Deborah Ayorinde was born in London, England. At age seven, she performed in her first play with a drama school in the Forest Gate area of London. It was there that she developed a passion for the arts. In May of 2009, she graduated with honors from Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production. During her matriculation at Howard, she won the coveted Paul Robeson Best Actress award for her performance in a short film she wrote and directed (The film also won the award for Best Cinematography). Deborah made her professional stage debut at the Lyric Hammersmith in London in the role of Julia in the play Wedding Band by Alice Childress.