Darcy Rose Byrnes

Darcy Rose Byrnes (born November 4, 1998) is an American and Irish actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her roles as Abby Newman on The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, Penny Scavo on Desperate Housewives,  Princess Amber on Sofia the First and Elena and the Secret of Avalor, Ikki on The Legend of Korra,  and Maricela in Spirit Riding Free. In addition to contributing original music to the show, Byrnes recurs in the role of Harper Schapira, in Season 1 and Season 2, on the Disney+ series Big Shot (2021/2022). In May of 2024, Darcy Rose Byrnes began her run as "Mary Lane" in the 25th Anniversary production of Reefer Madness:The Musical at The Whitley on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles. Chris Willman of Variety wrote "Byrnes is a real songbird, and literally wide-eyed in her innocence — part Mary Pickford, part Jeannette McDonald. (Eventually, she’s kind of a hopped-up Bettie Page, too.) " And declared "Byrnes feels born to sell the naivete and forlornness of her character’s “Lonely Pew,” with some soprano heft."

Early life
Byrnes was born in Burbank, California. She was homeschooled during her time on The Young and The Restless and then tested out of high school early. As she was too young to be a full-time undergraduate student, she enrolled in the eight-week Shakespeare programme at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

Career
Byrnes appeared in the direct-to-video film The Sparky Chronicles: The Map in 2003, the same year she obtained a role in the soap opera The Young and the Restless as Abby Newman from 2003 to 2008. During that time, she also had a guest starring role in The Bold and the Beautiful for 8 episodes. Byrnes also has appeared in television shows including How I Met Your Mother, Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, Dirty Sexy Money, and House. She played Rebecca Knepp in the Hallmark television movie Amish Grace, alongside Kimberly Williams-Paisley. She played Penny Scavo in the ABC show Desperate Housewives. She also appeared in the movies Shark Swarm, Working Miracles, The Kidnapping, and A Thousand Words with Eddie Murphy.

Awards and nominations

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