Brother," which he then produced as a critically acclaimed, live-action feature film for Universal Pictures in 2002.
Damon holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University. He is a graduate of the selective Peter Stark Producing Program.
After graduate school, Damon quickly rose through the Hollywood ranks, working as a Vice President of Production for legendary action producer Joel Silver and was actively involved in the development of "The Matrix" and "Conspiracy Theory." He served as a Vice President at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and most recently was the Executive Vice President of Our Stories Films, which was created by BET founder Robert L Johnson.
Damon is the son of two teachers and has always valued education. He was an early participant in the renowned Teach For America Program and spent his first year out of college teaching in Inglewood, California. In 2011, he began teaching as an adjunct professor in the graduate studies program at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television.
Damon lives in Santa Monica with his wife Michelle and their two sons, Carter and Beckett.
