Take One Press

Photo credits: Kristine Cofsky

For many actors, the first major booking is a milestone they’ll remember forever.

For Danielle Chand, that moment came with a phone call.

The actress, who recently joined Amazon’s upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series Elle as Shannon, was sitting in acting class when her agent called with the news. After completing the callback process and waiting to hear a decision, she stepped outside expecting an update. Instead, she received the call that would change everything.

“I ran back into class and started crying,” Chand recalled. “I was just so happy. It was my first booking, so I was like, ‘This is insane.’”

For Chand, landing a role in one of the most recognizable franchises of the last two decades represented more than a career opportunity—it was validation that years of training, auditions, and hard work were paying off.

In Elle, Chand plays Shannon, a kind-hearted student who quickly befriends Elle Woods during her transition to a new environment.

“She really wears her heart on her sleeve,” Chand explained. “She’s really kind, really genuine. She takes Elle under her wing and tries to support her.”

While audiences may be discovering Chand through Elle, her journey as a performer began long before stepping onto an Amazon set.

Looking back, she remembers the exact moment acting stopped feeling like a hobby and started feeling like the career she wanted to pursue.

“It was the first day on set,” she said. “Being in hair and makeup, seeing my trailer, seeing the energy of everything, it felt like this was where I was meant to be.”

That sense of belonging is something Chand returned to throughout our conversation. Like many young actors, she admits that confidence didn’t come naturally at first.

“I’ve always been someone who gets anxious,” she said. “I had really bad test anxiety growing up.”

For a long time, acting felt similar. Memorizing lines and stepping in front of a camera often triggered the same pressure she experienced in a classroom. Eventually, she realized that the key wasn’t perfection, it was trust.

“I had to learn to stop treating it like a test,” Chand explained. “Now I just try to have fun. I’ve done the work. This is the fun part.”

That shift in perspective has become one of the most valuable lessons of her career so far.

Outside of acting, Chand stays creative in unexpected ways. She and a friend have begun writing comedy sketches inspired by their experiences working in restaurants, embracing the idea that actors don’t always have to wait for opportunities to arrive.

“Why wait for auditions when you can create your own stuff?” she said.

It’s a mindset that reflects a growing generation of performers who are equally interested in acting, writing, and creating their own work.

Despite her recent success in comedy and coming-of-age storytelling, Chand’s creative interests stretch into darker territory. When discussing future projects, she spoke enthusiastically about gritty dramas, post-apocalyptic worlds, and stories with emotional depth.

“It always comes back to storytelling for me,” she said. “I want people to take something away from my work.”

For now, however, her focus remains on Elle and the opportunity to introduce audiences to Shannon and the world surrounding a young Elle Woods.

According to Chand, fans can expect the same heart, optimism, and warmth that made the original Legally Blonde so beloved.

“There is a lot of heart and a lot of realness,” she said. “I think people are going to feel that Legally Blonde essence.”

As she enters this next chapter of her career, Chand remains grounded by a simple piece of advice she received from one of her acting teachers: keep going.

“Keep plugging away,” she said. “Keep taking classes. Keep learning. Keep trying new things.”

For an actress just beginning her professional journey, it’s advice she’s already putting into practice.

And if her excitement, authenticity, and passion for storytelling are any indication, audiences will be seeing a lot more of Danielle Chand in the years ahead.