Daniela Mandoki is not your ordinary actress. For Daniela, listening to dialogues and conversing with actors has been a part of her everyday life for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Mexico City to a mother that is a prominent theater and casting director, Daniela never tired of seeing plays again and again, and although she knew from an early age that acting would be her life long passion, few could have guessed just how successful she would be.
At the age of 7 Daniela began scoring coveted roles on television soap operas such as María Belén and La Rosa de Guadalupe. Though television was a focus for several years the young actress quickly moved on to bigger and better projects as she entered the world of film. Daniela’s film debut came several years ago when she landed the starring role of Valeria in Disney star Xabiani Ponce de Leon’s film in Divina Confusión.
Proof of Daniela’s high caliber of work, her most recent film Obediencia Perfecta was pre-selected for the 2015 Oscar Awards and was honored with the Grand Prix de Ameriques Award and the Glauber Rocha Award at the Montreal World Film Festival. Directed by Luis Urquiza, Daniela starred in the role of Laura alongside well-known Mexican actors Juan Ignacio Aranda, Juan Manuel Bernal and Luis Ernesto Franco in Obediencia Perfecta.
Obediencia Perfecta, which translates to Perfect Obedience, delves into the controversial subject matter of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Daniela wowed audiences with her performance as Laura, the sister of one of the abused boys. In the film Laura is unable to come to terms with the idea that a priest would abuse her brother, or any of the other young seminarians for that matter. So, rather than accept the transgressions as truth, Laura chooses a path of ignorance preferring to believe that her brother made the entire story up.While the role of Laura was challenging to say the least, Daniela’s extensive experience as an actress has given her the tools to take on virtually any role with ease.
In addition to being a highly sought after actress in Mexico, Daniela is also a trained musician, singer, and composer, talents which have given her an edge in the world of theatre. Some of her theatrical roles include Gata Siamesa in “El Paraiso de los Gatos,” Julia in “Abrir la Ventana,” Silvia in “Delitto all’isola delle Capre,” Schuppanzigh in “Black Comedy” directed by Christopher Thornton, and Rebecca Gibbs and Mrs. Soames in the production of Thorton Wilder’s classic 1938 novel “Our Town” directed by Oscar and Emmy Award winner Milton Justice.
Daniela received national attention in the world of children’s rights for her roles as Anita, and Altragarancarina in “Ana Verdad?” directed by Margarita Mandoki. The play was one of 10 children’s stories compiled and published by UNICEF as a means for bringing awareness to the importance of children’s rights. The characters in the production explore the search for identity in the world of reality vs. imagination, as well as the mental suffering that abused children face as they try to discover and defend their personal identity.
Daniela’s diverse talent, unique passion for art and her desire to see beyond the surface of her characters sets her apart from most other actors. The young actress feels that artists have a unique opportunity to reach a lot of people; through her work she uses this opportunity to transmit ideas she believes will help audiences connect and see beyond their everyday experiences.
Daniela will be performing in New York in March of next year in the production of “Judgment on a Gray Beach.” Directed by multi-award winning director Elia K. Schneider, “Judgment on a Gray Beach” will be held at the La MaMa Theater located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.