Bus Stop Films has announced that celebrated Australian actor Daniel MacPherson has come on board as a proud Ambassador, joining a community dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for people with disability in the screen industry.
FULL STORY VIA LIB.
Daniel MacPherson is 43 years old. Three years ago, he couldn’t throw a punch. When he got the role of an MMA world champion in Beast, he had 12 weeks to be believable opposite real fighters on screen.
He started with boxing, moved to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, then Muay Thai — training each discipline separately before combining them into MMA. He booked himself into fight camps in Thailand and told no one he was an actor. He just wanted to be another guy in the gym. The goal wasn’t aesthetic — it was functional. Four-hour martial arts sessions daily, running on a calorie deficit. His words: “My brain was backfiring.”
He put on 20lbs/9kg of muscle while simultaneously dropping body fat — in his early 40s, with 25 years of triathlon muscle memory working against the hip mobility MMA demands. He broke his nose. Fractured his pelvis. Tore his abductor off the bone mid-shoot in Thailand — and kept going because there was no one to replace him.
That’s not a fitness journey. That’s what intentional training actually looks like when failure isn’t an option.
At 43, what’s your excuse?
#danielmacpherson #mma #musclebuilding #over40 #mensactive
Two weeks of looks and lots of laughs for the Beast Press Tour Sydney/GC edition (and no I didn’t push Austin in the pool 😆)
Couple of my absolute faves from the week by
@mjbale@boss@sandroparis@gucci@christianlouboutin@iwcwatches
Huge thanks at all the gang at @theevehotel & to @maialiakos for styling and protein bars 😆🙏🏼💙
Oh and Austin took shot 4! 😆☺️
The final stop on the BEAST tour brought us all home to the @gcfilmfest for our final BEAST premiere. It was the most fantastic celebration, the culmination of years of hard work for everyone. Friends and family there with us. And celebrate we did.
The screening went off! @briancachia ’s score got cranked LOUD and the whole theater cheered screamed laughed and cried, all the things we ever wanted.
So proud of this entire team and moved by the feedback and messages of support from those who’ve seen the film. All the effort has been worth it ten fold.
So much more than a fight movie. What a ride
DM 💙🙏🏼
BEAST TODAY! This Cast & Crew fought relentlessly and tirelessly to get #BEAST made, and we release today in Australia. After years of work, it feels stunningly surreal. Wow.
We’re an underdog movie and we’re coming out swinging
I’m incredibly proud of the work this entire cast and crew have put on film - and it’s true - Australia has the best crews in the world and I for one would love to keep them working on Australian stories.
Make no mistake, we’re still fighting relentlessly to get it onto Cinema screens across Australia.
That’s a battle that’s only won by ticket sales, and your support is absolutely everything 🙏🏼
BEAST is an experience painstakingly crafted for the cinema. The thumping soundtrack, the bone crunching choreography, Luke Hemsworth’s Jawline… it’s got everything!
So if you’re up for it, grab your tickets today 💙
LFG!!!!!
All Love 🙏🏼💙
Daniel MacPherson (@danmacpherson ) held nothing back when it came to preparing for the physical demands of the role in his new film, ‘Beast’.
He spent weeks in Thailand training alongside semi-professional fighters, keeping pace with their routines and expectations. “I’ll never forget the first time I got properly choked out,” he says, recalling how quickly the physical reality of the sport set in.
The role also arrived during a period of significant change in his personal life, which informed his portrayal of a man working through pressure, identity and responsibility.
‘Beast’ is in cinemas from April 23. Hit the link in bio to read the full interview.
#DanielMacPherson wears #IWCSChaffhausen timepiece throughout.
Words: @bjhoty
Photography: @studioelford
Styling & Editor In Chief: @grantpearce.inc
Grooming: @lucyjacksonmakeup_
Talent: @janeylunn
Daniel MacPherson (@danmacpherson ) has come a long way from that Cronulla school kid who found himself sidelined from triathlon and unexpectedly pulled into acting after a chance meeting with a talent scout. He never followed it up, but weeks later, the opportunity returned and he decided to give it a go.
That moment set the direction for a career that has since unfolded across Australia, the UK and the US.
Now 45, he brings that experience to what might be his most demanding role yet, ‘Beast’, and the one that could also bring the most reward.
“I feel like ‘Beast’ is the culmination of 27 years of lessons,” he tells Esquire.
From early success in Australia to the realities of starting over in Los Angeles, MacPherson has weathered everything the industry has thrown at him, refining his approach and committing fully to the work at hand.
Head to the website to read our full interview with MacPherson. ‘Beast’ hits cinemas on 23 April.
#DanielMacPherson wears #IWCSChaffhausen timepiece, #PJohnson and #RMWilliams clothing.
Words: @bjhoty
Photography: @studioelford
Styling & Editor In Chief: @grantpearce.inc
Grooming: @lucyjacksonmakeup_
Talent: @janeylunn
#BeastMovie is a fight film made distinctive by its classic, second-chance narrative and unapologetic celebration of Australian talent on a global stage, with an underdog spirit that mirrors its own unlikely existence.
Get the full story from the film's stars @DanMacPherson and @AmyShark at the link in our profile.
