Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ester Dean was the youngest of five children raised by her single mother Hester, in a low-income household. At a young age Dean learned how to channel her pain into her music, writing and channeling her emotions into songs. Creative writing served as Dean’s self-therapy, helping her cope with a hard life of poverty and bullying (inside and outside her home). Dean took to writing and singing as an escape from her small Oklahoma town with no glimpses of a positive future.
At the age of 15, Dean and her sister Deandria moved to Omaha, Nebraska; leaving her older siblings in Tulsa. The separation made Dean dig deeper for a connection, finding solace in music and the local music scene. Singing in every studio, writing for local rappers and producers, Dean unknowingly grass-rooted herself. Learning the ins and outs of her talent and creativity, at 20 years old Dean made a bold move and left Omaha with only $500 in her pocket. She drove 18 hours, alone, to Atlanta, Georgia with dreams of breaking into the music industry. She sang for anyone who would listen. While at a Gap Band concert, music producer Tricky Stewart overheard Dean singing in the crowd along with the band. He immediately asked her to set up a meeting. While going through her catalog of songs, Tricky was impressed by not only her voice but also her songwriting ability. He signed her to a small publishing deal that allowed Dean to grow and connect with other known writers and producers. This opportunity provided Dean with the tools, tricks, and skills to writing potential Top 40 songs.
Although her time with Tricky was a significant point in her career, Dean eventually parted ways and relocated to Los Angeles, California.
Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Dean began to build a name in the songwriting world. She was eventually introduced to Polow da Don, and later signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records.
In 2009 Dean released her first single, "Drop It Low", which peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first US Top 40 single. Dean's big break came when she collaborated with super producers Stargate, creating her first number one single, Rihanna’s "Rude Boy". She went on to write "What's My Name", "Where Have You Been" and several other Rihanna hits, as well as Katy Perry's "Firework" and Nicki Minaj’s "Super Bass".
She would go on to be named ‘The Song Machine’ in John Seabrook's The New Yorker article.
Outside of music, Dean has been able to establish herself as a voice-over talent. She landed roles in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and Rio (2011).
After making a great impression in the voice-over world, Dean was asked to audition for a small part in an upcoming movie about a girl A cappella group. She jumped at the chance to audition and landed the role of Cynthia Rose in the hit movie Pitch Perfect (2012), which also lead to her co-starring in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). Ester Dean(1982년생, Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA) 는 배우로, 대표작으로 피치 퍼펙트: 언프리티 걸즈, 피치 퍼펙트가 있으며, 그 외에도 루폴의 드래그 레이스, 아이스 에이지 4: 대륙 이동설, 크레이지 엑스 걸프렌드, 트롤: 월드 투어, 리오, 피치 퍼펙트 3, The Wheel, Trolls Holiday in Harmony, Songland, Clash of the Cover Bands 등 다양한 작품에 출연했다. (오뜨랑에서 실시간으로 번역된 한글 프로필도 확인할 수 있어요) 2022년 The Wheel에 출연했다. 2021년 Trolls Holiday in Harmony에서 Legsly (voice) 역을 맡았다. 2021년 Clash of the Cover Bands에 출연했다.