Danielle Panabaker
Actor
Los Angeles, CA
Biography:
Danielle Nicole Panabaker (born September 19, 1987) is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and first came to prominence for her roles in the Disney films Stuck in the Suburbs (2004), Sky High (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006), the latter alongside her younger sister Kay Panabaker, and in the HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005).
She came to wider attention as a cast member alongside James Woods in the CBS legal drama series Shark (2006-08) and is also noted as a scream queen, having starred in the psychological thriller Mr. Brooks (2007) and the horror films Friday the 13th (2009), The Crazies (2010), John Carpenter's The Ward (2010), and Piranha 3DD (2012).
After recurring roles on the crime series Bones (2012-13), the drama series Necessary Roughness (2011-13), and the crime drama Justified (2014), Panabaker guest-starred as Caitlin Snow on The CW television series Arrow in April 2014. She is currently reprising her role as one of the main characters in the spin-off series The Flash, which premiered in October 2014.
Panabaker was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Donna (née Mayock) and Harold Panabaker. Her younger sister Kay was also an actress, who is currently working as a zoologist. As her father's sales job took them across the country, the family spent time in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and for a short time around Panabaker's kindergarten year, in Orange, Texas. She took a theater class at a summer camp and discovered her enjoyment of acting, so she started acting in community theaters at the age of 12, later auditioning for commercials.
After moving to Naperville, Illinois, in 2000, Panabaker went to Crone Middle School and later Neuqua Valley High School and participated in the speech team. She graduated from high school when she was only 14 years old. In 2003, feeling it was the only way to land acting roles regularly, Panabaker, her sister, and their mother relocated to Los Angeles, California, so she could pursue an acting career. She attended Glendale Community College, studying acting. In 2005, she earned her associate degree and appeared on the national Dean's List. In the fall of 2006, she began her senior year at the University of California, Los Angeles, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in June 2007, again appearing on the Dean's List.
Panabaker followed her initial appearances in commercials with roles in television, including a part in the series, The Guardian (for which she won a Young Artist Award), as well as other television series including Malcolm in the Middle, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Medium, Summerland, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Stuck in the Suburbs. She also appeared in the Lifetime Television productions Sex and the Single Mom and Mom at Sixteen, as well as the well-reviewed miniseries Empire Falls. She considers Empire Falls to be her big break, as it gave her the confidence to pursue her career. In addition, Panabaker appeared in stage productions with roles in musical theater, including West Side Story, Pippin, Once Upon A Time, and Beauty Lou and the Country Beast. In 2004, she starred in the ABC film "Searching for David's Heart", alongside co-former Disney star Ricky Ullman. In 2005, Panabaker co-starred in two widely released theatrical films, Sky High and Yours, Mine and Ours. Her next role was in the film Home of the Giants (2008), opposite Ryan Merriman and Haley Joel Osment. She also had a supporting role in the film Mr. Brooks opposite Kevin Costner. In the Disney Channel original movie Read It and Weep, she plays "Is", an alternate version of Jamie, who was played by her real-life sister Kay.
Panabaker was added to the cast of the CBS television drama pilot Shark, as Julie Stark, the main character's daughter. She had a regular role in the series, which ran for two years. Although she sometimes only appeared in a scene or two an episode, and was absent from three episodes in the series run, she was billed second to the star, James Woods.
In 2009, Panabaker played Jenna, a main character of Friday the 13th (2009) along with Jared Padalecki. Panabaker next starred in the films The Crazies and The Ward.
In 2011, Panabaker starred as Katie Lapp, the lead character in the Hallmark Movie The Shunning, based on the novel of the same name by Beverly Lewis. She was due to reprise her role in the 2013 sequel The Confession, but a scheduling conflict forced her to drop out. The role was recast, going to Katie Leclerc.
In 2013, she starred in another Hallmark Channel Original Movie entitled Nearlyweds. On May 5, 2013, Panabaker joined actors including Philip Baker Hall, Bill Pullman, and Maggie Siff in performing at Cedering Fox's WordTheatre, where they read aloud contemporary short fiction.
In 2014, Panabaker starred in director Bradley D. King's award-winning science-fiction film Time Lapse, for which she won the award for Best Actor/Actress at the 2014 London Independent Film Festival.
Convention Guest Appearances
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2025
- MegaCon Orlando 2025 - February 6-9, 2025 in Orlando, FL 2024
- Fan Expo San Francisco 2024 - November 29 - December 1, 2024 in San Francisco, CA
- Armageddon Expo Auckland Spring 2024 - October 25-28, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand
- Dallas Fan Festival 2024 - October 19-20, 2024 in Irving, TX
- Edmonton Expo 2024 - September 20-22, 2024 in Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Montreal Comiccon 2024 - July 5-7, 2024 in Montreal, QC, Canada
- Calgary Expo 2024 - April 25-28, 2024 in Calgary, AB, Canada
- Indiana Comic Convention 2024 - March 22-24, 2024 in Indianapolis, IN
- ATL Comic Convention 2024 - February 9-11, 2024 in Atlanta, GA 2023
- Fan Expo San Francisco 2023 - November 24-26, 2023 in San Francisco, CA
- Motor City Comic Con 2023 - November 10-12, 2023 in Novi, MI
- Edmonton Expo 2023 - September 15-17, 2023 in Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Fan Expo Chicago 2023 - August 10-13, 2023 in Rosemont, IL
- Fan Expo Boston 2023 - August 4-6, 2023 in Boston, MA
- Tampa Bay Comic Convention 2023 - July 28-30, 2023 in Tampa, FL
- Fan Expo Denver 2023 - June 30 - July 2, 2023 in Denver, CO
- Fan Expo Dallas 2023 - June 9-11, 2023 in Dallas, TX
- Fan Expo Philadelphia 2023 - June 2-4, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA 2022
- German Comic Con Dortmund Spring 2022 - May 6-7, 2023 in Dortmund, Germany 2023
- Toronto Comicon 2023 - March 17-19, 2023 in Toronto, ON, Canada
- Fan Expo Vancouver 2023 - February 18-20, 2023 in Vancouver, BC, Canada 2022
- Dragon Con 2022 - September 1-5, 2022 in Atlanta, GA 2021
Armageddon Auckland 2021 - December 17-19, 2021 in Auckland, New ZealandConvention CancelledArmageddon Auckland 2021 - November 26-28, 2021 in Auckland, New ZealandConvention PostponedFan Expo Denver: Special Edition 2021 - October 29-31, 2021 in Denver, COCancelled AppearanceSci-Fi Summit 2021 - September 10-12, 2021 in Edison, NJCancelled AppearanceFan Expo Boston 2021 - September 3-5, 2021 in Boston, MACancelled AppearanceMegaCon Orlando 2021 - August 12-15, 2021 in Orlando, FLCancelled Appearance 2020- Armageddon Auckland 2020 - October 23-26, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand Live via Video Feed
- Armageddon Tauranga 2020 - July 25-26, 2020 in Tauranga, New Zealand Live via Video Feed 2019
FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention 2019 - September 5-7, 2019 in Salt Lake City, UTCancelled Appearance- Florida Supercon 2019 - July 4-7, 2019 in Miami Beach, FL
- Walker Stalker / Fan Fest New Jersey 2019 - June 29-30, 2019 in New Jersey, NJ
- Fan Expo Dallas 2019 - May 3-5, 2019 in Dallas, TX
- Awesome Con 2019 - April 26-28, 2019 in Washington, DC
- Walker Stalker / Heroes & Villains Fan Fest Chicago 2019 - April 19-21, 2019 in Rosemont, IL
- Planet Comicon Kansas City 2019 - March 29-31, 2019 in Kansas City, MO 2018
- Walker Stalker / Heroes & Villains Fan Fest San Jose 2018 - December 1-2, 2018 in San Jose, CA
- Edmonton Expo 2018 - September 21-23, 2018 in Edmonton, AB, Canada
Monster-Mania Con 2018 - August 17-19, 2018 in Cherry Hill, NJCancelled Appearance- Minnesota Fan Fusion 2018 - August 3-5, 2018 in St. Paul, MN
Montreal Comiccon 2018 - July 6-8, 2018 in Montreal, QC, CanadaCancelled AppearanceHeroes & Villains Fan Fest Germany 2018 - June 2-3, 2018 in Dortmund, GermanyConvention Postponed- Heroes & Villains Fan Fest London 2018 - May 26-27, 2018 in London, UK
- Walker Stalker / Heroes & Villains Fan Fest Nashville 2018 - May 12-13, 2018 in Nashville, TN 2017
Heroes & Villains Fan Fest San Jose 2017 - December 2-3, 2017 in San Jose, CACancelled Appearance- FanExpo Vancouver 2017 - November 10-12, 2017 in Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Rose City Comic Con 2017 - September 8-10, 2017 in Portland, OR
- Dragon Con 2017 - September 1-4, 2017 in Atlanta, GA
- Comic Con Honolulu 2017 - July 28-30, 2017 in Honolulu, HI
- MegaCon Orlando 2017 - May 25-28, 2017 in Orlando, FL
- Comicpalooza 2017 - May 12-14, 2017 in Houston, TX
- Calgary Expo 2017 - April 27-30, 2017 in Calgary, AB, Canada
- Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo 2017 - April 21-23, 2017 in Chicago, IL
- Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017 - March 17-18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, UT 2016
- Emerald City Comicon 2016 - April 7-10, 2016 in Seattle, WA 2015
- Phoenix Comicon 2015 - May 28-31, 2015 in Phoenix, AZ
- MegaCon 2015 - April 10-12, 2015 in Orlando, FL
45 confirmed guest appearances