The Kingsway Christian College graduate is carving a niche in American film and television, with a part in the TV series The Good Wife and background work in The Wolf of Wall Street already to her credit.
Although drama was always a favourite, Danielle (31) pursued business studies, majoring in hospitality management and French at Edith Cowan University.
Over the years however, travel experiences and print modelling, promotional and other creative roles were ‘signs’ of what the future held.
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READ NOWThe turning point came in 2009 when a three-month visit home to see family and friends stretched into almost seven months as she dealt with a basal cell carcinoma and lumps in her left breast.
With health issues sorted, Danielle reconsidered her future.
‘The thought came to mind ” if time, age and money were no barrier, what would I do?’ she said.
Acting was her choice and she headed off to the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney in 2010.
After studying at the New York Film Academy in 2011, she stayed on to pursue acting opportunities.
Since then, she has had various roles in films and television, a favourite being director-writer Tullia Zanfini’s short film Cioccolatino, chosen to screen at last year’s Mississippi Film and Music Festival.
Danielle worked with a ‘so lovely and very focused’ Julianna Margulies on The Good Wife and a ‘very friendly’ Ice-T on Law and Order SVU.
She found herself in the same room as an off-limits Leonardo Di Caprio and Martin Scorsese on The Wolf of Wall Street set.
Danielle, who auditioned for several American pilot shows ‘thanks to technology’ while holidaying in Perth recently, is now in Sydney exploring new opportunities and will be back in NYC for a film role at the end of the year.
‘(Ultimately) I would love to be working out of New York City constantly, but projects come to an end and you have to be really OK with rejection,’ she said.
‘You are lucky to get one out of every 10 auditions.
‘You have to work really hard and know what you are going for.
‘The most challenging part (of the industry) is the audition process. You can spend two full days preparing for what takes, if you are lucky, five minutes and could take 30 seconds.’