Dana Herrington

Dana Janae Herrington is the central character of the Dana's Life media franchise, portrayed by Stacy Tapeman. The character was originated in the currently running JuneNetwork series Dana's Life and also appeared in the feature film Dana's Life: The Movie. Dana is a normal teenage girl who, a has to deal with her huge family and her alter ego Maria Rox, secretly leads a double life as a world famous popstar.

Character development
The character was originally named Dawn Herrington but was changed to Dana Herrington to spice it up.

Casting
Orginally Hilary Duff was suppose to be Dana Herrington but she turned it down. Tapeman learned about the casting for a new JuneNetwork show at the age of eleven through a Kansas City talent agent. She sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role Alice, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead. After she sent in a tape and was flown to Hollywood for further auditions, Tapeman was told that she was too young and too small for the role. However, Tapeman' persistence and ability to sing in addition to act caused the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. They also aged down the the role because Dana was originally suppose to be in high school but they decided that if the started in 7th grade then they would have more seasons.

Character Backstory
Dana was born is Kansas City, Missori on March 15, 1992 (Tapeman's real birth place and date). Her family consisted of her parents Chris Herrington and Kelly Herrington (nee' Stowder) and an older brother named Luke and young siblings named Tyler, Brooke, Shelley, and Lenny. The have extended family like her grandmother Ronnie Herrington and her aunt Lulu. Also she talks alot about her Uncle Kleef who is finally seen in episode "Meet Uncle Embarrassment". The characterizations given to most of her family members poke fun at country bumpkin stereotypes. She also had a pet horse named Jenny and a pet hamster named Molly. She has a pig named Tracy, who came from Kansas City to Malibu to live with Dana and her family. Dana mother Kelly was born April 13, 1969 and died on the episode "The Accident". It was at this time that her mom and dad retired from his music career and moved the family to Malibu, California where they live in a seven bedroom beach house. When she was 14 years old, Dana had become a famous pop star under the stage name "Maria Rox." She goes to great lengths to disguise herself as Maria in order to keep her true identity a secret, except to those closest to her.

Personal life
Apart from her life as a pop star, Dana leads a very normal life. She is fond of camping and hanging out at the beach, but is not at all athletic. She has a fear of being in closed spaces and Heights. She also occasionally struggles with her school work and her self confidence. She often goes through over-the -top schemes to deal with her problems.

School
In the first season, Dana is an 7th grader at Seaway Middle School, and in the third season she enters Seaway High School. She became a sophomore in early episodes in Season 4 and later, a junior during the season before the beginning of Season 5. Due to her double life, she is often in awkward positions and is forced to lie in order to keep her secret. Dana's best friends are classmates Alice Davis (Emily Osment), Brittany White (Keke Palmer) and Allen Cage (Robbie Amell) who both learn her secret and help her keep it from their other classmates.

Relationships
Allen Cage (played by Robbie Amell): Dana, Alice, and Britany's best male friend. He blackmailed Dana on "Me And You In The School Yard' to go out with him at the end of the episode they become really close friends Logan Garcia (played by Matt Angel ): Logan is Lola's cousin. Dana had a crush him since she start going to Seaway Middle School. Logan was Dana's friend a first and the first time she talked to hime she got really nervous. They were lab partners on episode "Lab (Love) Partners" and they almost kissed but didn't start dating until "Am I Too Late" where Lola's best friend Kelsey went to the dance with him. He end up moving in the episode "To Seattle". He moved back to Malibu on Dana's Life spinoff Little Sister on a episode called "Christmas With The Herringtons".

Sean Brady (played by Drew Roy): He is Dana's first high school boyfriend. He was first introduced in "Camp Dana" as the new boy that helped Dana with her business project. During the thrid season she would do everything to get him to like her like in "Jumping Jets" where she joins the school sky diving team to impress him but it didn't work. They started dating on "I Want You Boy part 2". He gets along pretty well with Dana's Little sister Shelley like on "No More Sixth Grade Shelley" where he shows she around the school and helps her fell confortable. He moves on "Sad Red" to do broadway, his big dream. He is never seen again.

Akoni Marshall (played by Chuck Hittinger): Akoni is a famous television star. Dana and Akoni meet when he attends Seaway High School. Akoni is attracted to Dana because she is the only person at school who is not starstruck by his arrival. Dana at first denies having feelings for him, but later begins to date him on episode "This Isn't The Life" after she does a show for a reporter and say sorry for the way she acted towards him. They go their first date on episode "Dinner In The Corner Of Kissing" but it goes bad when Brittany and Allen tells her that he has a kissing conner. Turns out that every time he kisses a girl she runs of and tells her friends. They break up on Dana's life spinoff Litlle Sister episode "Chrstmas With The Herringtons".

Maria Rox
Maria Rox is Dana Herrington's ater ego. The character was originally going to be named Crawii Hawii, but the name was changed to Maria Rox. Maria exists as a secret identity, an extremely popular and influential worldwide popstar. Maria's many fans are not aware that she is really just a normal teenage girl, and Dana tries to keep her two lives separate from each other.

Appearance
Maria's brunette wig is the primary difference between her and the Red Head Dana, although Maria also wears more extravagant clothes, make-up, and sometimes large sunglasses. In the Dana's Life story, the famous brunette wig was picked out for Miley by her bodyguard. In real life, the wig was not chosen until episode "Now You Know". The original wig seen in "My New Identity" was a slightly different style.

Dana previously experienced an image crisis in "The Other Side Of Meria" in which she grew concerned that Maria's look might become outdated. After considering a "Techno Maria," "Half-Dolla M," (Hip Hop) and the "Anti-Maria," (Grunge) Miley decides that her fans like her for who she is.

Starting in the fourth season, Maria's look changes slightly. Her wig is shorter and wavy and her fashion changes as well. This is discussed on the DVD DanaWood in the bonus feature "Dana's Makeover – Maria Gets a New Look." Moss and her team describe the new look as an "80's flavored style with the glitz and glam of modern fashion. In season 5, she gets a new wig that's long again but curlier.

Career
Maria Rox's music career is very successful although there have been a few slips. In "The Other Side Of Meria," Chris says that he has written 15 straight number ones for her. However, he may have been exaggerating since in "She A.. What I Was Gonna Say Diva" he says he has written 14 number ones for her. Maria also wins several awards including a "Rope" award for best country pop crossover with the song "Best Friends," and an International Music Award for Female Artist of the Year. She also sings for the Queen of England in "Up All Night". Maria's greatest rival is fellow pop star Olivia (Carlson Young) who is determined to steal Maria's fans.

Beyond her music career, Maria also does some acting. She guest stars on the television show Werewolf High as Wolfie, Princess of the Werewolfs. Akoni Marshall's character saves Wolfie from the portal to the underworld. Maria later stars in her own feature film, Steven Spielberg‘s Transpormer's, alongside Robert Pattinson. Maria also endorses perfume and skin care products.

As a well known celebrity, Maria makes regular appearances on talk shows and attends glamorous parties. Despite being fictional, Maria knows many real life celebrities, including some who are friends of Stacy Tapeman, such as Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers.

Discography
Maria Rox (2007)

Maria Rox 2 (2009)

Maria Rox Always (2010)

Purpose
Dana has several reasons for creating Maria. She is afraid that if the kids at school discover she is famous they won't treat her the same. While she enjoys the attention of her fame as Maria, she equally enjoys the option of "stepping out" of her role. Also values her privacy and doesn't want fans or paparazzi photographers mobbing her when she goes out in public. In this way, Maria Rox presents a unique inversion of typical celebrity experiences. While most celebrities become famous as themselves and later need disguises to not be noticed in public, Maria Rox became famous while in disguise, and now has the freedom to be in public as herself. As a secondary benefit, "Driving Me Crazy" Maria obtains a drivers license after Dana fails the test. Maria also sometimes tries to use her dual personality as an excuse. For example, in "We Can Fight All We Want To," Dana asks Chris to only ground Dana, not Maria, because "Maria didn't do anything wrong."