Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
Originally from Cortlandt Manor, New York, Both Danielle’s parents are of Puerto Rican descent and retired NYPD officers. At fifteen years old she, along with her mother, moved to Los Angeles, California to further pursue her goals and aspirations as an actress. While accomplishing so much in her career, Danielle took the time to earn her Cosmetology License as well as a B.S in Psychology from The University of Phoenix all while being a mother to her son, Benson (Benny).
Beautiful inside and out, Danielle landed her first commercial at only four years old and has had an ongoing success in modeling and acting for over 2 decades. Becoming a Broadway star at only 9 years old, Danielle was cast as ‘Young Nala’ in ‘The Lion King’ on Broadway in 2009, which led to many opportunities like performing on “Saturday Night Live” with Jimmy Fallon and hosting a season of commercial breaks for the Women’s National Basketball Association. Further credits include guest-starring on “ER”, “Without A Trace”, “NCIS”, “Home Economics”, and “Good Trouble”, a recurring role on “Vida” and “This Is Us” and starring alongside Melissa Joan Hart in the Christmas Movie” Mistletoe in Montana”. Now, the rising star makes her mark on Amazon’s BOSCH: Legacy and can be seen in the Jennifer Lopez film “This Is Me….Now”.
In her free time, Danielle enjoys Zumba, salsa, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, boxing, and hiking. Also, Danielle is an advocate for women’s empowerment, Latino charities, The Boys and Girls Club, civil rights, and many other causes. A driving factor for Danielle’s aspirations for the future and beyond is to continue to bring a rising presence in TV & Film for the Latino community.
Hi Danielle and welcome to OLC! It’s such a pleasure to have you here, So can you share your experience working on “Bosch: Legacy” and your role as Paulina Calderon?
HEY OLC! Happy to be here! Yes! So, my experience was one word “amazing.” Jumping into an already well-run show is a dream for an actor like me. I was able to watch and learn from so many seasoned talented actors and filmmakers who truly made me a better actor. Playing Paulina was so beautiful to me and brought many things in my life full circle. Both my parents were police officers, so being able to essentially play them on screen was inspiring.
What inspired you to join Jennifer Lopez’s film “This Is Me…Now,” and how was your experience working on it and working with the incredible Jennifer Lopez?
Omg! Well! Anything with JLO is inspiring enough! But personally, she has been a huge role model for my career, so I leaped at the opportunity. Working with her truly exceeded my expectations. She is so talented, smart, and welcoming. I learned so much from her. Especially how beautifully she balances being the boss, but also an artist.
Tell us about your recurring role as Mandy Moore’s nurse Laila on NBC’s “This Is Us.” How did you prepare for such a significant role?
I did extensive research on playing the role of a nurse, but more importantly a hospice nurse. The importance of comfort exceeds trying to get the patient better in those circumstances. Moreover, as my guilty pleasure, I binged watched the show again.
It’s impressive that your son Benson is involved in acting. How do you balance your career and raising him as a single mother?
As a mom, I feel all moms can agree we have no idea how we manage haha! But I do have important aspects in my life that help a great deal. My support system and little village I have built through family and friends really allow me to do this, and GOOGLE CALENDAR lol!
We’d love to hear more about your early career, such as becoming a Broadway star at just nine years old. How did those experiences shape your acting journey?
I learned from a very early age about the importance of professionalism, and to keep going. Working for a Disney company, they teach you through their expectations the principles of running a successful show. For example, punctuality is key with them, and has stuck with me. Also, during a play there are no cuts, so mistakes happen, but you have no choice but to continue and sometimes the mistakes become beautiful!
As someone with a Cosmetology License and a B.S in Psychology, how do these skills influence your approach to acting and your roles?
The cosmetology helped me a great deal with behind-the-scenes self- care on set. For instance, I have sensitive skin, so because of my license I can prep my skin before set and help guide the makeup artist to the look they want to achieve without doing damage to my skin. Moreover, using products that have better coverage or work well with my skin, so I don’t have to deal with constant reapplication. In regard to my psychology degree, I took so many tools I learned and use them in my acting all the time. One important skill for instance is when I don’t agree with the choices of the character I’m playing, in psychology they teach you it’s not our job to agree it’s our job to understand why they make those choices. So those type of characters as long as I can understand why I can play the role.
What motivated you to advocate for women’s empowerment, Latino charities, and civil rights? How do you actively contribute to these causes?
I feel like being a woman and a Latina inspires all the motivation! In my professional life and personal life, I consistently stay informed and spread awareness of social issues. I am also a big advocate for change and pushing the narrative forward for more diverse acting roles in the Latin community.
With your diverse interests in Zumba, salsa, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing, boxing, and hiking, how do these activities contribute to your overall well-being?
Movement is an essential component to my well-being! I feel like it’s a big part of how I am able to do what I love and stay grounded without feeling overwhelmed.
Could you share your thoughts on being a role model for the Latino community in TV & Film, and your aspirations for its future representation?
I take great pride in being a role model for the Latino community. For example, Jennifer Lopez was one for me and I feel it is crucial to have important people in the community that aspiring actors can strive to become. We have to be able to see ourselves!
How does it feel to work with your son Benson on projects like “Griselda,” and what advice do you have for other parents navigating the entertainment industry with their children?
It was such a magical experience, and we were able to bond over the commonalities. The best advice I can give parents navigating the industry for their child would be to follow your kids’ lead and keep it light and fun for them!
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