BURBANK, California – If Dionne Harmon never found an old script in the New Edition biopic, the R&Group B’s story may still be on the shelf instead of becoming a highly rated topic miniseries for BET.
The same can be said of other projects like “The Bobby Brown Story” and the Soul Train-inspired series “American Soul.” She may not have a household name, but she is known in Hollywood for working on big projects and important events, including the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. Harmon worked on several Super Bowl halftime shows, becoming the first black woman to produce the show.
Next, she will be a producer at BET Awards on Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The show will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The Emmy winner is one of the few black women to hold a prominent position in the entertainment industry. She is president of Jesse Collins Entertainment, one of the most sought-after producers on television. Harmon reports directly to the CEO Jesse Collinswho is your fiancé.
“I’ve been working hard to build my toolbox just to be ready for these moments,” said Harmon, a Harvard University graduate who has worked at JCE since 2012.
She started at JCE as an assistant, a position she was reluctant to take until Collins introduced her to other employees who gradually rose to senior positions within the company.
Harmon accepted the job. Collins assured her that he would teach her everything he knew about the business, allowing her to accompany him to meetings and phone calls.
“This is a place where you put down your roots and they grow,” she said. “On the surface, it seemed like a step backwards. I had to calm my ego, which didn’t want me to take this step. … But this was the best decision I ever made.”
Harmon’s big break came through the 2017 project “The story of the new edition.”
After seeing the tremendous success of the TLC biopic “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” in 2013, she realized there were more opportunities to explore.
Harmon found an old script about the New Edition story written by Abdul Williams that had been available for years, took it to Collins and convinced him to pitch the idea to Stephen Hill, BET’s president of programming at the time. The series became a huge hit on the network, but she received no producer credits.
However, Harmon did well enough to be promoted to director of development – without a team – which resulted in more projects. She spearheaded the revamped “Hip Hop Squares” format that evolved into the creation of three spin-off programs including CMT’s “Nashville Squares,” BET’s “Celebrity Squares” and “Hollywood Squares” for CBS with Drew Barrymore. She also played a key role in the development and production of the critically acclaimed competitive program. “Rhythm + Flow” on Netflix, which has now expanded to France, Italy and Brazil.
Erykah Badu said Harmon was instrumental in her return for three consecutive years as host and producer of the Soul Train Awards starting in 2015. The singer called Harmon a “deliberate and no-nonsense producer.”
“With such an enigmatic work ethic, she reminds us that our best work is still within us,” Badu said.
Under her leadership, Harmon helped the JCE team grow from 11 full-time employees to 25. She also led the company’s efforts to work directly with brands to produce content at large-scale events with Nike, Ford, Pepsi and TikTok .
“She is very passionate, creative and knows how to navigate a very complicated world known as Hollywood,” Collins said. “She really leads with integrity first. It really helped her grow. Once you build a trustworthy reputation and are creative, all doors open for you.”
Harmon became one of the few black women to co-produce the Oscars. And after being co-executive producer of 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and others, she was elevated to president of JCE, overseeing creative strategy and financial growth.
Life is great for Harmon, both professionally and personally. Collins proposed last year. She said their relationship is a “perfect partnership” and that they both manage their work-life balance well.
Harmon always remembers his decision to remove his ego and join JCE more than a decade ago. She joked with her mother that if she got married or met someone, it would be at the airport or at work.
“It’s crazy how one decision can affect every aspect of your life,” she said during an interview at JCE. “I would never, in my wildest dreams. … It never crossed my mind that I would end up engaged. If someone told me that, I’d say ‘Oh my God, what’s wrong with you?'”
Harmon says Collins is “a great guy” — but at first he was just her boss.
“But over the course of working together and really becoming equals and moving together and building this company, it just opened the door to something completely different.”
Harmon wants to continue building on her and JCE’s success. She wants to create more scripted shows and films and, one day, produce the Olympics.
Collins sees direction in Harmon’s letters.
“Anything is possible for her,” he said. “But at the end of the day, she will probably end up directing at some point. She has a real eye for that kind of detail.”
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