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<\/a>Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> I always wanted to be an actor.\u00a0 When I was little we lived in a small town and I just so happened to be good at gymnastics.\u00a0 In my mind, it was an avenue that could lead to the big city.\u00a0 I was a very precocious child!<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: You’ve done just about every genre of TV\/movies possible, is there one that you haven’t tried yet that you would like to? What is your favorite?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> It’s a dream to one day do a Broadway show.\u00a0 I would really feel like I made it if I could accomplish that.<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: <\/strong> I absolutely loved you on 3rd Rock from the Sun and you totally held your own against legends like John Lithgow and Jane Curtain, what was that experience like?<\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> Thank you!\u00a0 That was the most amazing learning experience for me as an actor and as a person.\u00a0 John and Jane taught me how serious it is to be funny!\u00a0 I learned a great work ethic, made lifelong friendships and got paid to learn my chops on an Emmy winning show.\u00a0 It doesn’t get much more lucky than that.<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: What has been your favorite character that you’ve played and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> Hands down, my favorite character to play has been Tess in Red Faction.\u00a0 She is such a fish out of water!\u00a0 Mostly I loved her for being unabashedly herself.\u00a0 She is smart, humorous and quirky.\u00a0 Those are really attractive qualities to me.<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: You are in “Knuckle Draggers’ with one of my favorite people, Paul J. Alessi, what was it like working with him?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> One of my favorite people too!!!\u00a0 I love that man!\u00a0 He is a blast to work with.\u00a0 Doing that movie was a lot like being at summer camp with a bunch a friends.\u00a0 We stayed up all night, had a bunch a laughs and played games.\u00a0 Somewhere in the middle we stopped to make a really good movie.\u00a0 Let me tell you, Paul is as funny in real life as he is in Knuckle Draggers.\u00a0 I will always love those tangents he goes on!<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: \u00a0 I’m very anxious to see “Knuckle Draggers”, tell us about your character in the movie? Do you think the movie realistically portrays relationships between men and women?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> In Knuckle Draggers I play, Renee, the somewhat disaffected wife of Omar Gooding.\u00a0 She’s part of a group of tight knit friends, who are all in their own stage of relationship disfunction.\u00a0 I think that the reason the movie works and is so entertaining is because it really does reflect real relationships.\u00a0 Paul Alessi’s character has the burden of being the mouthpiece (loudmouth piece, my character would say!), but what makes you so mad at him is the fact that a lot of what he says is true!\u00a0 Even if he says it in an obnoxious way…<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: \u00a0 You are starring in the new SyFy movie “Red Faction: Origins”, you have done some work in this genre before, are you a fan of it?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> I am a super fan of science fiction.\u00a0 I was giddy when I got this job! I watch a lot of shows on SyFy and I have seen every episode of Battlestar!<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: Your character Tess De LaVega is the sidekick to Jake Mason and considered the “smart one” since she was born on Earth, what else can you tell us about her?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> I can tell you that Tess is always the one informing people that she’s the smart one!\u00a0 She is best suited behind a computer screen, but ends up reluctantly attempting to save the planet along the hero, Jake Mason (Brian J. Smith).<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: What drew you to this role? Was it a physically demanding role?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> I loved the writing from the very first page.\u00a0 All little girls wanted to be Princess Lea and be chased around an enemy ship, and be rescued by a handsome hero. (At least I did!)\u00a0 Fortunately for me (at 5 feet!) I didn’t have to do too much of the hard stuff.\u00a0 It was physically demanding in the sense that the weather and location conditions were harsh, but that really lent itself to Mars.<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: It’s the first time that a movie and video game are being released at the same time, are you a fan of video games?<\/strong><\/p>\n Danielle:<\/a><\/strong> I am a big fan of video games! I play often, and even voice characters on them sometimes!<\/p>\n Mandy<\/a>: What would be your dream project?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.officiallypluggedin.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/red-faction-origins-20110506070245682_640w-300x200.jpg\" "\\"red-faction-origins-20110506070245682_640w\\"")
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