Halloween

Background:

“It was my first movie, so I was more excited about that - just being an actress, never mind being in a horror movie. At that time, I wasn’t even a horror movie fan. I did “Halloween 4” and Halloween 5 (1989) back to back, and I decided that horror movies were all I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was going to be my thing.” Danielle Harris Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

American actress Danielle Harris spent much of her childhood playing small supporting roles on feature films and on television. She first received a degree of eminence for her roles as Jamie Lloyd in the horror sequels Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), as well as Sammie Garretson on ABC’s daytime drama “One Life to Live” (1985-1987). The pretty and petite brunette further established her budding career with her award-nominating performance in the comedy film Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991) and the hit sitcom “Roseanne” (1992-1993), as well as with an unforgettable supporting role in the blockbuster children’s film Free Willy (1993). In 1998, Harris reemerged as a young adult player in the nouveau slasher picture Urban Legend. In a more recent time, the beautiful actress portrayed Plum Wilkinson DeLucca on the CBS drama “That’s Life” (2000-2002).

As a voice-over actor, Harris is perhaps known as Debbie on the animated series “The Wild Thornberrys,” the television film The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie (2001) and the movies The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002) and Rugrats Go Wild! (2003), and Sierra in “Father of the Pride” (2004-2005).


Queens Girl

Childhood and Family:

In Queens, New York, Danielle Andrea Harris was born on June 1, 1977 to mother Fran Harris. She has a younger sister named Ashley. Her professional career took place as a child when the 8-year-old girl landed a role in the ABC daytime serial “One Life to Live” and by the time she was 12, Danielle had emerged as a movie actress.


Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead

Career:

Hailed form Queens, New York, Danielle Harris began acting from an early age. From 1985-1987, she enjoyed success with her role as Sammie Garretson, a somewhat of a miracle child, in the long-running ABC daytime drama “One Life to Live.” She won the viewers’ sympathy through her accomplished portrayal and expressive brown eyes. A year later, the vigorous girl made her film debut in the horror/thriller Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, costarring as Jamie Lloyd, the bewildered niece of slasher Michael Myers (played by George P. Wilbur) and daughter of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). She reprised her role for Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the following year.

Harris then had supporting roles in such films as the action thriller Marked for Death (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991, as Bruce Willis’ daughter), and earned positive reviews for her role as the younger sister of Christina Applegate, Melissa Crandell, on the comedy Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991). The latter role also brought Harris two Young Artist nominations in the categories of Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. The same year, she resumed her TV credits with roles in the television films Don’t Touch My Daughter (NBC) and The Killing Mind (Lifetime), and guest spots in such shows as “Growing Pains.”

For the next two years, Harris found herself playing the recurring role of young neighbor Molly in seven episodes of the popular sitcom “Roseanne,” where she received a Young Artist nod for Best Young Actress Recurring in a Television Series and in 1993, she offered a notable supporting turn as Gwenie in the successful children’s adventure Free Willy, which raised her profile to some extent. The attractive player maintained her steady career with numerous guest appearances on television, including parts on “The Commish” and “Boy Meets World” (both 1994).

Returning to the wide screen, Harris could be seen as Ashley Crighton in the disappointed vehicle Daylight (1996), starring Sylvester Stallone, Hayley Wheaton in Wish Upon a Star (1996) and Susan in Shattered Image (1996). The next year, she appeared in two episodes of the hit medical series “ER” (1997), and was later featured on CBS’s drama “Brooklyn South” and “Diagnosis Murder” (both 1998), before making her way back to horror flick with a supporting part as infuriating Goth girl Tosh Guaneri in Urban Legend (1998), starring Jared Leto and Alicia Witt. The same year, she also appeared as a perilous would-be witch named Aviva in an episode of The WB’s “Charmed.” At the end of decade, she acted in the TNT original action movie Hostage Hotel and portrayed the younger incarnation of Jennifer Tilly’s wacky protagonist in the little seen independent comedy Goosed, aired on TMC in lieu of theatrical release.

Entering the new millennium, Harris provided the voice of Debbie Thornberry for the Nickelodeon animated series “The Wild Thornberrys” (2000), the television film The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie (2001) and the film The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002), and played roles in the films Poor White Trash (2000) and Killer Bud (2001). During 2000-2002 seasons, she joined the cast of the CBS drama series “That’s Life” in the role of Plum Wilkinson DeLucca. 2003-2005 found roles in The Partners (2003, TV), Rugrats Go Wild! (2003, voice of Debbie Thornberry), Debating Robert Lee (2004), Em & Me (2004) and Race You to the Bottom (2005). Meanwhile, her voice could be heard regularly on the animated series “Father of the Pride” (2004-2005), as Sierra.

The 29-year-old actress is set to team with Steve Byers in horror film Left for Dead (2006). Directed and written by Christopher Harrison, the upcoming project also stars Shawn Roberts, Robbie Amell, Boyd Banks and Daniel Clark.


Awards:
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