Danneel was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small town of Eunice in St. Landry Parish. She was named after her great-grandmother. Her first name is Elta, but she goes by her middle name, Danneel, professionally. The name "Danneel" was inspired by Danneel Street in New Orleans. Her cousin is actress Mary Lou. She moved to Los Angeles and continued her acting training with John Homa, Calmeson and Calmeson, and Craig Wargo.
| Born | Elta Danneel Graul March 18, 1979 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Other names | Danneel Harris (artist name) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | Jensen Ackles (m. 2010–present) |
Modeling and television career
Before she landed her first acting role, Danneel worked as a model with such companies as Big Sexy Hair and Juicy Jeans. She first appeared in a television commercial. The independent film The Plight of Clownana marks her first major acting role. Her other credits include The WB's What I Like About You, guest appearance on Mad TV, and a supporting role in the yet-to-be released indie Rule Number One starring Ed Harris.
Danneel is skilled in gymnastics and her musical talents include playing the piano and singing. She relocated to New York in 2004 for her role on One Life to Live.
In 2005, Danneel successfully auditioned for the role of Rachel Gatina on The CW's Teen Drama One Tree Hill. She went on to become an integral part of the series and was upgraded to a series regular in the fourth season. However in season five, Danneel only reprised the role of Rachel in two episodes due to the seasons format change. Danneel announced at The CW Upfront she had been contacted about returning in the series seventh season. Danneel announced she had signed on to for seven episodes in the series seventh season. Danneel went on to appear in another five episodes. It has been reported One Tree Hill was interested in having Danneel reprise the role of Rachel in the series eighth and possible last season; this would problematic because of Danneel's schedule with Friends with Benefits. However, the show was never picked up despite the 13 episodes that had been filmed. Harris appeared alongside Co-Stars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton in the November 2006 Edition of Maxim. One Tree Hill is Danneel's best known role to date.
Danneel appeared in the episode "Shelter Island" as Nora Zinman in CBS's How I Met Your Mother. The episode premiered on October 20, 2008 and Harris replaced Sara Paxton who dropped out.
Danneel was cast as a series regular on the sitcom Friends with Benefits, which will air on NBC as a "Summer Burn-Off". The sitcom was originally scheduled to air as a 2010–2011 mid-season add-on.
Film career
Danneel Ackles has appeared in independent short films such as The Plight of Clownana and Rule Number One. She has also had small roles in films such as Straight to DVD films Extreme Movie and Still Waiting....
In 2007, she starred alongside One Tree Hill star Elisabeth Harnois in Ten Inch Hero which followed the relationships of a group of staff working at a sandwich shop. The film premiered in the festival circuit during 2007 and was released straight-to-DVD exclusively with Blockbuster. The film was well received by critics.
She made her theatrical debut as Vanessa Fanning in the sequel to 2004's Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle 2008's Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. The film was released to mixed to positive reviews and had success at the box office earning $67,366,013 worldwide. Danneel has been confirmed to reprise her role of Vanessa A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas in 2011.
In 2009, she appeared in the Screen Gems Teen Comedy film Fired Up starring alongside Sarah Roemer and Molly Sims. The film which was released February 20, 2009 was released to negative reviews and had little success at the box office earning a worldwide total of $18,001,045.
In 2008, Danneel signed up for another Screen Gems film Mardi Gras alongside Carmen Electra and Arielle Kebbel. The film has been pushed back numerous times. As of May 27, 2009, the film was announced in post-production. The film received confirmed for a February 19, 2010 debut but was pushed back yet again. Its release date is currently unknown.
She appeared as Olivia in CBS Films The Back-Up Plan. The film was released April 23, 2010, and starred Jennifer Lopez. Despite negative reviews, the film debuted at #2 at the weekend box office with an estimated gross of $12,250,000.
In May 2009, it was announced she had signed on for the role of Irene in Screen Gems' The Roommate. Starring alongside Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester, filming took place in 2009. The film originally was scheduled for an October 2010 release, but was pushed forward to September 17, 2010. However, it was later announced Screen Gems was pushing it back once again to February 4, 2011.
Personal life
After dating for three years, Danneel became engaged to actor Jensen Ackles (mostly known for his role as Dean Winchester in the TV series Supernatural). The two starred together in Ten Inch Hero. They married in Dallas, Texas on May 15, 2010. Nearly a year after their marriage, Danneel adopted his last name. "Danneel Ackles" is officially listed on her IMDB page and her official Twitter account.
Film and television credits
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003– 2004 | One Life to Live | Shannon McBain | 68 episodes |
| 2004 | The Plight of Clownanan | DildoMan's Fan | |
| 2004 | What I Like About You | Kate | 4 episodes |
| 2004– 2005 | Joey | Katie | 3 episodes |
| 2005 | JAG | Cameron 'Cammie' Cresswell | Episodes: "Death at the Mosque", "Straits of Malacca" |
| 2005 | Rule Number One | April | |
| 2005– 2009 | One Tree Hill | Rachel Gatina | 52 episodes |
| 2007 | Ten Inch Hero | Tish | Straight to DVD |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Shasta McCloud | Episode: "A La Cart" |
| 2008 | Extreme Movie | Melissa | Straight to DVD |
| 2008 | Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Vanessa Fanning | |
| 2008 | Free Radio | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2008 | How I Met Your Mother | Nora Zinman | Episode: "Shelter Island" |
| 2009 | Still Waiting... | Sherry | Straight to DVD |
| 2009 | Fired Up | Bianca | |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Abby Dawson | Episode: "Sink or Swim" |
| 2009 | Trust Me | Jessica | Episode: "All Hell the Victors" |
| 2009 | NCIS | Jessica Shore | Episode: "Love & War" |
| 2010 | Mardi Gras | TBA | Post-production |
| 2010 | The Back-up Plan | Olivia | |
| 2010 | Friends with Benefits | Sara Maxwell | Main cast |
| 2011 | The Roommate | Irene Crew | |
| 2011 | A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas | Vanessa Fanning | Filming |
