Dee Rees Biography: Awards, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Height, Movies, Spouse

Diandrea Rees, professionally known as Dee Rees, is an esteemed American screenwriter and director recognized for her compelling storytelling and exploration of complex themes.

She first gained widespread attention with her debut feature film Pariah (2011), which delves into issues of identity and sexuality.

Rees made history in 2017 as the first African-American woman nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for her work on Mudbound (2017).

Her other significant works include the HBO film Bessie (2015) and The Last Thing He Wanted (2020).

A NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts graduate, Rees has collaborated with renowned filmmakers, including Spike Lee.

Profile

• Full Name: Diandrea Rees
• Stage Name: Dee Rees
• Born: 7 February 1977
• Age: 47 years old
• Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: American screenwriter and director
• Height: Unknown
• Parent: Unknown
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Sarah M. Broom
• Children: Unknown
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $2 million

Early Life And Education

Diandrea Rees was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1977, to a police officer father and a scientist mother who worked at Vanderbilt University.

While details about her parents’ full names and her siblings remain private, it is known that she was raised in an environment that emphasized both discipline and intellectual curiosity. Rees identifies as African American, though her religious affiliation has not been publicly disclosed.

Career

Dee Rees began her career after pursuing education at Florida A&M University. She then studied further at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she was mentored by filmmaker Spike Lee. Her graduate thesis project, a short film titled Pariah, garnered significant attention and later evolved into her debut feature film.

Pariah premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011, receiving critical acclaim and winning the U.S. Dramatic Competition “Excellence in Cinematography” Award. The film, which explores themes of identity and sexuality within a Black family, won multiple accolades, including the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Rees continued to build her reputation with the 2015 biopic Bessie, which chronicled the life of blues legend Bessie Smith. The film was met with widespread praise and garnered four Primetime Emmy Awards, showcasing Rees’ talent in both film and television.

Her next major achievement came with Mudbound (2017), a period drama set during World War II that earned Rees an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. This made her the first African-American woman to be nominated in this category. The film, which received four Oscar nominations, solidified Rees as a significant voice in Hollywood.

In addition to her feature work, Rees has directed episodes for several television series, including Empire, When We Rise, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, earning multiple award nominations for her contributions. Rees’ versatility as a director was further highlighted with The Last Thing He Wanted (2020), an adaptation of Joan Didion’s novel starring Anne Hathaway.

In 2021, Rees made history again as the first African-American woman to direct a film for the Criterion Collection, reinforcing her standing as a trailblazer. She also served as an executive producer on the 2023 documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés.

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @mudbound

Personal Life

Dee Rees is married to Sarah M. Broom, a writer and author of The Yellow House, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. The couple has been together since at least 2017 and officially married in 2015. They reside in Harlem, New York, where they are known for collaborating on creative projects, including co-writing a horror film.

Filmography

• Pariah (2011)
• Bessie (2015)
• Mudbound (2017)
• The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
• Space Force (2020)
• When We Rise (2017)

Net Worth

Dee Rees’ estimated net Worth is approximately $2 million as of 2025. Her wealth is derived mainly from her successful career as a screenwriter and director, with standout works such as Pariah, Bessie, and Mudbound. Rees’ critical acclaim and numerous awards for her contributions to film have significantly contributed to her financial success within the industry.