INTERVIEW: Danielle Campbell

Danielle Campbell

Say hello to Danielle Campbell! This 15-year-old actress is the star of the new Disney DVD, StarStruck – and she’s here to tell you all about it…

Hi Danielle! What can you tell us about your new movie?
StarStruck is a movie with a great, little love twist. I play a character called Jessica – and the movie’s story is all about her falling for a pop star, played by Sterling Knight. I think the movie’s going to have everyone laughing because it’s funny and it’s really, really sweet.

How would you describe your character?
Jessica is really down to earth and sweet. She’s not obsessed with fame, but her sister is. In fact, her sister is obsessed with Christopher Wilde – who is the pop star played by Sterling in the movie. She’s a huge fan of his!

Are you similar to Jessica in any way?
Well, I can really relate to Jessica because I’m new to Hollywood, just like she is in the movie. Hollywood is a whole new world to me!

Do you live in Hollywood?
I live in Chicago, but I’ve been flying back and forth to LA a lot recently. Los Angeles is a really fun town. There is a lot to do there, so I’ve been enjoying seeing the sights and exploring the landmarks.

What do you like the most about Hollywood?
All of the people in LA are really nice and it’s sunny all the time. Plus, there’s so much to do there. You can go hiking in the hills, you can go swimming in the ocean, you can go surfing… You can do everything. Oh, and the food is amazing!

What’s the worst thing about Hollywood?
Well, it rarely rains in Hollywood – and I love the rain. There are ups and downs to anywhere in the world, but I get frustrated without any rain.

How much fun did you have working with Sterling Knight on StarStruck?
Sterling is a lot of fun. He kept everyone laughing the whole time he was on set and he has this great way of keeping everyone’s energy up. We bonded really well and we loved to tease each other.

What did you tease him about?
He’s not a morning person at all. In fact, you can’t speak to him in the morning. He hates it, so I’d always try to get him into heavy conversations as soon as he got to work. It was always funny to see him struggling with words over breakfast!

Can you tell us any secrets about Sterling?
Sterling is obsessed with cars. He loves them to bits. We were in a Ferrari the other day and he was literally drooling over the car. It’s crazy! It’s his biggest obsession.

Let’s talk fashion, Danielle… Are you a fan of your character’s outfits in StarStruck?
Jessica is really girlie, which is pretty similar to me – but she wears a lot of pink and I’m not the biggest fan of that color. I’m pretty casual, just like Jessica – but I think she wears more dresses than I do.

How would you describe your personal sense of style?
I love wearing jeans. I live in them! You’ll always find me wearing jeans, boots and a T-shirt – but I’m trying to get into fashion more and I want to play around with it. It’s fun to play with fashion and clothes.

What’s the best item in your wardrobe right now?
My favorite jeans are the best thing in there. I wear them everywhere and I love them to bits. They’re amazing!

And what’s the worst thing in there?
Ooh, let me think… [Danielle pauses for a few seconds] I’d probably say it was a sweater that my grandma gave me. Sorry grandma, but it doesn’t even fit me!

Is your wardrobe full of designer clothes now that you’re famous?
No way! I’ve got a few designer things in there, but not many.

Who is your fashion icon?
I love Blake Lively. She’s one of my favorite actresses and she’s got a really classy and beautiful look. She’s somebody that I really look up to and follow.

After starring in your own movie, have you attended many glamorous red carpet events?
I haven’t! I’m still waiting to walk a red carpet. I’m patiently waiting, but I know I’ll get to do one some day.

Are you nervous about your first red carpet event?
To be honest, I’m more excited than nervous. I get excited about everything! I’m excited about auditions, I’m excited about working and I’m excited about visiting Hollywood all the time. I couldn’t be happier!

Have you always wanted to be an actress?
I never really pictured myself as an actress. I just fell into the industry when I was 10 years old.

How did you get your big break?
I was getting my haircut in Chicago when someone approached my mom. They asked me to audition for an agency and it all started from there. I hadn’t even performed in any school plays or anything like that, so it was pretty amazing to be picked up like that.

So what’s your top tip to acting success?
I think it’s all about working hard and learning as much as possible about acting. I took acting classes and I’m always trying to improve myself. Everyone can improve and the more you work in the industry, the better you are going to feel about it.

Do you have any audition tips for youngsters who want to follow in your footsteps and act?
Be yourself. It’s important to get into character when you’re performing a scene, but it’s also important to be yourself when you’re meeting people at castings. Put yourself into the character’s shoes and really follow your instinct when you perform the scene, but it’s fine to be yourself once the scene is over.

Is it natural to be nervous at auditions?
Some people get really nervous, but others don’t. It’s completely random. If nerves hit, you’ve just got to work through them and be confident with yourself. Oh, and stay positive.

Before we go, we’ve got one last question… Would you like to see a StarStruck 2?
Of course I would! I think that would be really cool. I have no idea what we could do in a second movie, but there have been loads of great sequels and I’d love to be part of one. Count me in!