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She is best known for her role as the teenage girlfriend of a rock 'n' roll legend in an iconic 1980s film.
And on Tuesday, the 60-year-old actress was pictured making a rare public appearance as she ran errands in Los Angeles.
The star - who's the daughter of a film producer and an actress - kept comfortable in a striped shirt, brown sweatpants and Birkenstock clogs.
She rocked a crossbody bag and was pictured chatting on her phone.
The Los Angeles native is married to an English accordion player from an Irish folk/punk band.
Can you guess who she is?
She is best known for her role as the teenage girlfriend of a rock 'n' roll legend in an iconic 1980s film. And on Tuesday, the actress, 60, was pictured on a rare outing in Los Angeles
The star - who's the daughter of a film producer and an actress - kept comfortable in a striped shirt, brown sweatpants and Birkenstock clogs. Can you guess who she is?
That's right, it's Danielle von Zerneck!
She famously played Ritchie Valens' girlfriend Donna Ludwig in the iconic 1987 movie La Bamba, alongside co-star Lou Diamond Phillips.
The film was a biopic of the singer, a pioneer of Chicano rock, who died at just 17 in a 1959 plane crash on what became known as 'The Day the Music Died.'
The Iowa crash also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, along with pilot Roger Peterson.
Valens had been in a relationship with his high school sweetheart Donna from 1957 until his death.
Before she portrayed Donna, von Zerneck played Louisa 'Lou' Swenson on General Hospital from 1983 to 1984.
She started her acting career in commercials and television films. In 1985 she played Ellie Sawyer in My Science Project alongside Raphael Sbarge.
In 1986, she starred alongside Grey's Anatomy heartthrob Patrick Dempsey - best known as Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka 'McDreamy' - in the ABC TV movie A Fighting Choice.
After La Bamba von Zerneck appeared in the 1990 romantic comedy Opposites Attract alongside Barbara Eden and John Forsythe.
She also starred in the 1995 film Living in Oblivion alongside Steve Buscemi.
Outside of films she also made appearances on TV shows including Family Ties and Doogie Howser, M.D.
That's right, it's Danielle von Zerneck! She famously played Ritchie Valens' girlfriend Donna Ludwig in the iconic 1987 movie La Bamba, alongside co-star Lou Diamond Phillips (pictured)
The actress - whose last acting credit was in the 2001 television film Acceptable Risk - accessorized with a crossbody bag
The Los Angeles native was pictured chatting on her phone. In recent years, she has focused on producing, with projects including Recovery Road and Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
In 1989, von Zerneck married English accordion player James Fearnley, 71, a member of the Irish folk/punk band The Pogues
La Bamba was a biographical film about Valens, a pioneer of Chicano rock, who died at just 17 in a 1959 plane crash on what became known as 'The Day the Music Died'
Before she portrayed Donna, von Zerneck played Louisa 'Lou' Swenson on General Hospital from 1983 to 1984; Seen with John Stamos in a still from the show
In 1985 she played Ellie Sawyer in My Science Project alongside Raphael Sbarge; The two seen in a still
In 1986, she starred alongside Grey's Anatomy heartthrob Patrick Dempsey - best known as Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka 'McDreamy' - in the ABC TV movie A Fighting Choice; Seen in a still
Her last acting credit was in the 2001 television film Acceptable Risk.
In recent years, she has focused on producing, with projects including Recovery Road, No One Would Tell, and Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane.
She grew up in a family connected to the entertainment industry, as her father is film producer Frank von Zerneck and her mother is actress Julie Mannix.
In 1989, von Zerneck married James Fearnley, a member of the band The Pogues.
English (US) ·