Daniel MacPherson

Daniel MacPherson is an Australian actor and television presenter, known for his roles as Joel Samuels in Neighbours, PC Cameron Tait in The Bill, Sergeant Samuel Wyatt in Sky and Cinemax's Strike Back, Whit Carmichael in the Shane Abbess sci-fi film Infini, Arion Elessedil in The Shannara Chronicles and Hugo Crast in the first filmed adaptation of Isaac Asimov's long running Foundation book series, loosely adapted as Foundation. He also co-hosted Dancing with the Stars for six years while simultaneously starring in a number of Australian dramas such as Wild Boys. Early life MacPherson grew up in Sydney's beachside suburb of Cronulla. He was accepted into Mensa at the age of 10 and went on to attend the academically selective school Sydney Boys High School. Career MacPherson was discovered while competing in the Kurnell triathlon in southern Sydney when he was 16. He soon landed the role of Joel Samuels in the soap opera Neighbours, starting in 1998. Soon after, MacPherson won a Logie Award in 1999 for Most Popular New Talent. After leaving the soap in 2002, MacPherson travelled to the United Kingdom to star in a British production of the musical Godspell in which he alternated the lead roles of Jesus and Judas with English entertainer Jonathan Wilkes. During this time MacPherson resided in Notting Hill with close friend Robbie Williams. After completing the show, MacPherson was offered the role of PC Cameron Tait in the British drama The Bill, which he played from 2003 until late 2004. Upon leaving The Bill, he took a role playing Jesus opposite Edward Woodward as God in The Mysteries. This was a drama based on a medieval mystery play cycle in which every scene moved to a different part of Canterbury Cathedral. In 2005, MacPherson returned to Australia to present the Australian version of The X Factor. MacPherson received very positive feedback, despite the series attracting low ratings. After the season had finished, reports stated that before one of the live shows MacPherson was accidentally knocked unconscious by a crew member. After regaining consciousness several minutes later, and being rushed to hospital, MacPherson went on to do the show that night despite being heavily concussed. He says he "remembers nothing at all" from that night's broadcast. This was undetected by the public. The following year, MacPherson hosted a three-part series called Killer Sharks on Australia's Network Ten in February 2006.