Welcome! I’m running a series here on my blog Interviews With Professionals! where I’m specifically focusing on those in the acting industry! We have a great guest list lined up, so be sure to check back often for new interviews!
Today’s special guest is Danielle Hollobaugh, a very talented actress! So without further ado, let’s begin the interview!
Tell us your name and how long you’ve been acting!
My name is Danielle, and I've been acting off and on for over 20 years.
What’s your story? What inspired you to end up in the exciting career of acting?
I'm in a unique situation as a blind actress. I was really lucky to grow up near a theatre who had a program for actors with disabilities (shout out to Florida Studio Theatre!) a couple years into the program, I got a scholarship to their musical theatre program, and their "playmakers" program for actors, both of which weren't specific to disability at all. As someone who's always been known for singing, it was the first time I felt like maybe something was there with acting too. Eventually I fell in love with acting, but after high school and when I started thinking about moving to LA, I experienced some discrimination and started to really find out how little room Hollywood had for actors with disabilities; they'd always cast able bodied actors anyway. My spirit was crushed, I stopped and focused on music for a long time, but I found an acting coach during quarantine and quickly fell back in love all over again. I felt like a piece of me had been returned. This time, I'm enjoying the process, taking advantage of any and all resources for actors with disabilities, and doing my part to show that we're here and we're ready to bring characters to life.
As an actor or voice actor, what types of roles do you portray the best and why?
I've learned through my sessions over the past year, I really gravitate toward comedy. I've actually spent a lot of time on drama, just because I want to perfect every aspect of my craft. The easiest and most natural roles for me are the cutesy or spunky types. On the voice acting side, I recently played a gossip girl and a nice girl in a really cool podcast.
We have other actors and voice actors who subscribe to this blog. What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in these careers?
Enjoy the process. See your auditions as fun scenes to perform. Do the character work as if you're part of a short term project, and then when the audition is done, put it away and move onto the next thing. I find this helps with my nerves a lot.
The audience is interested in learning about the education path of various actors. Did you go to school for acting or did you study something else? If something else, what did you study and did you find it useful as an actor? Do you think it’s required for an actor to have a degree in this field in order to purse it as a career, or is it possible to self teach?
I did study acting in college for a bit, but that was actually my first experience with discrimination. I double majored in acting and vocal performance for a while, then switched to creative writing before I finally got too busy to continue. I've never regretted leaving school, and while I think valuable lessons can come from all sorts of classes, I've never even been asked about a degree in auditions, etc.
Any special tips or “hacks” for getting into character?
I don't know of any shortcuts for getting into character really, the key is to create a backstory for your character and analyze your script. Especially if it's a scene, figure out what just happened before and what will happen next.
What would be your dream role?
I dream of being in a Christmas movie! I admire the career of actors like Lacey Chabert who just get to be known for Christmas movies. I release Christmas music every year, so adding movies to the list would be the cherry on top! Halloween is my favorite holiday so I'd love to do horror, and really I have a whole list!
What role are you the most proud of that you’ve done so far?
I just had my first professional gig on the Smile Squad youtube channel. I'll never forget the feeling, seeing the view count climb and climb so fast! Working on set was such a blast!
If you are currently cast in a role or have recently completed a role, tell us about it!
The final episode of the podcast I mentioned above, The Beautiful Liar, just dropped. Even doing a couple of guest voices, I got to meet and work with Sam from X Ambassadors, and Emily Hampshire from Schitt's Creek is in the same scenes as me which is pretty wild! Overall it was such an incredible experience.
Optional Bonus Question: We have a Christian community subscribed to this blog as well who like to hear about inspiring stories involving walks of faith. If you have a story you’d like to share about this, either related to acting or not, please feel free to do so.
I think where God comes into the picture is the timing. I've seen acting coaches advertise before, but something told me I just had to jump. Because of my past experiences, I unfortunately have to ask if someone is willing to work with me, and that can really be scary. But for some reason a year ago, I had the strength to reach out and ask. He helped me to figure out a new approach that already has me more successful than my last attempt at this. I'm super grateful!
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