Deborah Kay Hooker was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, where her artistic talents were nurtured from a young age. Growing up in a family of successful artists, she was surrounded by creative influences from all sides. Her grandmother, Pat Hooker, was a renowned baton twirler and choreographer who invented the thin shafted baton, now the standard for majorettes, and created the pre-Rockettes, the famous "Dixie Darlings," who debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show. Deborah's grandfather, Vernon Hooker, was a skilled band master who performed with legendary musicians such as Harry James and John Phillip Sousa. Her father was a musician, and her mother, the late Sharon Kay Hinshaw Hooker, was a talented actress who was crowned Miss Teen America.
Deborah's aunt, Beth Hooker, is a professional singer-songwriter and actress who has recorded and toured with notable artists such as Don Henley, Billy Joel, Elton John, and Sting. Her brother, Robert Hooker, is an actor who has worked with acclaimed actors like Robert Downey Jr., Michael A. Hall, Sissy Spacek, and Randy Travis. Deborah's cousin, Jonathan George, is a singer-songwriter and owns JG Entertainment in California and Hollywood Launch in Dallas, Texas.
Deborah's own acting career began at a young age, when she started winning pageants and performing in plays. She studied acting at Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas, and was introduced to film acting while attending the University of North Texas in Denton, where she was cast in the football comedy "Necessary Roughness." After graduating, Deborah acted in films in and around Dallas, including "Fatal Deception" starring Helena Bonham Carter and several episodes of Chuck Norris's "Walker, TX Ranger."
Deborah took a break from acting to raise her children, but returned to her craft with the role of "Mum" in Sammo Hung's "Once Upon a Time in China and America," which starred Jet Li, Jeff Wolfe, and TJ Storm. She has since appeared in a range of films, including Robert Dahlem's "Hidden in the Heart of Texas," B.J. Lewis's "Party Girl," Brian Child's award-winning horror film "Hell of a Night," and Tyrone M. Turner's "The Unseen."
Deborah can be seen in Jaime Kepner's "Church of Fears" as the lead role of Summer, and is currently working on Jeffery Watson's Sci-Fi film series "Evos Mankind Evolved" as Karla. She has recently accepted the role of Gretchen Van Wolf in the crime-thriller "To Avenge," written and directed by Nick Belial, alongside Kelli Maroney, Zach Galligan, Erika Eleniak, and Bernard Robichaud.
Deborah reflects on her return to the film industry, saying, "Life experiences add such layers for us to draw from, and I look forward to challenging myself, portraying new and interesting characters."
