Daphne O'Neal

Born in Cleveland, Ohio and now based in Los Angeles, Daphne began her performing arts training with classical piano and theory at the age of 5. At 16, she participated in the Young Artists' Competition. Daphne started ballet at age 9, appearing in annual Nutcrackers, among other ballets, through high school. A panel appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) marked the start of her on-camera career. Her love of opera and ballet, along with her Harvard degree, suited her to the tongue-in-cheek portrayal of a "snob." By the end of the show, Daphne had won over the skeptical Chicago audience. Buoyed by the experience, she began auditioning for plays. First cast as the Postulant in The Sound of Music at Boston's Wheelock Family Theatre, Daphne went on to portray lead character Silvia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare. A few more successful stage efforts gave her the confidence to make the move to San Francisco where she booked her first commercial audition. In her