When fans see Danielle Rose Russell, they see nothing but confidence. However, the star's self-esteem has been hit multiple times. Being a successful actress who is always on display means being scrutinized daily by millions, whether she wants it or not. Despite growing up in a showbiz family, her dad as a singer and her mom as a Broadway dancer, Russell never felt experienced enough to perform or act on TV.
The 22-year-old celebrity has been acting and modeling since 10, yet self-doubted chased her constantly. She admitted once, "I never really thought of making this something I would do for the rest of my life." If people think being cast in a massive production like The Originals solves everything, they've never been so wrong. Quite the opposite, The Vampire Diaries universe fans have criticized her physical appearance. As a consequence, the actress has been body-shamed by fans on multiple occasions.
Fans Body-Shamed Danielle
Danielle Rose Russell made a name for herself after starring as Hope Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries spin-off Legacies. She plays her role perfectly, and viewers love her for it. However, the actress was fat-shamed to the point where she felt pressure to address the issue publicly. The actress wrote in an Instagram post, "I will rarely address this but: it's extremely upsetting that people are calling me unworthy, a bad actress, or degrading me because I have curves."
She continued, "My petite curves make me different from a lot of actresses out there, but I don't look at them as anything less than beautiful. I love the fact that I have a curvier body, in fact, my curves make me feel empowered as a woman. It's extremely saddening that people feel the need to judge me based on my differences from other actresses."
Regardless of all the love, she gets from fans, there will always be haters. Some people have even body-shamed her about her recent weight loss for season three. The sad truth is that after so much pressure, she started worrying more about her physical appearance. However, her true fans have always supported and loved her. Meanwhile, she also embraces herself.
On the other hand, the actress' feed was also flooded with comments about her not being a good fit to portray Hope Mikaelson. What can be better for someone's self-image than fan-induced imposter syndrome?
The star revealed that portraying Hope felt like being a big fish in a big pond. In an interview with Teen Vogue, she admitted, "In the beginning, the fans were a little unsure of me, but thus far, the response has been really great."
Danielle Considered Quitting Acting
Now that Russell has become an international star and proved everyone wrong, she reflects on the days where she almost turned her back on the audition.
The actress added, "I remember going in for the callback, and I saw like three other girls there, and I was like, "I'm definitely not going to get this. Definitely."
As Legacies has brought her so much fame, she admits that her guilty pleasure is fan assembled edits of her character on YouTube: "It's something I never want to get used to because I'm so grateful." But the truth is that not all comments are kind and supportive in the comments sections.
The Legacies' actress has been putting everything herself into the process, but for some, her incredible performance is not enough as she continues to be a victim of body-shaming.
Danielle Started Her Career Young
Russell's mother wanted her to follow in their footsteps by being in the art profession. Her mom's friend insisted she starts modeling. She became a model at ten years old, and by the time she was 12, the star was in a bunch of commercials and print ads. After being in front of the cameras for commercials, she realized that she loved being on set and wanted to be an actress.
For this reason, the actress finished high school online. Since she started her career young, her schedule has always been super busy filming shows and movies. It makes sense that she finished high school by taking online classes.
Apart from playing Hope in The Originals and Legacies, she was in the series The Last Tycoon. Russell also starred in some known movies with prominent actors and actresses like A Walk Among the Tombstones with Liam Neeson, Aloha with Rachel McAdams, and Wonder with Owen Wilson.
A Reliable Friend
Everyone loves and depends on Hope in the Legacies series, and it's no different off-screen. She is best friends with the cast, especially Kaylee Bryant, who plays Josie Saltzman. Their friendship and chemistry in real life are what sparked Josie in the first place. Russell is also very close with Jenny Boyd, Aria Shahghasemi, Quincy Fouse, Alex Smith, and the rest of the cast.
Not to mention, the actress has the cutest relationship with Phoebe Tonkin, who plays her on-screen mom Hayley Marshall. Despite the unwelcome comments about her body, Russell's strength has become an excellent example of resilience for other women in the entertainment industry.