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| Q and A with Daniel
October 2000, Daniel wrote a fitness article for his Official Newsletter, click here to read it.
What qualities do Dar and Daniel share?
Daniel: We as human beings have multi-faceted personalities. I feel that actors choose roles that encompass on or more sides of their own character. I can't pick out various similarities, but I can say that Dar as a whole is one side of who I am as a person. However there are other attributes or circumstances that make completely different. I can't say I run around seeking retribution for others or saving people left and right...but if I were living in that time, under those circumstances, I probably would. If someone killed my family, I seriously don't want to think about what I might do.
What precautions do you take when working with the animals on BeastMaster?
Daniel: I don't that's why I get bitten all the time. Almost every animal on the show has had a chew or taken a swipe at me at some point in time or another. The ferrets are the main offenders. Their caloric consumption increased once they met me. To tell you the truth I sometimes wonder if the handlers feed them or tell them that today is another day for them to dine on Daniel.
When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
Daniel: When I was 8 and I did my first play. It was one of those "fairy" type things, and I had one line. The Queen asked me what the time was, and I replied "It's half past puff o'clock by the Moon time your Majesty!"
What kind of woman are you looking for, and what qualities do you like best?
Daniel: My Girlfriend. She is intelligent, loving, understanding patient, beautiful and she's my best friend.
Dearest Daniel, Usually people are either
creative or logical, but rarely both) present company excepted). Having been
educated in Economics, when did your creative (acting) side flare up? Have you
always had a logical (or mathematical) and creative side? Also, are you right
handed or left handed or ambidextrous?
Daniel: I'm right handed and don't conform to the stereotype of the left/right brain theory...I am very good with numbers yet still manage to be heavily saturated on
the creative side, as well.
As a avid watcher the
friendship looks real. Are you and Jackson as good of friends off screen
and do you ever hang out on days off? ~Kristen
Daniel: Jackson and I are good friends off screen.
We didn't hang out in the beginning...I wanted the evolution of the on-screen
friendship to be as real as possible. Having worked together for two
years now, our friendship has continued to grow. By the same token,
there are times when seeing each other on our days off is the last thing we
want...having that time apart makes our time on set much more enjoyable, as
well.
Other than the BeastMaster, what other
project are in store for you? ~Jody S
Daniel: Don't know the answer, yet, Jody! Wish I did. I've been gone from LA for so long, I've got to get back and talk to my Agent
about that once we wrap and I have a definitive on my availability this year.
I'll keep you guys posted, though.
Do you plan to attend and science
fiction conventions, such as Atlanta's Dragon Conn? I attend it every
year. ~Reanna
Daniel: I have no time to do anything...I look forward to the day when I do.
On the set location is Sparky there to handle
any problems that might arise or do you handle them yourself? ~Carol
Daniel: I'm pretty good with resolving
most of the problems that arise on set. Most of the time they can be
headed off at the pass. The crew is marvelous and the Production staff
are wonderful, now days the show runs pretty smoothly. As for Sparky
during the day he is off doing what he does best. He could tell you but
I'm sure he would have to kill you afterwards.
Do you ever check your chats to see what people are stating or does Sparky handle that for you? ~Renee'
Daniel: Yeah I do, I drop in on the Message
boards and write back to a couple of people when I have the time. Sparky is a
great help and forwards me a lot of correspondence.
Do you celebrate Thanksgiving at all?
Daniel: Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here in Australia, so I'll have to miss it for a second year in a row -- along with Halloween. And I was just getting used to the traditions of these new holidays I'd adopted living in the US! What are you going to do? I'll just have to look forward
to the up coming universal holidays such as Xmas and New Years. They
are a lot of fun. Besides, Thanksgiving in the States was usually spent
with native friends and their families which made me miss my own Mum and
Dad. I'll miss Thanksgiving this year but at least I'll get to spend
Xmas with my folks. So it all balances out!
What is Daniel Goddards philosophy on life?
Daniel: That is an ever evolving answer. If you asked me that a year ago, I'd have given you a completely different answer. I would have said, "Discipline is the horse I ride." Reaching perfection in everything I do was my main concern. Now, I'm just trying to enjoy living and allowing myself to
accept the uncontrollable. I'm learning to chose my battles and reserve my
energy to enjoy the times when there are no tasks to be accomplished rather
than constantly creating new challenges for myself. Ask me this same
question a year from now and I can guarantee I'll have another answer. That's the
beauty of philosophy...it is forever evolving along with your own personal growth.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the industry?
Daniel: Do it because you love the craft...not because you have something to prove. Audiences are fickle. If you are in it for acceptance you will find that your greatest heights will never be enjoyed for fear of a decline. But if you do it for the work, you'll succeed regardless of box office tallies or television ratings because the only satifaction you seek is the satisfaction
of a job well done by no other barometer than your own.
How long of a hiatus does BeastMaster give you off to recover?
Daniel: We break near the end of Jan 2000, then I come home...do press and have a couple of months off. Last year there wasn't enough time to do a film, this year I'm not sure what the scheduling is like.
Does your family watch BeastMaster and if so what is their response along with how do they handle your career and popularity?
Daniel: The show is about to air in Australia nationaly this Oct. It will run the first season. So far Mom and Dad have only seen a couple of episodes that have been taped. They are very happy for me.
Are there any question you would prefer to NOT have asked?
Daniel: That's like one of those Detetive story slip ups where the Suspect tells the Police that he "didn't stab the girl" to which the Detective replies "who said anything about stabbnig anyone...is there something you want to tell us?"
You and Sparky seem to have a great rapport with one another, have you been good friends for a long time?
Daniel: Sparky was the first person I met when I arrived last year, he came to pick me up from the hotel. The message he left was "You can't miss me I'm wearing a rather loud shirt." I thought gee that's considerate of him. Then the next day he had another on, then the day after that. After a while I told him that it is all right that I can remember him by his face and that he doesn't need to wear the shirts anymore. To which he replied "did you think I was wearing the shirts for you?" What a guy!
Do you feel people look at your ability or your brawn more?
Daniel: Ha ha. I used to get really frustrated by that topic and worked hard to prove a lot of things about myself to people. I came to realize that, unfortunately, EVERYONE is judged in one way or another. The people who tend to walk away unscathed are those who don't care if they are being stereotyped because those opinions aren't predicated on "who you are"
as a person but what "category" you fall into. I began to realize that
falling prey to that vicious cycle will only reduce me to a classification in
my own mind. Yes, people tend to stereotype me as using steriods because I
stay lean. Yes, people tend to stereotype me as being stupid or arrogant
because my physical appearance happens to gel with their ideal of what an
arrogant or unintelligent person looks like. Luckily there are those in the
world who don't know me but still me as a three dimensional human being just
like themselves... not just some two-dimensional veneer. So, to answer your
question...I get both. Quite frankly I'd rather have someone tell me
that my acting sucks than ask me how much I bench press.
Dearest Daniel, what attracted you to acting? Sometimes actors use acting as a way of hiding from themselves and experimenting with other personas. You seem to be very at peace with yourself. What does acting do for you? Were you originally interested in acting or did that come about after modeling? Also, did you grow up near Manly Beach in Sydney? I was born in Crow’s Nest in 1973 and moved to Toronto, Canada in 1978. I grew up at Manly Beach and am always looking for a Manly mate! ~ Lisa
Daniel: Hey, Lisa… Can’t say what it was that attracted me to acting. It was the only thing that I could imagine myself doing with my life… otherwise I would have gotten bored. Acting enables me to have a laundry list of new challenges every single day. It is something I can push myself to improve on and study in retrospect to see if I’m getting the proper results. There aren’t too many jobs that allow you to do that. As for the modeling thing… that was just to make money to move to L.A. and sustain myself there until I got steady work as an actor.
You've mentioned reading self-help books in addition to books about psychology, etc. Do you read these books only because you want to know what motivates people, or do you read them to, like, improve yourself? What have you learned from them, and what are some of the titles?
Daniel: Self Help books come to people when they need them. It is strangely similar to the way that people make and find friends, pets, lovers etc. I have read a slew of SHB's until I reached a place in my life that told me if I stopped trying to control everything in my life then I will find a way of returning to the ebb and flow that moves the world. As far as the titles, I have covered everything from eastern philosophy {Tibetan book of living and dying} to Esoteric Western {Jonathon Livingston Seagull.} The one book that changed my life however was "The Greatest Salesman in the World" by Og Mandino. To read the book properly takes around 270 days.
How do you feel about having gay fans? I admit to tuning into the show because of your looks, but now I tape the show weekly and keep it in my video library because it is so good, teaches morals on humanity; and it is just fun to watch. And the “eye candy” is a definite bonus. You’re the best and many thanks!!!
Daniel: "Eye Candy" lol …that’s funny… thank you very much for the kind words. I’m thrilled to have any fans quite frankly… it is a very wonderful thing! Gay fans, straight fans… it’s all the same to me. Besides, the gay fans have a certain “honesty” and are so vocal about things that are refreshing and at times very amusing to read some of the stuff I’ve been written. I think having a gay manager for the first three years of my career pretty much desensitized me to the whole thing. I’d imagine anyone with a problem with gay fans, people, etc. are those who have little exposure and, thus, have something to fear in what they don’t know (Xenophobe is the source of forms of prejudice and racism). Keep watching and thanks for the support.
What do you think you would do without Sparky? ~ Jess
Daniel: Jess, the question is… what would you do without Sparks… lol
How do you stay in shape, Daniel? What foods do you enjoy eating? You are such a beautiful man, you must do some type of cardiovascular exercise to keep that great physique.
Daniel: The cardio work I do is mostly walking, I like to walk late at night. I feel disconnected from everything. It is my time to think and observe. You don’t have to go crazy with the workout thing. If you do 30 minutes a day on the bike, weights and eat well, you can really sculpt the body you want. If you aren’t able to workout on a particular day, you just have to be that much more careful about your caloric intake and do what you can at home before bed. It’s not hard but it is a commitment.
Are you the type that always have to be active, always moving? ~ Daniela
Daniel: I don’t have to be “moving” or “active” but I have to be productive. Watching movies, reading, writing, taking photographs, and playing chess are the only ways I can relax.
Do you find more joys in simpler things of life, or in the mysterious element? ~ Clara
Daniel: To quote a line from the show {episode Gemini} “Both is one.”
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your sudden popularity? ~ Renee
Daniel: Dear Renee, Flattered would be the appropriate word. I have been totally and completely surprised.
I am a Genie sent to you from a far off land and time here to grant you one wish. The only thing I can’t grant you is more wishes. So, my fair Daniel, what is your one wish? ~ Julie
Daniel: My brother has bad vision. So my wish would be that he could see as well as I can.
Do you ever feel success has changed you as an individual? ~ Jenn
Daniel: Dear Jenn, I’m still me and I always will be. Success though has given me the chance to do some good for those who need a little help. I would like to do more charity work for kids when I get some time.
~Much Love, Daniel
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Daniel's images are courtesy of Daniel Goddard.com |
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