Brian Danner at the North Hollywood Diner
Tune in to the History Channel on Sunday, May 3, and you will see Brian Danner belly crawling under some fierce looking barbed wire as Capt. Reynolds in an episode of THE ART OF WAR, a visual series based on the Wu Chu book. Work like that is common place for actor/trainer/stuntman/teacher/writer, Danner.
Owner of swordfightsinc.com, Danner is a busy man in Hollywood. He recently closed in the Theatre Banshee production of Macbeth where he played Macduff and did the incredible sword fight choreography for the show. “I can’t say enough about Sean Branney and Leslie Baldwin and all the people at the Theatre Banshee,” Danner said, “They are like family to me.” Danner has choreographed at least five shows for the theatre.
Over a slice of cherry pie and a glass of milk at the North Hollywood Diner, Brian talked about his active life in Hollywood films. “I got started at the University of Texas at Austin when the fight co-ordinator took me on as an assistant,” he explained, “After that, I traveled around the country from Maine to California learning from some of the best in the business. When I came out here (to Hollywood) I just worked my way up through stage, TV, and feature films.”
One thing obvious about Brian Danner is his spirit of generosity and giving back for all the opportunity that has come his way. He is currently the combat arts instructor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where he works with young aspiring actors.
Danner is the type of person one could spend hours visiting with. He is relaxed and full of fun—not at all the stereotypical Hollywood name dropper though he certainly could be. He has worked with some of the top people in the business. Danner has done thirteen shows with director David Padrusch who is slated to direct THE FIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, a film written by Danner.
One of Brian’s most memorable jobs was working with Russell Crowe in the film, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD. “I found Russell Crowe to be incredibly professional working with him as a stunt man. Within thirty or forty minutes he knew all the choreography and the names of all twenty-five actors he was fighting in that scene,” Danner said.
Madonna is another star Brian worked with, doing the training and choreography for her music video from the movie, DIE ANOTHER DAY . “She was in incredible shape,” he said, “one of the most focused people I have ever worked with.”
Brian recently worked with Paul Rudd in a fencing sequence for I LOVE YOU, MAN. “He’s a great guy,” Brian commented, “very humble and thoroughly loves what he does.” Danner could easily spot that trait in anyone because he is equally passionate about his own work.
For a Japanese hair product commercial, Danner was the sword fight trainer for Natalie Portman, another A-List star Brian found to be totally professional and easy to work with.
Danner and the people he works with at Sword Fights, Inc., are involved in educational programs for schools. “We often do segments from Shakespeare for school students,” he said, “and one of my favorites is our ‘Swords Through the Centuries’ program. We start with the caveman and his sharp stick and go through the Trojans, the Romans, the Crusades, and all the way up to futuristic light sabres. It’s a fast paced show with lots of costume changes. You know, I always tell the students that there is not one of them who cannot trace their history back without coming across a sharp weapon.”
Danner and company train three or four times a week and he stresses the importance of safety in the choreographed fights they do. “But at the same time, it has to be honest,” he says, “so we have to work on the proper reactions to bring reality into the fight scene. The fights also have to blend in smoothly with the story. You don’t want it to look like someone decided to stop and have a fight before carryon on with the story.”
Although it has not seemed to slow Danner down, the current recession and the unease over the vote on the pending SAG contract, has definitely affected many people Danner knows in the industry. “People often think of what actors do as a kind of intangible. You go to a movie or watch a TV show and it’s over. But that’s not really true. What we do in films is a tangible, especially when someone can pick up a DVD or get our work off the internet. Right now, between the recent writers strike in Hollywood, the downturn in the economy, and the unknown future of the SAG contract, I know many people who are hurting. Even the waiter jobs that have traditionally been a second career for actors waiting to make it in the business are drying up. But you know what? I’m optimistic because actors, writers, directors, stunt people—everyone in this business loves what they do, and I believe they will always find a way to do it.”
Certainly Brian Danner found a way to do what he is passionate about since coming to Hollywood twelve years ago. He left the interview to rush to downtown LA where he and his company were scheduled for another training session. The reason for the ongoing training for approximately fifty fighters is to really get to know each other’s style and moves, to be able to act and react in a realistic, honest way while keeping safety as a priority. In all the years Danner has been involved with choreographed fights and swordplay, he has never had an injury.
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