While Danielle Rose Russell’s career has taken off as the star of the CW Network’s Legacies, she has definitely been the author of her future. For her entire life, Danielle has been surrounded by powerful women and her success is a testament to those who have helped her realize her dreams.
Danielle was raised primarily by her mom, Rosemary, and grandmother, Irene. “They are two of the most powerful women that I have ever met,’ says Danielle. “I cannot really talk about my mom without talking about my grandmother.” The family sacrificed a lot to advance Danielle’s career to where it is today but, there are no regrets. “My mother was the only one who truly believed in me, even when there was no success and no glamor, she allowed me to become a child actor.” Danielle credits her mom and grandmother for giving her a “normal life” and for keeping that a priority in all aspects of her life. “I’d like to think that I am fairly normal for being a child actor,” she laughs.
There are some memories that trigger a lot of emotion for both Danielle’s mother and grandmother. Rosemary remembers the start of Danielle’s career and mailing out her daughter’s headshot when she was only 10 years old. “She was a natural, not afraid at all. It was magic, a surreal experience for everyone,” says Rosemary. Her daughter’s incredible success takes her breath away.
Growing up, Danielle remembers her grandmother forever singing Doris Day’s Que Será Será. This musical connection was immortalized forever in a tattoo on Danielle’s neck of the lyrics in her grandmother’s handwriting. “That symbolizes the very special connection between us,” says grandmother Irene. “Our loving and powerful relationship is full of emotion.” These relationships are as strong as ever and Danielle enjoys spending as much time with her mother and grandmother as possible.
Today Danielle is a successful Hollywood star with big career dreams and even bigger expectations of herself. “I think it's kind of a lifelong challenge being comfortable in your own skin,” says Danielle. Recently, she completely removed herself from all social media. It was an intensely personal decision for her and definitely not one that was fully supported by the people in the entertainment industry. “I have dealt with a lot of bullying and a lot of shame online, I just decided I didn't really care about what people thought of me,” she says. Deciding not to live her life based on other people's expectations gave Danielle the ability to be more happy and more confident than she has ever been. “I think for the first time in my life, I'm really truly happy and confident in my own body,” expresses Danielle, “I have honestly never felt happier.”
The roles that Danielle has played have all been quite disparate. Each has taught the young actor many of life’s lessons and helped shape her into the woman that she is today. “Playing Hope Michelson has taught me what it's like to work really hard and to be a leader,” says Danielle. While very different from each other, the character Hope, in CW’s drama TV series The Originals has been a huge part of Danielle’s life for the last five years.
For Danielle, the biggest struggle of being on a network television show is not having control over your character. "Having such little say in your character’s evolution can be frustrating sometimes.” Danielle is grateful for Hope, “she has a special place in my heart; and I'm ready to see what's coming next for me."
Danielle is happy with her career choices over the years and is looking forward to her future. “I decided to just let my career evolve naturally and to let the universe help me along the way,” says Danielle. “I really want to spend time on choosing the right roles and not to be locked into the role of Hope Michelson forever.”
Whether Danielle chooses television or a return to the big screen we can be assured that we will be seeing a lot more of Danielle Rose Russell in the future.