Daniella Van Graas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975 |
| Occupation(s) | actress, model |
| Years active | 1997—2013 |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Spouse | Brett Tawil |
| Children | three |
Daniella van Graas (born 1975) is a Dutch fashion model, cover girl, and actress.[1][2][3] She has appeared in movies, on television, and between 1997 and 2003 on the cover of several magazines. In 2012 she was featured in the Dutch television show, The Prettiest Girl in Class.[4]
Van Graas grew up in Tuitjenhorn, where she attended the Sint Barbaraschool,[5] a Roman Catholic elementary school. Her father was a teacher, her mother a homemaker. After elementary school, she attended the college prep track at the Christian High School Jan Arentsz in Alkmaar, cycling 15 kilometers each way daily to and from home.
At age 18, van Graas was scouted by a modelling agent at a shopping mall in Amsterdam.[6] She moved to Paris, where she worked with Ford Modeling Agency,[7] and then to New York.[6]
As a model, Van Graas collaborated with Armani Jeans,[3][8] Aveeno, Barely There,[9] CoverGirl, L'Oreal,[3] Max Factor,[3][8] Maybelline,[3][8] Pantene, Pepsi,[6] Hennes and Mauritz,[6] and Tomasina.[citation needed] She also worked with Marie Claire Netherlands.[10] She appeared in a fashion show at the 68th Academy Awards ceremony.[6][11]
Van Graas was the spokesmodel and “face” for Aveeno, “a brand that sells natural-based skin- and hair-care products.” That relationship lasted for years, ending in 2013 when Jennifer Aniston took over the role.[12]
Van Graas appeared on the covers of the magazines ‘'Femina’' (2001), Fitness (March, 2003, August & December 2004, July 2010), New Woman (March & September 1998}, Cosmopolitan (U.S. and U.K., April 1999), Self and Marie Claire Netherlands (December 1997).[13] She is featured in the 2014 book Schoonheid is jezelf zijn [Beauty is being yourself], an anthology of diverse views on the nature of beauty.[14]
Van Graas recognizes that her film acting has been largely typecast as a model in one form or another. She notes that being on set with professionals has helped her grow as an actress. She aspires toward a wider set of roles. "If she had the choice, she knows what she wants to play.... Something like Charlize Theron in Monster. Arriving nicely [with a] twenty kilos [gain] and walking without care. That seems wonderful to me. But that is not really realistic."[6]
In October 2008, van Graas appeared in the TV show Entourage.[1] She played episodic roles and supporting roles in the films The Perfect Stranger, Love by the Rules and Without, Autumn in New York.[1]
On January 19, 2012 the TROS dedicated its third episode of the season of The Prettiest Girl in Class to Van Graas. She grew up in the village of Tuitjenhorn, "amidst cabbage fields and where the fair is seen as the highlight of the year". She was deemed a "stand out".[4][15]
Van Graas is 5'11" (180cm).[2] She is married to Brett Tawill, a former sports coach.[6][3] The couple live in New York[5] and have three children.[citation needed]