Michelle Danner (actress, director)

Michelle Danner is an actress, director and acting coach.  She has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Gerard Butler, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock and Seth McFarlane.  She has a movie she directed coming out titled "Miranda's Victim" which is about the true story of the Miranda Rights and stars Donald Sutherland and Andy Garcia.  We discuss some of the people she's worked with, acting techniques, marketing films and more! 

00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Life In Paris 
02:25 - Studying Acting & Taking Classes 
04:32 - Method Acting, Acting Styles & Using Emotion
10:10 - Critiquing Big Name Actors 
12:12 - Working with Chris Rock & Humor 
13:12 - Hard Work & Talent 
15:07 - Taking Risks & Choosing Projects 
19:05 - Miranda's Victim 
21:23 - Donald Sutherland 
21:57 - Getting Better and Improving 
23:42 - Ridley Scott 
24:20 - Future Plans 
25:56 - Vision Board & Your Why 
29:03 - Marketing Movies 
29:45 - Working with Rebecca Black 
31:10 - Paul Sorvino 
32:05 - Future Plans 
32:50 - Animal Charity 
34:08 - Outro 

Michelle Danner website:
https://www.michelledanner.com/

Humane Society website:
https://www.humanesociety.org/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

Okay, Michelle Danner is my guest today she is an actress, director and acting coach. And she's worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Christian Slater, Chris Rock, Seth MacFarlane, Gerard Butler, and many more. And she's here to talk about her latest and upcoming projects, share some cool stories and more stick around. Well, yeah, let's just go ahead. I guess we'll just dive right in. So yeah, I was curious about your life in Paris, because you is that where you were originally grew up?

Michelle Danner: 0:41

Well, yes, I was born in New York City. But my dad opened the very first offices of the William Morris now Willie Morris Endeavor in Paris and France. So when I was a little girl about three years old. So I grew up there until I was about 15. And I, we came back to the United States, to New York. But I had a whole European upbringing. I was a little girl and I was definitely daddy's girl. He would bring me to the office. And he had all these big stars come in, and I was under his desk playing and reading. I heard all these conversations about all these, you know, big stars, planning their careers talking about their dreams. I had a great childhood. I go to museums all the time, we went into the Palace of Versailles, it seems like every Sunday, I'm sure it wasn't every Sunday, but it seemed like it. We went, you know, that was when two movies early on and theater and studied acting. And I loved the childhood that I had, because he was very, you know that literature was about arts.

Chuck Shute: 1:54

Yeah, and when you see all these big movie stars, did you know they were like, Hey, did I just see that kind of movie? Or did you have no clue? Because your kid shows? No, I was

Michelle Danner: 2:04

too young. Yeah. Later on, I understood. I have a whole gallery in my house of pictures with my dad with lies and an alien with Judy Garland. And with you know, Marlena Dietrich and EDP F and then Benny Goodman and all these great, huge iconic stars.

Chuck Shute: 2:22

Yeah, so then you move back to New York. And then now you you went to school for acting and stuff to write you went to college. I mean, well, I

Michelle Danner: 2:33

studied in New York City with Stella Adler, and with a Haagen, and some wonderful other teachers that I've adored Herbert Bergdorf, and Steven strim, Palsson, just great teachers. I'm Carol Rosenfeld. And then I moved to LA, where I continued to study and started to teach because I took so many classes, and I love actors. And I loved passing down the information that I had accumulated throughout the years. And very quickly, as I started to coach actors, more actors came and I found myself one day, either making the decision of going on three auditions that my agent has scheduled, or coaching seven actors that called me and I chose coaching, I didn't want to disappoint the actors. And I turned down the auditions. That was I remember a very big turning point in my in the teaching. And I decided, well, you know what, it feels good to contribute, it feels good to give something back. And everybody was so enthusiastic, about, you know, the coatings and people started to book jobs. And I started to teach classes. You know, one thing was always a stepping stone to something else.

Chuck Shute: 3:52

That's interesting, though, that the teaching basically took off more than the actual acting, because I mean, you must be good at acting, if you're able to teach it to to these big stars.

Michelle Danner: 4:05

Well, I'm also I act, I love to act, and people have asked me to act and I have said, Yes, I think a deep understanding of the craft and how it's done and how it works. It's certainly very helpful. Then you can convey you know, that to to other actors, so yeah, absolutely. It's important to have a really strong sense of the craft.

Chuck Shute: 4:30

Yeah, so like, I know, there's different obviously different styles of acting, but like method acting, that's really interesting to me, because I think that's kind of more like De Niro and stuff. Like they really get into the character so much that they don't ever break character who's the most intense method actor that you've worked with?

Michelle Danner: 4:49

Well, that I've worked with, you know, I don't know that I could pinpoint somebody that it's had that intensity, certainly in the news right now. Who has gotten a lot of publicity for being a method actor has been Jeremy strong and succession. You know, going deep inside of the character, I am more of a believer in a more eclectic approach of acting. That's why I call the toolbox that every actor should have a unique toolbox called the golden box because they put their gold in it. And they learn what tools work for them, you know, what are the insights, to break down a script to create a character to make choices. And so I'm more of a believer of you know, that the you take it from you find out what works for you, as an actor. And if what works for you is what they call the method, which is basically going deeply inside of yourself and substituting and using, you know, personal things that have happened to you. If that's what works, and that's what works. I'm not a I hate dogma, I always did from very early on, I hate when anybody tells you this is the only way to do it just makes me want to run out of the door. I think there's many different ways. And if you are a working actor, you certainly find out on set on stage what works. And if you're a student studying, acting, wanting to become a working actor, you you try things out, and you learn about yourself, you learn what works. And of course, you add on your personal life, your personal experiences to that mix.

Chuck Shute: 6:38

Yeah, explain how actors do that. Because that's got to be a huge part of being a really good actor or actress is like being able to draw on real experiences and use that emotion. Because it's not like how you get in the mood, like if you if it's something sad, you have to think about something that was really sad in your real life in order to draw up that emotion.

Michelle Danner: 6:59

Yeah, if you're, you know, dealing with the loss of someone I just finished watching, shrinking with Harrison Ford, nothing. So that was really funny. And you know, so that brought something up for me, because that show is about loss, and how to cope with that. And I just lost my mother a few months ago. And so that watching it brought something up in me if I had to act in it, and that's what it would be about. Yeah, I would maybe use what happened a few months ago or not, because maybe it's too raw. Ah, you know, the last episode that we saw of succession is last Sunday, certainly tapped into that. You know, that's what everybody's talking about it. Because it tapped into something that you know, people sadly go through. So yeah, you either tap into your own life, and you find the parallel, or you don't. And you imagine what your response would be like? It's called an acting terms. The the imaginary as if the as if, what if, what if are the two magical words that lead you to imagine it either works? You know, I'm not a combination of both. It starts with something personal. And they imagine what if there's not a right or wrong way to do it? It depends who the actor is, what's going on in their life? Sometimes you can use something that's personal, sometimes it's too close. And you cannot. Yeah, there's no judgment on that.

Chuck Shute: 8:38

That's interesting. So like, you're saying, like, if I'm playing somebody and their mother died, my mom's not died. But I can reflect back on what, like a friend or a relative and aunt or grandparent died, I can really reflect on that. Or you're saying do like the what if like, what if your mom did die, then how would you feel you could do use either one of those? Yes, I

Michelle Danner: 8:59

mean, for the longest time, I told my dad the day my sister got married, we were having a drink at the plaza at one o'clock in the morning. And with tears in my eyes. I told my dad, you know, when I act, I use you I use, you know, what if you are not on this earth anymore. And he took my hand and he hugged me and he said, Don't worry. I'm not leaving anytime soon. I'm going to be here for a very long time. And he was right. He was on earth for another good nine years. So during the time that he was alive, I always get emotional thinking of his potential demise. It always made me cry. And then after he died, I couldn't use it anymore. I didn't use it. It wasn't you know, I had great closure. I had a great dad. I had a great relationship with him and it wasn't something that I really use. Now. My mom was alive at the time. And I wasn't able to either, not because I wasn't close to her, but because it just didn't work. So you know, you don't know what's going to work and what's not going to work. It's not a given that nobody that you love is going to work.

Chuck Shute: 10:07

That's interesting. Is it hard to I mean, because you've worked with such big stars like Chris Rock and James Franco, Penelope Cruz, these guys, how do you? Is it weird to critique those kind of people like with a James Franco? Are you concerned that they might Does anyone ever, like get mad and argue? But are these people that are mostly seeking you out? So then they're asking for your

Michelle Danner: 10:31

James Franco was now a very long time ago that was, you know, coaching. So it was Penelope Cruz. So I can't remember who else you mentioned?

Chuck Shute: 10:39

Or who are you who are some recent ones that I'm sure that we know,

Michelle Danner: 10:42

I worked wonderfully well with Chris Rock for a period of time. They were all wonderful. All these actors that you've mentioned are just wonderful. Yes, they come to me for coaching on a project, Chris Rock was a project. And so it was Penelope Cruz. And so as James Franco, they all came to me with with projects. Yeah, and people they come because they're wanting feedback. But you know, even working with stars on set, and I just worked with an incredible cast in my last movie. You know, actors want feedback, they want someone to tell them, not somebody who's scared of telling them. And they have a feeling that I know. And I only know because I've studied so much. And then not only I've studied, but I've done. And so you know, an actor knows the bullshit meter. You know, when we hear somebody giving them a note, or a feedback or something that is going to make sense to them, it's going to speak to them, or they're not going to respond, they're going to shut down. So I don't want my actors to shut down on set. I want it to feel free to try things to risk things. And I try to, you know, help them I try to, you know, I don't like to overburden with a lot of notes. I like to try and pinpoint the right thing to say at the right moment. And that, you know, comes from experience, and just knowing knowing the craft.

Chuck Shute: 12:08

Mm hmm. So like with Chris Rock, is he the funniest person you've worked with? Or are there other serious actors who are really hilarious behind the scenes, because I often hear that's the case, some of these people that you think would be very serious, are actually really funny behind the camera.

Michelle Danner: 12:27

I love working with Chris Rock. Like I said, I did work with him extensively over a course of a month. He is funny, but also very deep. He had a lot of wonderful insight. And he actually gave me a great parenting advice that I have to at one point, thank him for his actually it aligned completely with my philosophy on how to raise kids. Let them read, let them be let them be free. So I actually learned that he came to me because he wanted to learn from me. I actually learned from him. Yeah, I mean, he was everybody has humor. You know, actors are inherently funny. They have humor. Some are more serious than others. I am serious. I feel like I'm serious. But apparently everybody tells me I'm quite funny. Who knows? You know, the point is, is that you learn from everybody. You are the teacher, and then you are the student. You are both.

Chuck Shute: 13:21

Gotcha. So I heard you talking about to, you've obviously worked with some very talented people who we don't know their names. They didn't make it. So some of that has to do with hard work. Some of it has to do with luck. But what is the one factor that you see that's common for people that are successful versus not successful? Like, is it mostly talent, or is it hard work? Is it all those things?

Michelle Danner: 13:43

Yeah, no, it's a great question. I in a way, it's more hard work than talent. Still, Allah used to say you have to have a talent for the talent, which means you have to have the work ethic. And yeah, that's the common denominator that I really see. Everybody says about me, how hard I've worked, how hard I work. That is true. I work hard. There's no question about that. But I see it in many others. It's, you know, it's the dedication. It's a certain discipline. It's doing it when you don't want to do it, which I always tell everyone, I never want to do anything but myself to do it anyway. I mean, you know, there's so many things that you just don't want to do. But, but you know, that it's something that's going to make you grow as a human being. And that's at the end of the day, what you've signed up for in this lifetime, is to keep growing to keep, you know, pushing the goalposts to raise the bar to search for, you know, a certain excellence inside of yourself. And that's, I think one of the most important things to try to achieve.

Chuck Shute: 14:55

Oh, absolutely. I think we all can even know Non actors or non entertainment people can all benefit from that advice for sure. And then talk about, I saw you do a little video about this. We're taking risks as an actor I because I also think that's how you grow is by taking the risks and making the mistakes and maybe screwing up and then learning from those mistakes. Like how can actors take different risks? Like I know, I remember like when Jim Carrey was at the height of his popularity, comedic actor kept doing all these comedies. And then he does The Truman Show. And you're like, What is he thinking he's doing as drama? Like, what is that such a crazy move, but it paid off? I thought he was brilliant in that?

Michelle Danner: 15:35

Absolutely. Did somebody like Jim Carrey and even Adam Sandler when they go and they work on more dramatic roles? More serious roles? There's definitely a payoff with that. You know, they say clowns are inherently you know, sad. There's tragic, there's a tragedy in the clowns. In the greatest clowns. Yeah, the risks is to to take on parts roles that scare you that have something in them a component that is scary, and do it and challenge yourself to it. But it's important to take risks. It's important not to stay static. You know, I feel it in myself, I that's what I have a couple of boys, couple of kids. And I keep pushing them to not stay safe. It's more interesting to, you know, push those boundaries, and see what you can find and it's uncomfortable. I feel a great deal of the time for myself, I feel very uncomfortable. And I don't like it. I don't like the feeling whatsoever. But I also know that it's important to put yourself in that position. And usually when I feel that uncomfortable is because I am taking a risk of some sort. But those are the important moments in life. Those are when I look back. Those are the turning points in life. You can't be comfortable. If you're comfortable, then you're not doing something right. Especially when you're an artist.

Chuck Shute: 17:13

Yeah, oh, that's interesting. Yeah. But obviously the book behind me, David Goggins, but I'm a big fan of his and he was a Navy SEAL. And he does all these crazy, like physical challenges. And he said, That's what he says, he says, comfort zones are poison. You got to get out of your car. If you're too if you're in a comfort zone, you got to get out of it. So that's similar advice is what you're saying?

Michelle Danner: 17:32

Yeah, absolutely. Don't stay comfortable. We'll all be comfortable when we're, you know, six feet under.

Chuck Shute: 17:38

Yeah. So follow that path with when in terms of directing films, when you're looking at projects and scripts and things you try to pick things that are that are more challenging, and then more difficult subjects you don't know about?

Michelle Danner: 17:53

Oh, yes. I mean, I just signed on to direct this big movie called Helios. It's a space movie. It's like a big disaster, you know, action movie, and that it really interests me, it's about what space is going to be like, in the future. And when I started to research it a little bit and watch other space movies, I realized that men are predominantly male directors are who signs on to direct and you know, maybe maybe leader Deep Impact, like years and years ago, like one woman for, you know, many, many men. So I thought that that's a challenge that that's interesting. I'll take that challenge. Is that

Chuck Shute: 18:35

can you say anything more about that? Like, who's going to be in it or?

Michelle Danner: 18:39

Not yet?

Chuck Shute: 18:40

Okay. Is this like a big budget movie? Because space? Let's usually can't do those budget with a low budget.

Michelle Danner: 18:46

A big budget? Yeah. Oh, that's exciting.

Chuck Shute: 18:49

Well, that'll be fun. You have a couple other movies coming out to the Italians and starstruck Are you?

Michelle Danner: 18:55

Well, no. Those are in the stages still getting? Yeah, the but the movie that I have that I finished principal photography on, is Miranda's victim.

Chuck Shute: 19:08

Yeah, I was trying to find that so that's not out yet. Yeah, it's not out yet.

Michelle Danner: 19:11

Out in the fall. Yeah. He has a great cast. You know, I mean, Donald Sutherland and, you know, Andy Garcia Kyle McLachlan, the Ryan Phillippi Luke Wilson and the lead is Abigail Breslin. I was just starting to watch a Little Miss Sunshine again. She's so adorable. When she was that age and Emily VanCamp Josh Bowman, isn't it the extraordinary me Ray nice, isn't it? Brent Sexton Enrique more siano. I mean, I have this cast. I'm sure I'm forgetting Dan Lauria Nolan Gould, Taryn Manning. I, this incredible cast sign on to come tell this very important story about this courageous woman who was abducted and raped in 1963 and Phoenix, Arizona, and who sought justice several times. So several times and that gave birth that due to the Miranda rights. So for every movie and TV show that we've seen where you've heard you have the right to remain silent and you have the right to you know, there's a big story behind that. And it's a story about justice that comes full circle.

Chuck Shute: 20:15

Oh, that sounds amazing. I didn't know that is from Phoenix where I am that's down the street. After research. That's actually maybe I shouldn't research it and just watch the movie and be surprised.

Michelle Danner: 20:26

Yeah, well, I came to Phoenix and I walked the whole trajectory of what happened that night, where she worked at the Paramount Theater, got on the bus a little late, and she shouldn't came off of the bus. In that moment, where she was abducted and taken to the desert, I did that whole trajectory. I went to the house where he lived in and got arrested the house where she lived in and later on, when she got married and had kids, the courthouse where, you know, he was indicted. And there's a museum there, where you have a little bit of the presence of Miranda. It's It's fascinating. It's just a fascinating story.

Chuck Shute: 21:02

That does sound fast. And it is interesting. You always hear that Miranda rights, but it's like, you know, I never knew why it was called that. It's because of this story that that's I'm surprised no one's made a movie about

Michelle Danner: 21:13

ever did and when they offered me this movie, I was like, Oh my God, no one's told this story. This is This is crazy. This is so unique.

Chuck Shute: 21:21

Yeah, so Donald Sutherland, gosh, that that guy's such a legend. I mean, it's easy to direct, like a guy like that, or is it a is it more difficult because he feels like he knows everything.

Michelle Danner: 21:32

He's extraordinary. He's humble, and wise, and incredibly talented. And when the camera says action, what happens to him is just magical. The way he inhabits the soul of a character he takes on their flame. I have nothing but tremendous admiration and respect for Donald Sutherland and immense gratitude.

Chuck Shute: 21:56

Yeah, do you feel like with? Because I think your first film was? What was it? 2006. So you've been doing this a while now. So do you feel like each film is getting easier? And you're getting better at directing?

Michelle Danner: 22:09

Oh, yes. No question I try. Every time I direct the movie. I asked myself, What are the lessons because you can make new mistakes, I tell myself, but you certainly can't make the same ones. So I try and really learn and you know, you do learn from mistakes to scores, you learn from the times when you fail. It feels better to succeed. It's a better feeling. But you actually learn more when you don't. So absolutely, I bring all my lessons with me. And I had an extraordinary shoot. We shot for you know, I think it was six weeks. And it was just, you know, was magical. I had the cast to end all casts. They all came in. It wasn't the job. People didn't come to do a job they came to bring, you know, their hearts and their extraordinary talents to the table.

Chuck Shute: 23:03

No, absolutely. It's just interesting, because I know like Tarantino, he's one of my favorite directors. And he was saying how he's only going to do one more film because he thinks that directors get worse with age, which to me doesn't make sense. Because for says he had what is he in his 70s or 80s now and he's done some of his best work it with the later years like the departed and Wolf of Wall Street. I mean, I loved both of those films. So it's that's why it's kind of interesting to hear that take I don't think directors are better when they're young. I feel like they can get better with eight with anything really acting too.

Michelle Danner: 23:37

Well, I had the honour to have a conversation with Ridley Scott ago, because he had seen the movie, the runner that I did, he ended up casting my lead actor in Napoleon that's coming out in the fall. And he spent a lot of time with me on the phone praising me about this movie The runner. And it was just an honor to obviously talk to Ridley Scott hmm. And he said to me, the key is to keep doing it. And I'll never forget that because this totally aligns with you know, what my thoughts are about directing. You just have to keep doing it.

Chuck Shute: 24:17

Yeah, do it because I heard you say to that, at the same time, like you want to continue to make films and and do all this stuff. But also you feel like you've accomplished enough to where you feel like you've almost done everything right.

Michelle Danner: 24:31

So I don't know I don't think that I don't feel pressure, right? No, I don't feel any pressure whatsoever. I if I were to not accomplish another thing for the rest of my life, I would be totally fine. It's fine. But the thing is, is that I'm driven to tell stories. I love stories. I love important stories. And I keep looking for to to to have that experience. Like I said it's just not comfortable. No Stage of it is comfortable, whether you're prepping it, or whether you're doing it or the aftermath of it, none of it is particularly comfortable. But that's when you know that you know, something good is happening. If you're not in that comfort zone, but I, I have a son who studies film and theatre, and I believe that he is going to make some wonderful movies, and I look forward to being there with him to help. I'll be directing, I'm sure I've actually think four movies lined up back to back. So I'm sure I will do that in the next couple of years. And then I am going to be so happy to watch him carry the vision of a movie.

Chuck Shute: 25:43

Oh, that's exciting. So he's going to be a director as well.

Michelle Danner: 25:46

Oh, yeah. No, that will no question about that writer director, with his own unique vision to bring in.

Chuck Shute: 25:53

Yeah. Well, speaking of vision, I heard you say that you use a vision board. Can you explain to my audience like how that works? Because I've I've done that before, I need to do another one. But those things kind of do work. It's almost like, to me, it's almost like witchcraft. Like, if you put stuff on there, like, it will come true. And it's weird.

Michelle Danner: 26:13

Well, it is it's any it's even more than that. It's absolutely if you manifest it in that way, in a tangible way, in a visceral way, it chances are that it will come through. I also think you really have to want it. I know for me in my life, I have seen what I've been able to accomplish, and what I was not able to accomplish. And the things that I did have to do because there was a power of intent that always ran through my body. When I said to myself, I want this, I want to do it. You can't underestimate the very strong will.

Chuck Shute: 26:51

Yeah. Do you ever try to figure out why you want some things like because I know for me, too, I think, like, I there's certain things that I want, but then I have to try to like kind of reframe things and go, Okay, I have to think why do I want this? Because sometimes you want it for the wrong reasons. And then you go, Okay, well, as long as your your y is in the right place, I feel like you're always on the right path.

Michelle Danner: 27:12

Well, absolutely. You have to, you know, say if it's connected to your passion, why is it that you're passionate about it? Why do you want it? But I've, I feel like I've picked wisely. And I've only picked things that I've wanted? Because it did you know, there was an integrity about it. It was something that I wanted to say as an artist. It wasn't just for, you know, a paycheck?

Chuck Shute: 27:40

No, I mean, do you feel like when you make a movie like that it should promote some social issue that you're passionate about? Or should it just be entertaining, or possibly both?

Michelle Danner: 27:50

I think it has to be entertaining. It has to do both. They can just be something that, you know, punches you in the gut, and leaves you no, no. I don't believe in Downers, I believe in things that elevate you that enlighten you, that inspire you. And for that they have to be entertaining, I believe in if you're gonna lose yourself in a theater, or 90 minutes, or two hours or two and a half hours, it's got to entertain you. Or on if you're going to see a play I love I love theater. Yeah, but but also, I really like things that are timely that are that have messages that are about something that have meaning. I like that too. And so we're very interesting time right now, there's so many things that are getting made. You know, we're bombarded so many great things, but not everything is brilliant. Some things are good, some things are great. And then some things are just downright brilliant. And you try of course to watch everything that's brilliant that's ever gotten made. And then you go to the things that are great. And I don't know if there's enough of a lifetime to do that.

Chuck Shute: 29:03

Well, I know. And it's also finding the good movies, some there's a lot of bad movies, too. And then sometimes you'll stumble upon something you're like, oh my god, like you'll see something that's brilliant. And no one's heard of it. And that's, I feel like a lot of it is marketing, marketing, the movies, doing podcasts and things like this to get the word out on things because I feel like there's a lot of things that I stumble across that I'm like, How have I never heard of this. This is amazing movie.

Michelle Danner: 29:26

Absolutely. I think you have to be very judicious with you know, how you're going to market a movie. Definitely. I was on that makes the whole difference, you know? Absolutely. Yeah. I

Chuck Shute: 29:39

was trying to look up some of the movies that you've done to try to watch some and the one on one I could find last night was bad impulse. I think that was the most recent movie and I saw I watched some that we haven't finished it but it was interesting. I was like, I was looking in the middle of it. There's a girl and I go wait a minute, that girl looks familiar. And it was Rebecca Black who did that? That Friday song and she has a role in it. And she's good And so what was it like working with her because that was probably one of her early acting roles, I think or maybe only acting roles. She

Michelle Danner: 30:06

was adorable. She has a great part in it. She came on set we were actually shooting a Jane Seymour's house in Malibu. Because we were shooting in Tarzan and we get evacuated because of the fires that year, the LA Fire so I ended up as a favor, being able to shoot in Jane Seymour's house. She was so lovely, and you know, generous. And Rebecca Black came to see me there on set. And I said, like this great part for you. It's not a big part. And, but we knew some people in common and, and she came and she did it. And she was great. And yeah, I mean, I thought this was a very interesting movie. I liked that movie was PulseR Vina was in and he's fabulous in it. I mean, keep watching, because you'll see all his scenes. He's just so good. It's like really vintage. PulseR vino? Yeah. Grant bowler, this wonderful Australian actor who had his on TV show, and Sonya walger Who's on a TV show on Apple TV. Which I have to actually watch for this space movie, which I'm looking forward to. But I had some really great actors.

Chuck Shute: 31:08

Yeah, I was gonna ask you too about Paul Sorvino, because obviously you worked with him, and you had great things to say about him. Do you have any idea though? Why was he left off the In Memoriam at the Oscars, because I know his daughter Mira Sorvino was upset about that. I'm like, rightfully so. I seemed like everything I heard about him. He was a good guy. I've clearly a legendary actor. So is that just like a mistake?

Michelle Danner: 31:32

I think it was probably a mistake. I don't know who's in charge. But every year they forget. A lot of people. always there's always, you know, I think they have to have a better record of it. Yeah. Terrible. This scene in Goodfellows. Well, ports of vino talks about you know, the slicing the garlic for the for the tomato sauce, right. That's what it was. I mean, it's iconic. I mean, who does not think that Paul Sorvino is not iconic?

Chuck Shute: 32:03

Yeah, sad. Well, that's exciting. So you got to future projects. And I'm excited for this that I didn't know about the Helios. I don't think that's been announced yet. So that's exciting.

Michelle Danner: 32:14

It was announced on deadline last week. A lot of people saw it. Yeah. Okay. Lucila deadline, and then they picked it up, I think in other places. And again, I'm excited.

Chuck Shute: 32:23

And when is Miranda's victim, when will that be out? In theaters? Or is it going streaming? Or?

Michelle Danner: 32:28

Well, it'll be in theaters. It'll be in the fall. Okay, theaters, and then it'll go streaming? Of course.

Chuck Shute: 32:35

Okay. Right. Well, we'll look for all that I always end each episode promoting a charity or nonprofit cause Do you have something that you want to mention here at the

Michelle Danner: 32:44

end? Any charity that has to do with animals?

Chuck Shute: 32:49

Okay, I've, I've promoted many of those. So I will put that in the show notes along with your website. And people can take acting classes from you still? Are you going to be too busy directing to do that?

Michelle Danner: 32:59

No, I'm actually this month, I'm teaching quite a lot. I always go back to teaching. That's my foundation. That's my, you know, my sounding board. But But yeah, I'm teaching a lot this month and next month a little bit. And then yes, when I direct the thing is I have these two schools, the Los Angeles acting conservatory, the Michelle Danner acting studio, and I'm lucky enough to have an extraordinary faculty of teachers that inspire students, the next generation to be the best artists that they can be. So that's schools in Culver City, there's if you drive from the ocean to Hollywood, a mural artists painted, you can't spell heart without art. And if you drive in the opposite direction, you can't make art without heart. And those are two wonderful murals that are playing on the on the building that we have.

Chuck Shute: 33:48

Oh, very cool. Yeah. I'll have to check that out next time around in LA or Hollywood or Culver City, all that area. I love that. I love that. So I love Holly well have gone to other movie studios, like Paramount doing the tours. I think it's so fun.

Michelle Danner: 34:02

Great. That is lots of fun. Yes,

Chuck Shute: 34:04

yes. All right. Well look forward to your future projects. Thanks so much for doing this.

Michelle Danner: 34:08

Thank you so much. Thank you have a rest. wonderful rest of the day.

Chuck Shute: 34:12

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