‘Beast’ Exclusive Interview: Daniel MacPherson

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel MacPherson about his work on ‘Beast’, his first reaction to Russell Crowe’s screenplay, working with the Oscar winning actor, how his triathlon experience prepared him physically for the film, training for the MMA fight sequences, his character’s relationship with his wife, and creating that on screen with actress Kelly Gale.

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Daniel MacPherson stars in ‘Beast’.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to Russell Crowe and David Frigerio’s screenplay, and did you recognize immediately that this would be a great role for you to play?

Daniel MacPherson: Absolutely I did. I was given the original script for ‘Beast’ by David Frigerio, I think maybe the day we wrapped ‘Land of Bad’. That was my second film with Russell, we did ‘Poker Face’, which he directed, and then ‘Land of Bad’. We filmed the final two weeks of that shoot together, and Dave was like, “You guys work well together. I’ve got this great fight movie, it’s a father and son dynamic. I think it’d be great. I think we could shoot it in Australia. You should read it”. So, I dived straight into that. I started training in 2022, but the movie was on, then it was off, the finances were in, then they were out, Russell was in, then Russell was out. But I never stopped training and I ended up, thankfully, training for three and a half years. By the time the film finally got going, I was in a stage in my life and a stage physically with the level of martial arts that I’d learnt during that time that I was able to attack a role like Patton. But initially, as soon as I read it, it was the family aspect. It was the husband-and-wife relationship. It was the role of the father, the husband, the protector, the provider, and a man fighting for his identity and his place in life and that resonated straight away.

MF: Can you talk about how your triathlon experience prepared you for this movie and what it was like training for the MMA sequences?

DM: Yeah, I had 20 something years of triathlon experience. I raced at a high level, a race world championship level, across every distance in triathlon, which I loved. So, when it came to martial arts, I had to start from the very beginning. I taught my hips to go in one direction, running and cycling for 25 years. With martial arts, they must go in all different directions, and I was in my early 40s and that’s a bit more difficult than people give you credit for. But I started at the very beginning, I started with an obsessive nature as I do with many things, and I separated the training. I went specifically to a boxing coach, specifically to a jujitsu coach and to a Muay Thai coach, and I learnt those separately, particularly trying to get technically proficient and understand each of the cultures. Then I put them together into MMA, learning that that was a completely different sport all its own, but I needed to know those other languages to be able to then speak the language of MMA. Then I was trying to put on 20 pounds of muscle, and I was trying to drop body fat. I was trying not to get injured. I was working with Tyler Atkins on ideas for the way the script was going to evolve, and the story was going to evolve, and the way the characters were going to grow. All the while you’re waiting for a green light to go and step into the biggest role of your career, opposite the great Russell Crowe. So, we never lost faith, but I also never stopped working. I worked extraordinarily hard on every aspect because you must when you’re acting opposite Russell Crowe, and you must fight opposite Bren Foster, who is a multiple world champion martial artist, an incredible ex-professional fighter, and a credible actor. He pushed me as hard in the fight sequences as Russell pushed me in the acting and dramatic sequences. So, I had that kind of level of intensity to rise to on every part of the film. But then I was also trying to learn all of that, particularly in the last six or eight weeks on no calories. So, it’s hard when you’re trying to learn really intricate, specific, intense, martial arts choreography and your brain is mush. So, it was a very precarious balance.

(L to R) Russell Crowe as “Sammy” and Daniel MacPherson as “Patton James” in the action/drama, ‘Beast’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.

MF: Russell Crowe’s character is really the “Mickey to your Rocky”. Can you talk about creating that relationship with Crowe on screen and what he was like as an actor to work with?

DM: Oh, it was incredible. Russell elevates every scene, every moment, and every set he walks on. I’ve worked with him now as a director and as a co-star, but the roles were a bit reversed on this where he was there going toe to toe with me but supporting me into the lead in ‘Beast’. He’s taught me about the art of cinema. He’s taught me about really being grounded in cinematic stillness in a scene. I had a great education on a film called ‘Poker Face’ that we did, where I was further down the call sheet, but I played Russell’s lawyer. One day after shooting around the poker table, when everyone else was off at lunch, I got to watch Russell’s close-up, and my close-up, which were filmed simultaneously, and I got to watch them side by side on the monitor. I got to watch what Russell Crowe, Oscar winner, does in a close-up, as opposed to what Daniel McPherson circa 2021 was doing in a close-up. That was one of the greatest cinematic lessons that I’ve ever had, and that was extraordinary. He’s been a great scene partner. He is a powerhouse. He’s got one of the most incredible imaginations. He comes on set armed with ideas, extensive preparation, and he can also see everything around you. He can elevate every set. He was incredibly generous to Tyler Atkins, who is a second time filmmaker, and they worked incredibly well together. I’m slightly ruined now. It’s like flying first class, it’s an incredible experience and it’s what you always want. I also now feel a responsibility to pay it down to those who come after me and those who are younger than me and give them their shot on the way up as well.

MF: Finally, can you talk how Patton’s relationship with his wife Luciana is threatened by his return to the ring and working with actress Kelly Gale?

DM: She’s wonderful. Kelly came in and we worked hard. It was that relationship for me that was always the nucleus of the story. It was always what I loved about it, and it was always going to be the most important part for me. Kelly came in wholeheartedly, open, ready to work, ready to commit, and ready to jump on essentially a treadmill that was already running at a pace because we’d been shooting for weeks before she got there. So, that’s always a challenge to come in when the film’s up and running. She got better and better as it went on and her final sequence, in that final moment of the film, you’ve got three people on screen at the same time, and she absolutely holds her own against one of the greats of all time. So, I’m a massive fan of Kelly. She’s got a huge career ahead, and I’m just proud of the work that she put in and the emotional strength and complexity that she brought to the movie.

What is the plot of ‘Beast’?

After years away from the cage, a once-feared MMA champion (Daniel MacPherson) is pulled back in for the fight of his life when his younger brother (Mojean Aria) is put in danger. Reuniting with the trainer (Russell Crowe) who once made him a legend, he commits to one final showdown against the reigning titleholder (Bren Foster), a brutal fighter determined to dismantle the ex-champ’s legacy in front of the world.

Who is in the cast of ‘Beast’?

• Daniel MacPherson as Patton James
• Russell Crowe as Sammy
• Luke Hemsworth as Gabriel Stone
• Mojean Aria as Malon
• Kelly Gale as Luciana
• George Burgess as Neal
• Bren Foster as Xavier Grau
• Saphira Moran as Nadine James
• Amy Shark as Rose

‘Beast’ opens in theaters on April 10th.

List of Daniel MacPherson Movies and TV Shows:

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