Danielle MacDonald - THE TOURIST - Actor

Well, hello and welcome to twenty twenty four, another year of TV Ringload. I want to thank you for downloading. On today's episode of TV Reload with Daniel McDonald, we will be talking about The Tourist Season two, which is now out on STAN Australia.

You can binge the whole thing.

For the second series, we will be picking up with Jamie Doran's character Elliott, who is now in Ireland where he is discovering his real family to get some answers on who he really is after that Australian ordeal which we saw in season one. Of course, Elliott gets caught up in all kinds of craziness with people trying to kill him, and Daniel's character is also back along for

She has their mobile numbers.

We will also get a fist full of stories from her successful career thus far. And I'm really excited to give you guys this episode. Anyway, let's bring Dannielle into the podcast. So sit back and relax as we dive just that little bit deeper into the world of television.

Hi, how you doing.

I'm doing really well.

You know what's really funny is that whenever I do these interviews, I just become obsessed with who I'm going to talk to, so they go down these rabbit holes of watching watching interviews. I think I've now watched you do interviews with Jimmy kim everyone, anyone that you've ever been on a talk show that's on YouTube.

Oh that's terrifying because I don't know what I've said my whole life So what do you know about You probably know more about me than I even realized.

I just love this story of you because, like, I know what it's like to sort of you know, you get used to working in the industry and talking to people, but then all of a sudden, you see someone that resonates with you.

So your story about Harry Potter.

With Emma Watson was really funny.

Oh my god, I do remember that. That was Oh I forgot that moment happened. That was one of the coolest moments that's ever happened to me.

And then she's sitting there with her Natalie Portman, who's doing these at you.

And then it's like, can we get a photo? And I'm like, can you get a photo with me?

Yeah? But I still don't have that photo. I don't know who has that photo. I want that photo.

I know, well, she's probably got it on her phone. Anyway, we're rolling, So how are you anyway?

Yeah? Sorry, Hi, I'm good. How are you?

I'm very excited to be talking to you because I am a big fan, Like, ever since we discovered you, my partner and I we've watched everything you've been in and I'm just excited to have this chat with you.

I'm so glad.

Yeah, how exciting to come back to this character of Helen Chambers. That must be so exciting because with television these days, we're telling stories and longer formats and you get to really seep into the characters. What were some of the questions that you had though, that you still had after making series one that you wanted to explore with series two?

Oh wow.

Obviously season one ends quite on a cliffhanger a little bit, you know what I mean. So I think there were a lot of things left unanswered, honestly, a lot of things, I think for Elliott and for Helen. Elliott was obviously going through hell to kind of have that kind of an ending, and Helen was obviously feeling really up in the air about everything, and you know, sent the burrito

Been living life they've been living life.

If they're together, they're happy, which is great, but they haven't actually like really dealt with anything. We saved that for the series for everyone else to see. So I think there's a lot to kind of unpack there, and there's a lot that they're both still going on this journey.

The Tourist is a really good example as well as how television now has become like the ultimate format in telling a good story because, as I said, we could do long form. What is it about long form that appeals to you as an actress when it comes to taking on a role like this?

Yeah, I mean, I this is my first time ever bringing a character back for anything. Honestly, I've only ever done film, and I've never done a sequel or a mini series. So this is and I mean this was meant to be a mini series, but this is my first time ever bringing a character back, so it was an entirely new experience for me. I love watching television. I love staying with characters for years. I absolutely adore that.

I should You want me to list all the films and characters that you've played that io because we could do that.

We can do that, We can definitely do that.

But you know, I think it is just one of those things where there is some kind of beauty as an actor of just escaping into this world, telling this person's story and then letting it go, Whereas I think when you do an ongoing character from a lot of actors I've spoken to, it's like it almost becomes.

A part of you at the end of the day.

And I just hadn't hadn't really like I don't know or had that experience yet or necessarily. I love being able to travel and do all these things, so I've kind of just always been drawn to the shorter, shorter form, honestly. And then doing Season one of The Tourists, it was the longest I'd ever done one production, you know what I mean. It was the longest time I'd ever been on a set, and it was incredible. I was like, oh my god, these people are my family. I love this,

So I remember watching Michael Keaton talking about returning to Batman like he was in the nineteen eighty nine Batman film and then came back to doing Batman returns with Michelle Fiffer, who you've worked with just a name drops of people.

Yeah, that's true.

And he went back and watched the film and then he was like, you can't do that. Like he was like he realized immediately when he was trying to get back into the character, watching the movie wasn't the right entry point, you know, because then he was like, Oh, now I feel like I'm impersonating myself. You know, when it came to you slipping back into that character, were there ways in which you could do that without going to the source material and watching it as a viewer.

Oh my gosh, it was actually really hard I did. I did watch a few clips from season one. I was like, I need to remember exactly what happened first of all, or like at least where the headspace was leaving off. So I think I watched the last couple of episodes again and I watched the whole thing because I struggle with that. But I did watch the last couple of episodes again just to like remind as a reminder almost, and it was totally see.

I think this is the difference. Like people go.

Back onto a set, they're with the same crew, they're with the same cast, and they're like telling the same story sometimes as even you know they might be filming it a year later or six months later, but.

It's moments after the last episode.

This was such a different experience in the sense that I'm playing the same character, but my first day on set, because my first day on set wasn't with Jamie and the writers aren't on set, so I was like, I have an entirely new cast, an entirely new director, and an entirely new crew in a foreign country. Not one thing is familiar that reminds me of Helen or like brings.

That back and it was wild.

It was a really trippy experience the first few days, or really until I filmed with Jamie, Like my first scene with Jamie, we were both like.

Oh, oh that's fair.

Oh there it is, there it is, and.

We're both like, oh my god, because we've both been doing that, Like we were filming separately for like a few weeks before we ever even had a scene together, and so it was kind of crazy.

We're like, oh, wow, this feels so so different.

So that is almost like harder in another way because then you're the character is also going through that she's in a place she's never been, with people she's never been around. So I'm like I just kind of leant into it, and I was like, she's in a very different headspace than she was in Season one anyway. So you just kind of go with the flow. You do what you can, you know.

You know, what I find is really funny about you as well, is that you take ownership over these characters so much so that it's funny for me that whatever role I've last seen you in, I refer to you as that character, not Dannielle. You know, like some actors, you're like, you know, it's a Sandra Bullock movie and you always call it Sandra Bullock. But with you, I

A lot of people that do.

I'm telling you on the street a lot of the time dumplanted and I'm like, oh, right, this is one of my names.

I filmed that ten years twenty seventeen. We've moved on.

It was quite funny. It wasn't even that long ago anything about it. It was, but it fills forever ago.

Yeah, But is it strange to hear that though, that you know for a viewer that I connect to you as these characters so much? So?

No, I think that's it. I mean, I think that's what every actor hopes, like, that's what you want, right, It's really happy. Absolutely, I don't want you to see me.

I feel like people don't necessarily know that much about me as a person.

I enjoy that.

I'm okay with that I'm an actor. I love being able to like slip into other characters. I don't want to really be known for me. I like being you know, known for characters. That's kind of the best thing gives you freedom.

The show moving to Ireland as well, I thought it really works, like it's it's great that that's what the decision was and the evolution of these characters going there. Did Jamie have a hand and wanting to sort of flip the whole narrative because he'd been here in Australia being a tourist to Australia. Now you're all tourists in Ireland.

You know what's really funny is before I think it was me.

Actually I don't even think. I mean, I think Jamie was overjoyed.

Jamie was overjoyed at being able to shoot an island because he loves shooting in Ireland. He's from Ireland, he loves He's worked with a lot of the crew before, he'd worked with some of the casts before. Like, I think he loves that. And also it's really close to home, you know, he was he was in less than an hour flight away. He could go home every weekend, be with his kids, not uproot his family to like halfway

He's from Ireland.

But I remember speaking with the Riders before they ever started writing a season two and they were like, yeah, we're maybe we've definitely talked about it, but I don't know.

We were just kind of chatting and they were like, you.

Know, we kind of thought Canada for a second, and I was like, did you really think about island because that's just what makes sense to me.

I just always thought.

Island to do with some stamps there, right, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, Well I'm Italian.

I'm I'm half Italian, so I have an Italian passport. And I was like, it depends where you're student an island. Is it the UK, because you know practice it really messed that up for me. Or is it like, you know, the South because then that's a part of Europe. But it actually it was kind of it just kind of yeah. I remember mentioning it once and they were like, yeah, we did think about that early on, and then you know, we were just chatting for fun. And then a month

So hopefully they gave you a film credit on that.

I mean, it definitely wasn't me.

I just remember being very happy with the fact that it could be Island.

You know what, was great as well as there's really good chemistry between you and Jamie, and it's very palpable when you guys are on screen together. I mean, he's really hot, right, But what do you do to develop that kind of chemistry? Is there things that you do as an actor or because it's Jamie it just all seems to work.

No, Honestly, Like, I'm aware he's an attractive man. I'm pretty sure people tell me every day, But I think it's more trust. Honestly, for me, I don't really care what someone looks like. It's how comfortable I am with them.

Always. If I am comfortable with.

Someone, I feel so at ease being able to do whatever I have to do on set, and especially if they're comfortable around me as well. It's definitely a two way street. And I trusted Jamie pretty instantly. Like he just has something very trusting about him. And the more I got to know him, the more impressed I am with him as a human being. Truly, he's a really really great human being and I trust him implicitly, honestly, And that just increased on season two. So I think

That's the stuff that helps.

As an ausie who's really cracked the American market, well globally, you know, you've cracked the market globally, Like you know, you're playing roles everywhere. You know, what do you think it is about international directors and auteurs that are so drawn to working with our Australian talent, because we see it more and more as time goes on, that Ozzie's

I absolutely can. I mean, I mean I'm biased, but I love Australians. I am Australian. I feel comfortable around AUSI. He's like, I think that there is a very relaxed nature about a lot of Australians.

I mean, obviously this is a generalization.

Everyone's different, but culturally there seems to be like quite a relaxed nature about Uzzie's. But then also there is a really hard working nature too, and I think especially with Australian actors, Like I'm working on a job right now and we had the table read.

A few weeks ago.

When we were doing the table reader, I was like, oh my god, everyone is so good.

Everyone is so on it. Like in America, a table reader is like, yeah, we'll read the lines for.

The first time out loud and it's probably going to be really bad, but you're not acting. This is just kind of you know, to hear it out loud. And I came here and I was like, oh my god, I have so much work to do. It was like a full fledged performance, like everyone was stage ready.

Oh my gosh. But they're really really on top of it here.

And I think there are less opportunities here just by sheer size of country obviously, like America is very large and la is the centerpoint of the film industry, even though a lot of stuff doesn't even film there anymore and it goes elsewhere. I think there's just constantly like there's just more. There's just more production in other countries. There is a lot here. But I think that people are just so ready for it when it comes because they're like, we have to be. It doesn't come round.

A huge draw.

But yeah, I mean most directors I work with, if they've worked with Uzzi's before, like yeah, I.

Mean, they're just like, yeah, I just haven't been nausey. I don't like And you're like, that's good.

You've worked with three of my favorite actresses of all time with Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Feiff are so incredible. I feel like I can't leave without asking you a question. What did those women teach you? And do you get to get their mobile numbers and like stay in contact? Like what happens with that?

I do have their mobile numbers.

I'm only stressed about this because I had I had Margot Robbie's number in my phone once and I was at a party and my friend had too much to drink and then started texting her off the phone and I was like, I'm I'm assuming Margo Robbi's changed her phone. I did send an apology, to which she didn't text back. He was just saying to her, I remember when you were on neighbors, and I said to my friend that

I don't think my friends would ever do. I hope they.

I'm not talking to him anymore, by the way, not because good, No, I mean I have.

A past code on my phone more importantly, which no one knows. And also I don't necessarily have them in my phone as their names.

Okay, very smut.

I think that's my that's my fallback.

I don't put people's names in my phone, like.

In your phone as catwoman. But yeah, you would be hilarious. Before you go, I have to quickly ask you this question. What is something from behind the scenes of making the second series of The Tourists, something like of a behind the scenes secret, something that wears a view and mine not see. But maybe something sort of fun that happened on set, you know, while you're making Oh, okay.

What happened on set? Okay? Yeah? Yeah.

We shot one day and I'm almost certain the place was haunted. Actually, we shut there for three days and I came on set and a couple of the actors had already, you know, been shooting on them. They're like, no, no, no, I'm telling you this place is haunted. I was like okay, and I came in. I was like, this place absolutely is haunted. And so one night we had we had one night, we only had like two night shoots on

He loves a good prank.

So we were starting this scene just him and I in this like little corridor, and then we had to like, you know, do the scene out there.

We'd always start and.

We came back to the corridor at one point it's dilapid, dilapidated Am I saying that correctly? And everything's falling apart, and it's like it's creepy in there, and I'm like I hate starting in this tiny, little like scary space. And we came back one time and just said Danny on the wall, like someone had like scratched into the wall the word Danny, And I was like, what the Jamie and he's like, I swear I did into it, and I was like, I don't like this.

We need to get this scene and get out of here.

And then we come back after another scene and it says Mac he's the only one that calls me Danny Mack by the way, but it said Danny Mack.

And I was like, Jamie, stop it, and he's like, it's not me, I swear.

And then we come back a third time and it just says die underneath it's like, I hate you.

This is far too scary. So yeah, yeah, there's a lot of games. Yeah, messing with my emotions.

Wow, this is really really fun.

I love to hear that stuff. I love to hear that actors get along like that. And that sounds like you've had a lot of fun making this series. I'm hoping there's a season three. If they told you about that yet, you'll have turn.

I was never meant to be a season two.

They never know.

It's not a limited series anymore. It's a continuum.

So I look, you know as much as I do honestly, as we're we're out.

Well, I love you as Helen.

I think it's a great character for you and you do it so well, so I think there's an audience to see it.

You know, continue on.

But thank you for your time and your generosity today chatting with me.

This is a real this is a real coup for me.

So thank Youah, that's great chatting with you.

Enjoy chatting to the media. I'll have to let you go.

My time is up. That's why I was like starting to throw all my questions together.

I honestly could talk to you all day, and in my mind I probably have next time. Look after yourself sailing.

Thank you. H