Danielle Macdonald

Danielle Louise Macdonald,{{cn|date=July 2024}} who is of Italian and Scottish heritage,{{Cite news |last=Tate |first=Gabriel |date=17 December 2021 |url= https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/danielle-macdonald-interview-the-tourist-bbc1-tv-jamie-dornan-weight-1368245|title=The Tourist's Danielle Macdonald: 'I love roles where weight isn't mentioned – it's not the focus of who I am' |work=i |access-date=16 February 2022}}{{Cite news |date=2020-10-16 |title=I Am Woman star Danielle Macdonald talks representation and why Hollywood still has a long way to go |first=Annabel |last=Nugent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/danielle-macdonald-i-am-woman-dumplin-bird-box-interview-netflix-b994171.html |access-date=2021-05-31 |work=The Independent}} was born in Sydney in 1991.{{cite web |title=Hollywood's Next Big Thing: 'Patti Cake$' Star Danielle Macdonald Goes From Lost TV Role to Sundance Breakout |first=Rebecca |last=Ford |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=22 January 2017 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywoods-next-big-thing-patti-cake-star-danielle-macdonald-goes-lost-tv-role-sundance-breakou |access-date=2017-12-13|quote=Age: 25}}{{cite news |first=Dixie |last=Limbachia |title='Patti Cake$' Star Danielle Macdonald on Learning to Rap for Sundance Film |work=Variety |date=27 July 2017 |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/features/actress-danielle-macdonald-1202506523/ |access-date=2017-12-13|quote= Age: 26}}

Having taken performing arts classes in grade 8, she moved on to improv and screen classes when she was in grade 10.{{Cite web |title=Danielle Macdonald Is On the Rise |editor-first=Noah |editor-last=Lehava |date=2019-09-07 |website=Coveteur.com |url=https://coveteur.com/2019/09/07/actress-danielle-macdonald-talks-numerous-roles/ |access-date=2021-05-31}} She attended the Australian Institute for Performing Arts in Artarmon, New South Wales. When she was 17, Macdonald took some acting classes in Los Angeles and was encouraged to move to the United States to pursue things further. After deciding that acting would be her life, Danielle moved to Hollywood at age 18.

At the age of 18, Macdonald moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. She was originally booked for the role of Becca Huffstatter in the ABC drama series Huge, but her visa did not come in on time and she was unable to fill the role.{{cite web |title=Fugs and Fabs: The East premiere Danielle Macdonald |work=gofugyourself.com |date=29 May 2013 |url=http://www.gofugyourself.com/fugs-and-fabs-the-east-premiere-05-2013/piaget-presents-the-premiere-of-fox-searchlight-pictures-the-east-arrivals-7 |access-date=28 October 2015}} Her first feature film was The East, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Macdonald is known for her starring role as Alice Manning in the 2014 crime film Every Secret Thing, alongside Dakota Fanning, Diane Lane, and Elizabeth Banks.{{cite web |title=Dakota Fanning And Danielle Macdonald To Play Convicted Murderers In Every Secret Thing |first=Kelly |last=West |work=CinemaBlend |date=7 February 2013 |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Dakota-Fanning-Danielle-Macdonald-Play-Convicted-Murderers-Every-Secret-Thing-35610.html |access-date=28 October 2015}}{{cite web |title=Berlin: Dakota Fanning And Danielle Macdonald Board Amy Berg Pic 'Every Secret Thing' |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=7 February 2013 |url=https://deadline.com/2013/02/dakota-fanning-danielle-macdonald-every-secret-thing-movie-casting-424625/ |access-date=28 October 2015}} Regarding Every Secret Thing, Katherine Pushkar from the New York Daily News wrote, "The film actually belongs to Danielle Macdonald, effective as cruel, jealous Alice."{{cite news |title='Every Secret Thing' review: Dakota Fanning in labored drama |first=Katherine |last=Pushkar |date=2015-05-13 |work=New York Daily News |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/secret-review-dakota-fanning-labored-drama-article-1.2220798 |access-date=28 October 2015}} Macdonald also had a supporting role in the film Trust Me.

In 2016, she appeared in the season finale of American Horror Story: Roanoke as Bristol Windows.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/02/caa-patti-cake-star-danielle-macdonald-first-agency-sundance-1201927594/ |title=CAA Signs 'Patti Cake$' Star Danielle Macdonald |last=Patten |first=Dominic |date=21 February 2017 |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=2 January 2018}} The following year, Macdonald starred opposite Bridget Everett and Cathy Moriarty in the drama film Patti Cake$ as the titular aspiring rapper in New Jersey.{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/patti-cake-danielle-macdonald-interview-cannes-directors-fortnight-1202090028/ |title='Patti Cake$' Star Danielle Macdonald On Tackling Her First Lead Role Without Killa P's Self-Confidence – Cannes Ones To Watch |last=Utichi |first=Joe |date=16 May 2017 |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=6 August 2017}} After working agentless for the first six years of her career, Macdonald signed with her first Hollywood agent after the success of Patti Cake$.

In December 2017, Macdonald appeared in the Netflix comedy series Easy,{{cite web |title=Netflix Anthology 'Easy' Sets New and Returning Cast for Season 2 (Exclusive) |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=5 October 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflix-anthology-easy-sets-new-returning-cast-season-2-1045975 |access-date=2 January 2018}} playing the role of a teenager who retaliates against her wealthy parents when they force her to go to church every week.

In 2018, Macdonald appeared in two Netflix films, opposite Jennifer Aniston in the adaptation of young adult novel Dumplin', by Julie Murphy;{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/15/danielle-macdonald-up-and-coming-australian-to-star-with-jennifer-aniston-in-dumplin |title=Danielle Macdonald: up-and-coming Australian to star with Jennifer Aniston in Dumplin' |last=Harmon |first=Steph |date=15 June 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=6 August 2017}} and Bird Box as Olympia, a pregnant woman who tries to survive the arrival of supernatural beings that make people want to kill themselves once they see it.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-02 |title=Bird Box: Translating the Unseen to the Big Screen |url=https://viewfromthedark.ca/2019/02/02/bird-box-translating-the-unseen-to-the-big-screen/ |access-date=2021-06-01 |website=View From the Dark}} She also portrayed Christa in the Academy Award-winning short drama film Skin.

In 2019, Macdonald appeared as Lillian Roxon in I Am Woman, the biopic of singer Helen Reddy, which showcased her Australian accent.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-16|title=I Am Woman star Danielle Macdonald talks representation and why Hollywood still has a long way to go|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/danielle-macdonald-i-am-woman-dumplin-bird-box-interview-netflix-b994171.html|access-date=2021-06-01|website=The Independent|language=en}} About the role she said "I love that these are two Australian women that decided to go to the States by themselves in a time where that didn't happen, and have a commanding presence and say 'this is what I want to do, this is a career that I want to have.' I obviously moved from Australia when I was 18 to come and pursue a crazy career, so I could understand and relate.".{{Cite web|last=Lodi|first=Marie|title=How to Be Best Friends With Danielle Macdonald|url=https://www.allure.com/story/danielle-macdonald-interview-i-am-woman|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Allure|date=21 September 2020|language=en-US}}

In 2021, Macdonald starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in French Exit.{{Cite web |title=Interview: French Exit actress Danielle Macdonald on the specificity of the script and witnessing masterclass acting with Michelle Pfeiffer |first=Peter |last=Gray |date=2021-03-18 |website=The AU Review |url=https://www.theaureview.com/watch/interview-french-exit-actress-danielle-macdonald-on-the-specificity-of-the-script-and-witnessing-masterclass-acting-with-michelle-pfeiffer/ |access-date=2021-05-31}} In the same year, Macdonald starred in the Ben Lewin-directed movie, Falling for Figaro. Macdonald plays Millie, a woman who quits her job to fulfill her dream of becoming an opera singer. She moves to Scotland where she is tutored by fearsome teacher, Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley).{{Citation|title=Falling for Figaro {{!}} Discover the best in independent, foreign, documentaries, and genre cinema from IFC Films. {{!}} IFC Films|url=https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/falling-for-figaro|language=en-US|access-date=2022-02-08}}

Macdonald starred in the series The Tourist alongside Jamie Dornan and Alex Dimitriades, in 2022. Macdonald plays the character of Helen Chambers, a police officer from a country town who is sent to investigate a man who suffered amnesia after a car crash.{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Sam |date=2022-03-11 |title=Danielle Macdonald Discusses The Filming Process Of The Tourist – Exclusive |url=https://www.thelist.com/795964/danielle-macdonald-discusses-the-filming-process-of-the-tourist-exclusive/ |access-date=2022-03-11 |website=TheList.com |language=en-US}}

In 2025, Macdonald was named for the Foxtel series The Last Anniversary.{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=2025-02-08 |title=Airdate: The Last Anniversary {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2025/02/airdate-the-last-anniversary.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU}}

Macdonald was personally affected by the catastrophic summer bushfires in Australia over 2019–20 when her cousin's house burned down.{{Cite web |url=https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/danielle-macdonald-breaks-down-in-tears-at-gday-usa-event/fa1557d7-cf63-45fb-adc7-4278ac4adc80 |title=Danielle Macdonald breaks down in tears over bushfires at G'Day USA event |first=Claire |last=Knight |date=2020 |website=celebrity.nine.com.au}} While staying with family in Bateman's Bay over Christmas, Macdonald and her family fled to safety in a car journey that would normally have taken three hours but took 13 hours through the fire-ravaged region.

In September 2020, Macdonald was living with roommates and several rescue pets in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |last=Lodi |first=Marie |title=How to Be Best Friends With Danielle Macdonald |url=https://www.allure.com/story/danielle-macdonald-interview-i-am-woman |access-date=2021-06-01 |work=Allure |date=21 September 2020}} Animal welfare is important to Macdonald and she lived as a pescatarian for five years, choosing to convert to veganism at the beginning of 2020.

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Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Australian actresses

Category:Actresses from Sydney

Category:Australian expatriate actresses in the United States

Category:Australian film actresses

Category:Australian television actresses

Category:Australian people of Italian descent

Category:Australian people of Scottish descent