Brittany Daniel
Quick Facts
Biography
Brittany Ann Daniel (born March 17, 1976) is an American television and film actress. She is the twin sister of former actress and photographer Cynthia Daniel. She is best known for her role as Jessica Wakefield on the 1990s syndicated teen drama Sweet Valley High and her portrayal of Kelly Pitts on the CW/BET comedy-drama series The Game.
Early life
Brittany and her twin sister Cynthia were born in Gainesville, Florida, the daughters of Carolyn and Charlton Bradford ('C.B.') Daniel, Jr (who died of cancer in 2008). They have an older brother, Brad. By age 11, both girls were signed to the Ford Agency and began modeling. They appeared in Seventeen and YM. They also appeared in ads for Doublemint gum as the Doublemint Twins.
Career
Both girls began acting in the 1989 with an appearance in the sitcom The New Leave It to Beaver. In 1992, when she was sixteen, Brittany won the role of Mila Rosnovsky on the short-lived syndicated teen drama Swan's Crossing. She then moved to New York to film the series.
After high school, she landed the role of Jessica Wakefield in the television series Sweet Valley High (twin sister, Cynthia portrayed Jessica's twin, Elizabeth). During the run of Sweet Valley High, the girls made their film debut in the drama The Basketball Diaries (1995) alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
After Sweet Valley High was canceled in 1997, Daniel continued acting in films and television series including a stint on Dawson's Creek in 1999 and a role in the TBS television movie On Hostile Ground the following year. In 2001, she appeared as David Spade's love interest, Brandy, in Joe Dirt. In 2002, Daniel played one of the lead characters in the short-lived Fox series That '80s Show.
In 2002, she played Eric Forman's cousin Penny on That '70s Show. Daniel also appeared on the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as a transsexual named Carmen. In 2004, she teamed up with the Wayans Brothers for their films White Chicks and Little Man. That same year, she appeared in the VH1 television movie Totally Awesome before landing a lead role in The CW Television Network's half-hour comedy The Game, which she starred in until 2011. However, she would return to the show in 2014. In February 2010, she was cast in the Brothers Strause thriller Skyline; the film was released on November 12, 2010.
Personal life
In March 2014, Daniel revealed that she had stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She is currently cancer free.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Basketball Diaries, TheThe Basketball Diaries | Blinkie | |
2000 | Sonic Impact | Rachel | |
2001 | Joe Dirt | Brandy | |
2004 | Club Dread | Jenny | |
2004 | White Chicks | Megan Vandergeld | |
2005 | Dirty | Tatiana | |
2006 | Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders | Samantha Stone | |
2006 | Little Man | Brittany | |
2006 | Hamiltons, TheThe Hamiltons | Dani Cummings | |
2007 | Last of the Romantics | Sarah Xavier | |
2007 | Loveless in Los Angeles | Kelly Liffen | |
2010 | Skyline | Candice | |
2015 | Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser | Brandy |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | New Leave It to Beaver, TheThe New Leave It to Beaver | Zorigna #1 | Episode: "Man's Greatest Achievements" |
1992 | Swans Crossing | Mila Rosnovsky | Regular role (54 episodes) |
1994–1997 | Sweet Valley High | Jessica "Jess" Wakefield | Main role (88 episodes) |
1999 | Dawson's Creek | Eve Whitman | Recurring role (4 episodes) |
2000 | On Hostile Ground | Cindy Evers | TV film |
2002 | That '70s Show | Penny | Episode: "Eric's Hot Cousin" |
2002 | That '80s Show | Sophia | Main role (13 episodes) |
2003 | Just Shoot Me! | Sarah | Episode: "The Goodbye Girl" |
2003 | 111 Gramercy Park | Brynn Martin | TV film |
2004 | North Shore | Cari Layne | Episode: "Pilot" |
2005–2010 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Carmen the Transsexual | 4 episodes |
2006 | Totally Awesome | Kimberly | TV film |
2006 | Community Service | Carly Phillips | TV film |
2006–2011, 2014–2015 | Game, TheThe Game | Kelly Pitts | Main role: Seasons 1–3; Recurring role: Seasons 4, 7–9 |
2016 | Blackish | Clair | Episode: "Sink or Swim" |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Young Artist Award | Nominated | Best Young Actress in an Off-Primetime Series | Swans Crossing |
1995 | Young Artist Award | Won | Best Performance: Young Actress in a TV Comedy Series | Sweet Valley High (Shared with Cynthia Daniel) |
2007 | New York International Independent Film & Video Festival | Won | Best Actress | Last of the Romantics |
2007 | MTV Movie Awards | Nominated | Best Kiss | Little Man (Shared with Marlon Wayans) |