Jude Demorest

Jude Demorest broke through in the title role of the Lee Daniels series "Star" (Fox 2016-), but the singer/actress paid her share of dues before then. Born and raised in Detroit, she entered the Winans Academy of Performing Arts at age ten. Then known as Claire Demorest, she studied there for six years but most of her onstage appearances were at Perfecting Church, which she claimed to have attended on a daily basis. At age 16 she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career, taking gigs as a dancer and backup singer. She then began working with the famed producer and Epic Records mogul L.A. Reid, who signed her to the label. But before making an album, she began writing songs with the writer/producer Ammo (Joshua Coleman), who'd written hits for Beyoncé and Sean Paul. The meeting proved fateful for two reasons: One song they wrote together, "Work From Home," became a hit for Fifth Harmony, giving Demorest her first chart success. The pair also began a romance and were married in 2016. She also had early success as an actress, winning guest roles on a variety of series as well as a recurring role on the reboot of "Dallas" (TNT 2012-14). Demorest then set her sights on "Star," a series being developed by writer/director Lee Daniels. She had auditioned for Daniels' previous hit show "Empire" (Fox 2014-), but was turned down for her inability to speak Spanish. Before winning the role she auditioned ten different times, including a session with Beyoncé's choreographer, and Daniels initially rejected her before changing his mind. Demorest's character is a singer/dancer from a disadvantaged background who fights her way to the top. The show debuted in December 2016.