Model, actress, avid equestrian, martial arts expert and an ordained minister. All this and she’s even mates with Warnie. Yes, there’s a lot to love about this beauty with the Czech and Cherokee mix…
Excellent photo shoot, Danielle. Congrats on your first MAXIM feature. How do you feel?
Thank you, I feel so lucky to have this this opportunity, thanks for having me! I loved shooting on the beach and the team made it a fun day. We had an early morning call time due to low tide but apparently the tide didn’t get the memo and it was actually high tide, so we had to think quick and move to another location!
Well, you look beautiful. When do you feel sexy?
I feel sexiest in jeans and a T-shirt because I’m just a farm girl at heart and I feel sexiest when I’m comfortable and confident.
What is your best asset?
I don’t know if I have one. I’ve always been very shy and self-conscious, so I’ve never really thought about it. I always love to see other people smile, so if I can do that with mine, that would be my best asset.
You are of Czech and Cherokee descent. An interesting mix…
Yes, my mum’s side is from the Czech Republic. My grandmother was an actress in Prague and got sponsored to come to the U.S. in search of freedom. My mother was born when they arrived in New York and she met my father whose family was from Territory 27 of Oklahoma City – Oklahoma which is part of Cherokee nation.
Tell us more about yourself, background and life story so far.
I was inspired to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother, who was an actress and singer in Prague. I started my modelling career at 13 when a talent scout approached me at a local mall while I was performing in a cheerleading competition for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). I then signed to an agency in New York where I modelled for the next five years before beginning my acting career in LA. I was in the action thriller Red Dead playing Denise Knox, the Sheriff’s wife. I also starred in the animated action-adventure Shinjuku, from the director of Aeon Flux, playing an international bounty hunter on a mission to rescue her brother. I have also been intimately involved as the title star of the video game Belle’s War, based on the popular comic book 13 Chambers from Image Comics. It is also currently in development as both a television series and a motion picture. I previously starred in the indie thriller To Hell With A Bullet, the features Born To Be A Star and Should’ve Been Romeo. Plus, I’ve also guest starred on numerous TV shows including Dexter, Rules of Engagement, The Philanthropist, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Nip Tuck, That ’70s Show, Friends, The Practice and The Young And The Restless.
Whoa! That’s a helluva list! Is there anything else you want to add?
Well, yes, I also appeared in the telefilm Alabama and in the award-winning short White Trash Noir at The Action Film Festival. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Connecticut and studied drama, too.
So, what do you do when you’re not acting or posing for MAXIM?
When I’m not in front of the camera, I’m an avid equestrian. I specialise in hunter/jumper, dressage and western. I also study the martial arts form Wushu, love to drum and am very well-trained in swordplay, gun work and motorcycle riding. I love animals and have ridden horses since I was three, so it’s in my blood. I just enjoy being active and I love the physicality of martial arts as well as the spiritual nature of it.
Wow. So, what would people be most surprised to know about you?
That I am also an ordained minister.
Christ! How do you juggle your time with each of these things you do?
It can be challenging at times, some days are filled with auditions, some are shoot dates, some are recording sessions some are filled with meetings and some days are a combination of everything. All I can say is I try to do my best and forget the rest.
How have you been coping with these COVID-19 times?
I actually flat-lined from it very early. The doctors were baffled at my condition – they induced coma and I was in ICU for almost a month. I learnt that life is so precious and every day is a gift.
OMG! Glad you’re still with us! So, what’s the first thing you will do once all travel restrictions are lifted?
I’m coming to OZ!
Have you ever been to Australia?
I’ve never been to your country and as soon as I’m able to travel there, I’m coming! I’m friends with Shane Warne, who is one of your famous cricketers, and he keeps telling me I absolutely have to come visit Australia.
Of course you are! So, besides Warnie, what else do you know about our fine country?
From the coast, to the diversity in wildlife, the incredible landscapes… and, from what I’ve heard, home of some of the most beautiful people in world! It’s an absolute must that I come and say hello!
What do you look for in a guy?
I look for excessive body hair, profuse sweating, halitosis that would peel the paint off of a car and a belly so big he hasn’t seen his genitals since puberty. Haha, psych! Tall, dark and handsome, of course!
Ha! What’s one thing men should always know about women?
That we are always right, even when we’re not.
What’s next for you? Any exciting projects you can share with us?
I am up for a couple features and a lead in a major series right now but the details are hush hush at the moment. I’m also going to be launching Vasinova Vineyards this year so be on the lookout and we can celebrate with a toast together! ■
Photographed by RANISH PRAKASH (IG: @WICKEDNEESH)
Interview By SANTI PINTADO (IG: @SPINTADO)
Produced By WICKED LA PHOTOGRAPHY
Styling By NICOLE GLO
For the full article grab the July 2021 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
