DANIEL MACPHERSON - MY AUSTRALIA
Daniel MacPherson shot to fame as a teenage heartthrob (like many others) on the iconic soapie Neighbours. His start on Ramsay Street has taken him across the world with a stellar acting career across stage and screen. He now spends more time at home in Australia and “the Mr Nice Guy” of the entertainment world is set to thrill audiences in Susan Hill’s The Women in Black, touring Australia from late April.
You moved back to Australia from the USA a few years ago. What do you love about being back home?
It’s wonderful being back home, close to family of course – dinners at Mum’s have been missed! It has been a special few years focused on fatherhood, raising my son Austin in Sydney on the same beach I grew up on. Australia is just so easy to navigate for me, beaches in Sydney, road trips to the Hunter Valley with my horses, weekend trips to Queensland to visit family and mates. All that soul stu I missed when I was in LA and away around the world filming.
What jumps into you mind when you think about growing up in Australia?
Just the freedom and space of it all! Jumping on my bike with my friends and riding to the beach at dusk after school. Daylight savings, and the salty air. Weekends spent out on the cricket pitch, with my grandfather Don keeping score and making sure we were always full of tea and biscuits. Growing up here was sunny, carefree.
What do you love about raising your own son in Australia?
Much the same as I experienced I think. As a parent it’s a peace to know Austin has the opportunity to have a safe, healthy, joyful, well-rounded upbringing in Australia. I love that he will experience coastal, country and city life, a mix of sport and culture, be taught a knowledge and respect of our Indigenous history, and ultimately grow up in the dynamic multicultural society that makes up this beautiful country.
With acting work generally being in spurts, where do you like to visit in Australia when you have some down time?
I used to have a home on the Sunshine Coast which was the number one destination whenever I had downtime! Noosa, Sunshine Beach still is very close to my heart! Now however, I have a home south of Sydney. My family has a wonderful rural property in Berry which is incredible to visit for some chill time and only 90 minutes away. My partner Jess lives in Adelaide, so I have been discovering a lot of the magic of South Australia recently – there are a lot of hidden gems down there! I also breed thoroughbreds, so there is a regular road trip to the Upper Hunter to see friends and get the boots dirty which is good for the soul!
What’s so unique about the talent we have in the arts in Australia? It seems like we ‘bat above our average’ globally?
I think it comes down a lot to our attitude. Perhaps because we are so remote, or inhabit such a large land mass, that somehow we have this incredible intrinsic self-belief. This have-a-go, back yourself attitude that sees us jump on a plane and head to Hollywood or Broadway or the West End and just go for it! I think that attitude leads the way and the levels of artistry really flow on from there, in many cases.
Talk to us about your new stage role in “THE WOMEN IN BLACK”.
It’s definitely the biggest, most challenging theatre role I have tackled in my 25 years of acting. I actually play two characters, an English actor in 1950s London, as well as a younger version of John Waters’ character in the 1920s. It’s an incredible play that has stood the test of time in the West End – playing for over 30 years. It is a very classic style of theatre, it’s written brilliantly and the thrills and suspense are very clever. It’s a spine chilling piece of theatre!
What can Aussies expect from the play?
The magnificent John Waters – who performed in the play over 15 years ago – playing multiple characters, brilliantly! You can expect to be scared, thrilled and leave the theatre with plenty to discuss and think about. It is a classic piece of international theatre that is going to be right at home in Australia this winter.
