Shelley Hennig

Newcomer Shelley Hennig stars in the new drama series The Secret Circle as Diana, the leader of the Circle and Adam’s (Thomas Dekker) girlfriend.

Hennig, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, grew up dancing with aspirations of performing on a larger stage. Her ambition and love for dance was also a creative outlet for her, and a way to cope with the loss of her brother in a drunk-driving accident when she was 14. When Hennig was 16, her dance teacher convinced her to enter the Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageant with the hope of opening new doors. She won the title and went on to compete for Miss Teen USA 2004, subsequently winning that pageant as well. During her reign, Hennig campaigned vigorously with MADD and Buzz Free Prom to share her story and encourage students across the US to learn the dangers of drinking and driving.

After being crowned Miss Teen USA, Hennig was given a scholarship to the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (NYCDA) where she fell in love with acting. For two years she learned and refined her natural talent. In March 2007, two months before graduation from NYCDA, she flew to Los Angeles for a vacation and got a last minute audition for the daytime drama Days of Our Lives, where she landed a contract role.

Hennig currently resides in Vancouver while filming The Secret Circle.