Hi, my name is Devon Diep. I am an actress, singer, and producer based in NYC and Boston.
Growing up as a refugee child, I never thought that I would achieve my dreams in the entertainment industry. I have dreamt of singing and performing on stage my whole life. There are baby pictures of me happily singing in my own world. I knew in my heart that I had to pursue my dreams even though I had no idea how to. However, I have always believed that working hard at my passion will lead me there.
I spent most of my childhood at my parents’ convenience store on Adams Street in Dorchester. My siblings and I went straight to the store almost every day after school. We did our homework in between assisting customers. We still reminisce about the precious memories that we had there. There were also difficult ones that we wished never happened. Robbers beat my little brother, our Mom fought back, our Dad held at gunpoint, and many other horrible situations due to numerous attempted robberies.
These experiences shaped who I am today. I often remind myself that my parents escaped to a foreign country with no money, had to learn another language, and risked their lives for us to have a better future than what we had in Vietnam. I promised myself that I must succeed and make them proud.
Luck came when I signed with a talent agency after winning a local competition. It started a successful modeling and acting career. My versatile looks have gained me appearances in campaigns and commercials for well-known brands. My list of clients includes Clarins Paris, Estée Lauder, Donna Karan, Macy’s, Axe Men’s Body Spray, Uggs, Reebok, Puma, Converse, Coke, Disney, Nickelodeon, Bose, Toyota, Lexus, Target, L.L. Bean, Walmart, Foxwoods Casino, Mohegan Sun, Timberland, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Skyy Vodka, Pinnacle Vodka, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, and more.
I had roles in TV & FILM such as The Heat, Ted, Top Gear, and a recurring role in Defending Jacob, an Apple Original TV series starring Chris Evans. I am in three feature films this year: Dead Reckoning, Honest Thief, and my latest release, Snakehead, is now playing in theaters and on-demand.
Having had successes in modeling and movies, I knew it was time to pursue my music career. Within four months, I found myself writing the title song, Green Dragon, for Martin Scorsese’s Revenge of the Green Dragons. This opportunity came when my friend told me he plays the White Tiger Boss in the movie. I wrote the song for fun while riding the 6 train to my recording studio in NYC. I was over the moon when he told me the director and cast loved it; they wanted it in the movie and soundtrack. One of my proudest moments was debuting as a singer/songwriter at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Everything happened very fast. I nearly had a heart attack trying to process all the happiness and blessings!
It was a dream come true for another reason. I became a big fan of Andrew Lau when I saw Infernal Affairs. I could not believe it when Martin Scorsese filmed his version, The Departed, right here in Boston. Seeing them shoot the movie in my hometown made me dream about how incredible it would be to have the opportunity to work with them. It was a full-circle moment when I wrote a song for a Scorsese film all these years later. I felt very blessed and recognized the power of manifesting and believing in my dreams.
Live performance + Headline Shows
I had the honor to perform the National Anthem for the NY Mets and the Brooklyn Nets. I hope to sing for my Boston teams one day soon!
I was invited to headline the Bread & Roses Festival in Lawrence, MA this past September and made front-page news!
Some fun facts about me:
My Dad was in the Navy; I wanted to be like him! I was in the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) for 4 years. I am professionally trained to use pistols, shotguns, and rifles and am a candidate to be a Massachusetts State Police Certified Firearms Instructor. I am fluent in Vietnamese.
Current projects:
*My shop ~ Love Mama x Me
To combat the pandemic blues and due to many requests, my Mom and I opened an in-home small business, Love Mama x Me, for everyday handcrafted luxuries. We love this project because it enables us to give back to our community. We are almost halfway to our goal of handcrafting 500 masks to donate to our local shelter thanks to our lovely customers’ purchases. It is a purchase you can feel good about and wear proudly. We are also excited to share that we achieved Star Seller status on our online shop. Please use this special code BOSTONMAN for 20% off your purchase + free shipping!
*SHe Pop Music
I am the co-founder, writer, singer, and producer for SHe music. We released our debut EP “CHAPTER 1: Euphoria” and our latest single Half Crazy recently dropped!
*Air Short Film
I accomplished my longtime goal of writing and directing my first short film, “Air.” It is in post-production and will be submitted to film festivals upon completion. I am eagerly waiting to share my upcoming movies and debut album with my fans and the rest of the world.
I have so much love for my hometown Boston. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to share a bit of my story with you. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me. Promise me you will work hard and push toward your dreams every day. If I can live out my dreams, so can you. You got this 🙂
Lastly, thank you Matt Ribaudo & BostonMan Magazine for having me! ❤️
Images provided by Devon Diep
***
Devon is an actor, singer, songwriter and producer based in NYC. As a child, she realized the transcendent power of the creative arts. Her drive and passion for creating work that emotionally connects people led her to many successful projects and will continue to be the driving force for future endeavors.
Stay connected with Devon @devondiep and follow her journey on all your favorite social and music platforms ~ Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Youtube, SoundCloud. Stream + download Devon’s Christmas song “Do You Believe” now available here.
