2024 Acting graduate and the first Balnaves Foundation First Nations Scholarship recipient Danny Howard has had a wonderful start to his career in 2025.
Danny Howard is from the far north Kimberley and is a Barrd, Yamatji, Noongar, Bunuba and Ngadju man from Western Australia.
“It’s been an incredible first year since graduating from NIDA. I got the call for Belvoir’s play Jacky the morning of the NIDA end-of-year Acting Showcase, having auditioned for the role mid-year, which was wild. I also signed with my agent Sophie Jermyn not long after the Actor’s Showcase.”
What was it like working on your first professional stage production?
The rehearsals for Jacky started a couple of days after Christmas and we had two weeks of rehearsals and then 21 shows in two weeks, which was intense. It was a four-hander play, so I walked into the room with some of the greats; Greg Stone (Acting 1983), Mandy McEIhinney and Guy Simon (Acting 2010), it was pretty special. I had to just match their energy from the jump, which was great. We’d normally spend five weeks in rehearsals and then do shows, but it was two weeks of rehearsal and straight in, so that was full on, but in the best way. I had so much support and it was a great team. Everyone tucked me under their wings and was like, “let’s do it”. The audiences were superb. They loved it, and everyone got around the show and it sold out for most nights.
The Balnaves Foundation First Nations Scholarship offers a paid industry placement, what can you share about that experience for you?
I went onto my paid industry placement on Bunya Productions’ feature film Wolfram, directed by Warwick Thornton and shot in Alice Springs. It was my first time in Alice Springs, which is just beautiful country, and my first time on a professional film set.
I found out a couple days prior to going, and my agent Sophie called me up and was like, “how about Wolfram?”, the sequel to Sweet Country, directed by Warwick Thornton and starring Deborah Mailman and I just said, “Yep, get me on the plane”. I left a couple days later and got to Alice. I loved it. It was one of the best experiences, being able to be on set but not worry about my acting technique, rather just watch, and take it all in. As everyone has said, you learn the best when you’re on set.
I got to work as a crew member in a few departments, I started as a production runner, dropping off and picking up cast and crew. I got to have meaningful conversations with a lot of the cast and the crew and just got to know their departments and their story, and they got to know me. The second week I worked with the camera crew and learned about the teams’ roles and about switching lenses, changing cameras and learning the different levels of each person on the camera crew. And just for my acting headspace, that was interesting to see how much of the actor was shown, I can now take that into account when I’m in front of the camera. The following week, I shadowed the 3rd Assistant Director (3rd AD) and just got to know her role and how a 3rd AD on a film set works. Warwick also chucked me an extra role, which was fun, as word got around that I had just come out of NIDA, he came up and had a chat and said, “we’ll chuck you a role if you want to jump in front of the camera”. And I was like, “yep, sweet, I’m happy with that!” So, I got into costume and I was on in front of the camera for a little bit, which was great! The last week, I was supposed to get back onto the camera crew, but our 3rd AD, unfortunately, had to leave the set and go home. So, they offered me 3rd AD, and I was looking after the cast and the crew, making sure nothing funnels up or down. Everything stops at you. Everything has to run smoothly; stopping cars, getting everyone to set and making sure everyone’s okay, like when the cast is needed, you get them on set, when they’re off, make sure they’re okay. There were a few kids on set, so I was real close with them, and just feeding off their energy, which was pretty fun.
Getting to be on the set of Wolfram was a great experience. To see an experienced actor go from “action” to “cut” and in between, just giving everything, that was an important part for me, and it just makes sense in my head now. It prepared me for when I’m in that situation, as soon as we call “action”, it’s on, then as soon as we’re cut, save your energy for the next scene.
I’ve also learnt that if I can’t be in front of the camera, I want to try being behind the camera as much as possible. I want to direct in the future, and I’ve been writing, so I definitely want to create my own stuff soon.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes career?
For anyone looking to get involved in a career behind the scenes, just put yourself out there, if you want to do it, there’s jobs opening all the time. If you want training, come to NIDA. The industry is looking for more First Nations people to train and work behind the camera as much as in front of the camera.
You’re heading back to the stage, this time for Sydney Theatre Company, can you tell us about that?
In August, I start rehearsals for my Sydney Theatre Company debut production, Whitefella Yella Tree.
It’s a two-hander play and we will be touring the East Coast. It’s a queer First Nations play, which is exciting. I’m playing opposite Joseph Althouse (Acting, 2018) so I’m looking forward to getting in the room with him and directors Declan Greene and Wiradjuri and Worimi theatre maker Amy Sole (Directing 2022), and the rest of the crew.
When you leave NIDA, you think you don’t know anyone, but you get into a theatre room and you discover there’s NIDA alumni everywhere and we’re making connections without even knowing it and when you meet them it’s reassuring as well, because NIDA training is elite, so you’re jumping into a room with another elite actor or director, and you know they know they’re going to give you something good in the creative process.
What can you share about your experience as NIDA’s first Balnaves Foundation First Nations Scholarship recipient?
Being the first NIDA Balnaves Foundation First Nations Scholarship recipient and coming from remote WA, the financial support was amazing. I’ve also built so many connections through the Balnaves, meeting other actors and industry people, and I’m so grateful to be able to get to know the Balnaves team, and even though I’ve now graduated and finished my scholarship, the Balnaves team are still in contact with me.
The Balnaves Foundation and NIDA are providing pathways for First Nations people to build a creative career which is important. I’ve got a lot of young people that look up to me, nieces and nephews, and for them to see and hear the stories of what I have done, it opens their minds to what they can do and encourages them too. They’re the next generation and they’re the ones that are going to carry on our stories.
What are your future career plans?
In the future, I’m hoping to get some more film work in front of the camera and just keep building on my industry connections and tell more stories, and I think it’s a very exciting time for the industry.
Applications are now open for 2026. Learn more about our performance and behind the scenes training programs. If you’d like to find out about NIDA’s scholarship opportunities, click here.
Header Image: Danny Howard (Acting, 2024) photography by Amy Joyce.