| Dani Sutherland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Tammin Sursok | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2000–2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 19 June 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 12 November 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former, regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | John Holmes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Book appearances | Dani on Trial Prisoner No. 2549971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Home and Away: Secrets and the City (2002) Home and Away: Hearts Divided (2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Danielle "Dani" Sutherland is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Tammin Sursok. The actress successfully auditioned for the role of Dani in 1999 and she called the experience incredible. Sursok considered herself lucky to get the part, as the audition was the first one she had had since acquiring an agent. She made her first screen appearance as Dani during the episode broadcast on 19 June 2000. After four years in the role, Sursok made the decision to leave Home and Away in 2004 to pursue a music career and other acting opportunities and as a result Dani departed the series on 12 November 2004. She later explained that she had also become frustrated with the serial's producers. Sursok was glad that her character was written out of the show without anything bad happening to her.
Dani was introduced to Home and Away along with her family, who came to Summer Bay to take over the running of the local caravan park. Dani was initially against moving to the Bay as she thought the town was "tame". The character was described as being strong, independent and a bit of a rebel by a writer for the show's official website. She was also confident and high spirited. Dani developed relationships with three of the serial's male characters; Will Smith (Zac Drayson), Josh West (Daniel Collopy) and Scott Hunter (Kip Gamblin). Dani's first major storyline occurred in 2001, when she was raped by Kane Phillips (Sam Atwell). Sursok called the assault the worst thing that had ever happened to her character. Dani later hit Kane with her car and was sent to prison after being found guilty of attempted murder. In her later storylines, Dani was harassed by two stalkers. Sursok won the Most Popular New Female Talent Logie Award in 2001 for her portrayal of Dani.