Michelle Danner: On The Italians, Sci-Fi Thrillers, and Shaping A-List Actors

What does it take to find the "spark of humanity" in a scene? For Michelle Danner—director, producer, and world-class acting coach—it is about creating a safe space for the truth to emerge.

Hollywood Hills Magazine Co-Founder Ariel Lavi interviews Danner about her multifaceted career. They discuss the personal heartbreak and humor behind her new film The Italians, the essential "humanity" needed in her upcoming sci-fi thriller Helios, and the specific instincts she looks for when mentoring the next generation of cinema stars.

On ‘The Italians’:

What personal piece of your own heart did you put into the chaotic, loving soul of this film?

That is such a great question because there certainly was a big piece of my heart that went into making the movie. At the end of the film, a card comes up that says "For my mother Loredana." My mother was Italian born in Milano, I spent a lot of my childhood vacations going to Italy, and that part of my heritage has always been very important to me. That became even more true after she passed away before we shot the movie, and it made playing this role, telling this story, and tapping into all these facets of who my mother was an incredibly personal and impactful experience.

On ‘The Message’:

What single truth about forgiveness do you hope every audience member hugs their family after seeing?

The message at the heart of The Italians is twofold: it’s not worth it to hang on to anything, even if you’ve been wronged it doesn’t have to be tit for tat. Life is too short to not choose to forgive and take the high road. At the same time, there's a message for those seeking forgiveness that they have to own up to their mistakes and make amends. The character Father Joe played by Luca Riemma encapsulates this with the line "Learn to commit, learn to accept, learn to atone."

On ‘Creative Shift’:

After powerful courtroom dramas, what unique magic did finding joy in this family comedy bring to your spirit?

It's a lot of fun to work on comedies, which I know having just wrapped on a new romantic comedy about astrology called Starstruck. It's fun to shoot them where you find the laughter in the moment, and it's fun to edit them when you go back and put together all these spontaneous choices.

The Italians was a much needed change of pace after Miranda's Victim, especially because it gave me the chance to work with Abigail Breslin on less heavy material. We had a lot of laughs on set and I think you can really feel that joy when you watch the movie, that the cast and crew cared about the film and had a wonderful time while making it.

On ‘Future Worlds’:

For your sci-fi thrillers, what essential piece of our "humanity" must always survive, even in a complex new future?

The next movie I'm going to direct (fingers crossed) is Helios, a sci-fi thriller about a brilliant scientist and her astronaut brother stopping solar flares from destroying the Earth. Beyond the thrilling race against the clock and the spectacle of outer space and its beauty, it's a story that I think is going to resonate with people about the human race coming together and triumphing in the face of impossible odds. Specifically it's a film about how a crisis can bring out the best in people and not the worst, which is the kind of message I think we need to shine a light in the darkness in a time such as this and remind us of our humanity.

On Star Potential:

What subtle spark whispers to you: "This actor is a world-class, undeniable star?"

It's hard to define it, it's really a gut feeling. Even then it's a feeling about someone who has the potential to be a star, that star quality, the "it" factor that they talk about. I always remember when I studied with Stella Alder a hundred years ago that she said you have to have "the talent for the talent."

What that means is that despite how extraordinary it is that so many people I meet and get to coach, teach, and work with have such great talent, you have to have the work ethic that accompanies that talent.

When I watch somebody and I go "They could really break through in a big way," it has to do with a willingness to take risks in the work, to try things, to be open and vulnerable and go deep within oneself when it's demanded of them by the material. That to me is a true star.

On ‘The Golden Box’:

If you could share one secret from your technique, what instantly frees an actor’s deepest truth?

What really works to free actors is to create around them a safe space, a bubble, a very private one where they feel like they can let themselves inhabit the character in the deepest way possible.

That gives them the permission to play with the role and go beyond what's on the page. A lot of actors have to master doing this for themselves through confidence and bravery, but a large part of it is the environment the director creates for their actors to do their best work.

On Mastery:

What is the most important lesson you teach A-list actors to keep their instincts pure and grounded?

Another great question, it isn't a lesson but more of a reminder to go deep within them and connect with why they want to tell the story, what they have to bring to the character, and to really stay in touch with this throughout the process. When an actor hits that place inside of themselves, which as I've said is one that is open and vulnerable and able to be courageous in taking on a role and bringing it to life, it's a profound place to go to and an incredible thing to witness.

On Purpose:

What personal need in you is uniquely fulfilled by mentoring artists that directing alone cannot touch?

Teaching and mentoring is a completely different process than directing. The immense joy that I get is to watch my students grow, the moment when a lightbulb goes on in their heads and they find the scene or the character, and to help them learn to tolerate the artist's struggle, overcome those challenges, persevere and ultimately prevail. It's about standing in front of a wall and finding a way to climb it, and when you do you become stronger. There's nothing more rewarding than watching my students find that strength.

On Scene Work:

When directing, how do you instantly spot the tiny, powerful "humanity in the moment" that transforms a scene?

I know when I feel moved and I get that jolt, that razor edge feeling in my gut that the moment is there and bound to open up the door to what the scene is really about. On set, I work very closely with my script supervisor and it’s a good practice to star the takes that you feel would work the edit you're already constructing in your head. When the actor finds that spark of humanity, the opening to that door, that’s when I know that we should star that take and it rarely fails to make the final cut. 

On Difficult Topics:

For films about tough issues like addiction, what gives you the courage to seek hope in the darkness?

The Runner was a movie I made about addiction back in 2019 with a great cast and I really did want to find the hope at the core of that story. When our kids fall through the cracks there’s still a way to reach them, break through, and save them from destruction and despair. I don’t like stories that don’t have that ray of light because I feel like that light is always there and in life one should never give up, not on themselves and not on their fellow human beings. It's very much a running theme in my work.

On Leadership:

How does your disciplined business approach for All In Films actually make your artistic choices bolder?

The reason why I created All In Films was to be able to have the freedom to tell stories that I feel need to be told. There’s countless examples of people shopping around movies for years or decades - Rocky being my go-to and one of the most famous examples - and for many those projects never see the light of day. To be able to find a way to make a movie after everybody said "no" but you said you're going to do it anyway because you believe in it that much... That is my ultimate goal with All In Films, to take my art to that level and make sure it finds the audience I know is hungering for it.

On Legacy:

Do you hope your final legacy is defined by the powerful stories you directed, or the powerful storytellers you inspired?

Both. I want the stories I’ve told to be powerful enough that they inspire a new generation of storytellers, but ultimately I will live on through my sons and in the arts particularly through my oldest who will be directing movies someday and has been by my side for my last eight films. He has grown so much as an artist and tells me I’ve inspired him to be the filmmaker he is. I couldn't be more excited to see what he will accomplish and I hope his films also provide inspiration to those who dream of telling unique and meaningful stories.

You can follow Michelle Danner on Instagram.