Campbell previously worked with The Waterfront creator Kevin Williamson in the psychological thriller TV anthology Tell Me a Story; Williamson also created The Vampire Diaries and the Scream franchise
Celebrities
Meet Danielle Campbell, who plays Peyton in The Waterfront: she dated One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson before meeting future fiancé Colin Woodell on The Originals set – but how was she discovered?

Campbell previously worked with The Waterfront creator Kevin Williamson in the psychological thriller TV anthology Tell Me a Story; Williamson also created The Vampire Diaries and the Scream franchise
As Netflix’s The Waterfront heats up screens around the world, Danielle Campbell is emerging as one of the breakout stars of the gripping new crime drama. She plays a resilient Southern woman, Peyton, deeply in love with her husband Cane, played by Jake Weary, with whom she shares an eight-year-old daughter.
Danielle Campbell’s character Peyton is deeply devoted to her husband Cane, played by Jake Weary, in the new Netflix crime drama The Waterfront. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram
Since premiering in June, The Waterfront has dominated Netflix’s English-language charts, attracting 8.3 million views in its opening weekend and captivating audiences with its intense family drama and moody coastal setting. The series tells the story of the Buckley family, who are ready to wade into the deep end to maintain their fishing empire in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina.
Campbell, 30, was first discovered at a hair salon in Chicago when she was 10 years old. Her first major role came in 2010, when she starred in the Disney teen musical drama TV film Starstruck.
Danielle Campbell starred alongside Sterling Knight in the 2010 Disney TV movie Starstruck. Photo: @nicholas.kruger.7946/Instagram
Here’s everything to know about Danielle Campbell.
Her breakout roles
Danielle Campbell (second from right) catching up with fellow alumni of The Originals in late 2022. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram
Campbell first came to prominence in 2013 in The CW’s The Originals, a fantasy supernatural TV drama in which she played Davina Claire, a powerful teenage witch. Next, the actress was cast in Tell Me a Story, a psychological thriller TV anthology that premiered in 2018. The series’ creator, Kevin Williamson, was already famous for the Scream franchise, The Vampire Diaries and Dawson’s Creek, and would go on to create The Waterfront. Campbell plays Kayla Powell, a character based on Little Red Riding Hood, in season one of Tell Me, and Olivia Moon, based on the princess from Sleeping Beauty, in season two.
Danielle Campbell plays strong female characters in Tell Me a Story. Photo: @thedaniellecampbell/Instagram
These breakout roles earned Campbell widespread praise and a loyal fan base, with her Instagram now boasting 3.2 million followers.
She’s engaged to her partner of seven years
Campbell and her fiancé, fellow actor Colin Woodell, first met as co-stars on The Originals. They began dating in early 2018.