EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Actress Danielle Campbell

Danielle Campbell has already made some strides in her acting career.  You may recognize her from last year’s ‘Prom,’ and you’ll definitely want to check her out in the upcoming Tyler Perry comedy, ‘Madea’s Witness Protection.’ 

We got the opportunity to talk with Danielle about her role in the movie and her career.  Check out what she had to say!

Fanlala: Can you tell us about your character in Madea’s Witness Protection?

Danielle Campbell: I play Cindy who comes from a very well-to-do family.  She’s very spoiled and self-centered, and she doesn’t appreciate anything her step-mom or step-brother does for her.  All in all, she’s kind of a brat.  But once Madea, who is played by Tyler Perry, starts protecting the family, she really starts teaching the meaning of family togetherness.

F: You’ve played a variety of characters, from your roles in Prison Break to Prom to Witness Protection.  What makes your character Cindy different from anything you’ve ever done? 

DC: Each character that I’ve played has had a different spin on them.  There are different productions which means each character needs a different feel.  Cindy has a lot of depth; she’s dealing with a lot of things.  I had to put myself in the position of leaving my home and friends behind.  It had to think what it would be like if I was unable to talk to anyone.

F: We read that you were discovered in a hair salon of all places, can you tell us a bit more about that experience?

DC: Ah yes, I was about ten years old when it happened, and my mom and I were in the city taking a girls’ day.  I was very outgoing when I was younger, I loved to talk to people.  So I was chatting it up, and someone approached my mom.  They said that they would call us and set up a meeting.  We got a phone call the next day, and had a great meeting with the agent.  Everything took off from there, and it’s been amazing ever since!

F: Now that you’ve starred in the well-known Madea film series, what plans do you have for your career in the future?

DC: I’m always hopeful for future roles.  Every audition is great practice for me.  I have an episode of ‘Drop Dead Diva’ coming up.  Everything is rolling along, and I’m very fortunate to be where I am right now.

F: Can you give us one of your favorite stories from on set of Madea’s Witness Protection?

DC: We filmed a scene where I had to get a bucket of water thrown on me, and the camera was on Tyler Perry’s character, first.  We had to film his scene multiple times.  For the scene, it had to make him mad, and it was really fun to film since he’s the king of improv.  When it came time for the camera to be on me, we only had to do it once which was awesome.  I didn’t have to go back to hair and makeup, which would have taken forever for multiple shots.  But really the entire movie was so much fun to film.  The cast and crew were a blast to work with, they’re all veteran actors.

We can’t wait to see Danielle Campbell in ‘Madea’s Witness Protection’ in theaters on Friday, June 29.  We’ve seen the previous Madea movies, and it’s guaranteed to keep you laughing.  

Photo: Getty Images