Daniel MacPherson returns to Australia to star in Bad Mothers
He may have been a hearthrob in Australia, but ex-Neighbours star Daniel MacPherson had to start from scratch when he moved to LA, riding out some pretty lean times before he caught a break.
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Daniel MacPherson had spent six months in the Malaysian jungle in 36C heat so, when the offer came to sit down and talk about his feelings, the actor jumped at the opportunity.
Playing soldier Samuel Wyatt in Strike Back has been the opportunity of a lifetime but after weeks of running up hills carrying 20kg of military gear, the chance to play a more emotionally-driven character was a welcome relief.
MacPherson, 38, stars in Nine’s new drama Bad Mothers and his role as chef Anton marks a sharp change of pace.
“I went from 100 per cent humidity in the Malaysian jungle on the Friday to a studio in Melbourne’s Docklands with 8C and rain on the Monday,” he says with a laugh.
“I was beaten down and raw so was quite happy to sit in a chair in an airconditioned studio and talk about my emotions.”
Bad Mothers is MacPherson’s first Australian show since he left Australia in 2011 following roles in Neighbours and City Homicide, and host of Dancing With The Stars.
With his career heading away from acting and more towards entertainment, he took stock and decided to throw everything into honing his dramatic talents.
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It wasn’t easy swapping the security and reliability of a hosting career for the vagaries of Hollywood but eight years later he’s glad he took the risk.
“I hadn’t put my acting first so I wasn’t being considered for roles that would challenge me,” he says.
“I had to go away and work very hard with a single-minded focus on improving my acting through taking acting and dialect classes.”
A keen triathlete, he also had to reallocate the 30 hours a week he spent swimming, biking and running to honing his craft.
“It wasn’t easy turning down work to start from the bottom in LA and there were some pretty lean times but the last three years have been amazing and non-stop.”
Central to MacPherson’s success is his role in Strike Back, a military/spy thriller about a secret branch of the British Defence Intelligence service who operate high-risk missions around the globe.
The actor joined in the sixth season as Sergeant Wyatt, a soldier from the US joint special operations command.
The series, which screens on HBO, has a cult following and, as well as showcasing his ripped physique, it has afforded him the opportunity to work in locations as diverse as Jordan, Budapest and Croatia.
The only downside is he spends long periods away from his wife, Zoe Ventoura, of Packed To The Rafters fame.
Indeed, one of his Instagram posts from London remarks: “Found myself a woman who would fly halfway around the world to meet me for dinner.”
Speaking to BW Magazine after the pair have just enjoyed a long summer break together, MacPherson admits a long-distance marriage is challenging but they try hard not to spend more than a month apart.
“It’s a lifestyle we’re living right now but it won’t last forever so we’re embracing and enjoying it,” he says.
“You have to make it a priority to have time, energy and effort left for your relationship otherwise it doesn’t work but we just keep doing these laps around the world to see each other.”
As the pair approach their 40s, MacPherson says they’re keen to have children.
“We’re going to start by trying to be in the same hemisphere which apparently helps. I know we’d have some very, very excited mothers and mothers-in-law if we came home with that news soon.”
While the couple haven’t ruled out a return to Australia, working between both countries remains the goal for now.
With roles in projects such as Bad Mothers, in which he stars alongside Melissa George, Tess Haubrich and Mandy McElhinney, the dream seems more than possible.
Transitioning from playing a highly-trained killing machine to an egocentric chef has provided the versatility he has long sought.
“I’m interested in this guy who names a restaurant after himself and will put his family on the verge of bankruptcy to open a second restaurant,” he says.
“He’s a guy completely under pressure, not sleeping at night and in the midst of a marriage breakdown.”
MacPherson’s success is all the more gratifying since the first time he considered moving to Hollywood, Chris Hemsworth — who shared the same management — was doing likewise.
While MacPherson abandoned the idea after being offered a role on City Homicide, Hemsworth went on to global stardom.
Rather than feel envious, MacPherson is inspired by his success.
“I’m stoked that my mates are doing well. Chris has shown everybody what’s possible,” he says.
“When we were first moving to LA in 2006/07 apart from Russell (Crowe), Nicole (Kidman), Naomi (Watts) and Hugh (Jackman) the only Aussie on TV was Jessie Spencer on House. Fast forward 10 years and some of the biggest film stars in the world are Australians.”
For anyone considering major changes in their lives, MacPherson has two pieces of advice.
“Hard work never goes unrewarded and there’s that Steve Martin quote: ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you’.”
Originally published as Daniel MacPherson returns to Australia to star in Bad Mothers
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