She began acting professionally at the age of ten where she made many TV guest appearances and commercials. She was originally a guest star for the show "Boy Meets World" but Danielle added a spark the show needed and they added her as a regular cast member shortly after. She plays Topanga Lawrence on the show, the girlfriend of Cory Matthews. The show has brought Danielle much attention even landing her face on the cover of Seventeen Magazine. She was voted as one of Teen People's magazine hottest stars under the age of 21. She graduated from high school (class of 99').

Danielle was raised in Yorba Linda, California. Her first audition was for a Barbie doll commercial when she was 10 and she ended up being the Mattel girl for a year. In 1992, she got two guest spots as Jennifer on the ABC sitcom Full House, a former T.G.I.F. show. She also got a small roles in an episode of Harry and the Hendersons and in Kirk.