Australian actor and musician Dan Hamill, whose career accomplishments have consistently proven him to be a great entertainer, uses his talents to further the growth of the entertainment industry as a whole through the coaching institute he founded: Dan Hamill Performance Coaching (DHPC).
Many of Australia’s acting and performance schools are not formed by working entertainers, nor do many entertainers act on their passion to share their personal knowledge with others in the performing arts industry. This is why Hamill’s creation of this influential and distinguished institution highlights how he is an actor of versatile accomplishments.
Dan explains the story behind his school in these terms: “‘Love Child’, ‘House Husbands’ and ‘X-Factor’ gave me the publicity platform to create a stellar team, trained in my unique performance method to become a team of industry mentors for the new generation. Cut forward three years later I have a team of 9 and we have young clients filming lead roles in the Gold Coast and a 13 year old who was just a semi finalist on America’s Got Talent and 20 million collective views of their performances. For me as a man and an actor from a selfish perspective, I want to make sure that I have a mini empire running behind me that gives me fulfillment.”
The school has proven to be of important reputation and a valuable asset to the industry. It is well-known for its impressive track record of successful alumni, attraction of distinguished guest speakers, and providing an important mechanism for cultivating talent and facilitating the overall growth of the film and television industry across multiple genres and productions.
Hamill’s wealth of accomplishments as an entertainer help him to provide exclusive and substantive coaching for students at his school. His experience as an actor, singer and entertainer on TV include being selected as a Finalist on ‘Popstars,’ a Finalist on ‘The X-Factor,’ an actor on the award-winning ‘Love Child,’ and as a series regular credit on SheZow -- all within a couple of years.
A career with a course of such high stature as Hamill's have provided him with a range of insights with which to shepherd his students, who themselves have gone on to star in international musicals, Australian TV, and Hollywood blockbusters.
Hamill humbly explains, “I feel really proud of DHPC because I get to see kids really love themselves. I think when we love ourselves - we fly.”
Indeed, students have notably featured at the Sydney Lyric Theater, which is known for its large scale musicals, star on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ the number 1 rated show on NBC, ‘The Voice Australia,’ appear on the prestigious and highly acclaimed Australian soap opera ‘Neighbours,’ and in Hollywood films like ‘The Dressmaker’ with Kate Winslet and ‘Predestination’ with Ethan Hawke.
The school has a long record over nearly a decade of prominently placing its students in these roles. Famous talent the school has produced include Kyla Bartholomeusz, Annie Jones, and Josh Richards. Producing famous talent and regularly placing students in notable productions is quite an accomplishment, as having a role in a Hollywood film is rare and impressive, and continually obtaining such roles is even more impressive. Dan’s leadership has also facilitated international industry guests to provide invaluable feedback to students as they grow in their craft.
The esteemed reputation that Dan has built for his school is able to bring in distinguished guest lecturers such as Brehan Fitzgerald, widely known for her work in management and casting. Recently, in a further testament to the strength of Dan’s reputation in Australia, casting director Dave Newman, who won the CGA Award for Best Casting in a TV Comedy in both 2016 and 2017 for the popular series 'The Family Law,' also offered his services as a guest to the school, which further demonstrates the school’s impressive associations.
Dan’s status as an accomplished entertainer is also felt and reverberates throughout the rest of the teaching staff and their credentials, many of whom share a pedigree not unlike Dan himself. Dan handpicks the instructors on the DHPC team, each of whose additionally talented and distinguished backgrounds elevate the school’s esteemed reputation.
Hamill offers the following with a smile. “Our teachers at DHPC are second to none. They all firstly as a prerequisite have the best hearts and are generous and nurturing in spirit. They are secondly all industry leaders and killing it in their own realm. From recording artists, leading ladies on television in film, acclaimed international directors and commissioned screenwriters. They are also trained in the DHPC coaching method which is based upon building resilience, self care and self belief in the next generation of industry leaders. I’ve learnt as CEO of DHPC that you are nothing without your team!”
The team features the actress Anna Burgess who has starred in Channel Seven’s ‘Olivia Newton-John’ and ‘Last Man Standing’. She has been nominated for Best Actress at the Buffalo Film Festival, which further signifies the school's prominent credentials. Laura Wheelwright also assists the team, having worked in feature film ‘Animal Kingdom’ and starring in ‘The Woolgatherer.’ The singing side includes Vocal Coach Thando Sikwila, who was a top 24 contestant on the hit television show ‘The Voice Australia,’ and starred in the Australian premiere of 'Dreamgirls' and a sold-out season of ‘The Colour Purple.’
From polishing skills to preparation for auditions, the highly accomplished staff at DHPC not only fosters individual performing talents, but the continued success of the film and television industries as a whole.
The undisputed face of the company, the importance of Hamill’s contributions are crucial. In addition to his involvement in attracting extraordinary guests and selecting incredible instructors, his personal feedback to students demonstrates his attentiveness and genuine care for their artistry. Hamill builds a personal connection with each student, and demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and the correct next steps towards their personal goals. Dan gives each student tailored feedback to track their individual progress throughout their time at the school, and makes sure to build their confidence while also helping them refine their skills in order to help them reach a world class level.
The success of students, who continue to train at the school as a ‘gym of sorts’, underscore the distinguished reputation of the company as an institution of sorts and one which firmly holds a place at the top in the film and TV industry in Australia, demonstrated further by its associations with top tier productions such as ‘Dirty Dancing’ and ‘The Wrong Girl.’
Olivia Sprague explains “I was recently cast in... ‘The Dressmaker’ with [Oscar-winner] Kate Winslet and Dan helped me prepare and feel confident in my audition”. So great is Dan’s influence that it even extends to the parents of his students, who also attribute their children’s success to Hamill himself. They praise Dan as “tick[ing] all...boxes. He has experience, fabulous credentials-- he’s technically fantastic! Everything I want in a teacher for my daughter, he gives me in spades”.
Ultimately, Hamill’s own experience throughout his personal career allows him to impart this type of wisdom onto his students, both personally and through his influence in the incredible guest speakers and instructors his reputation and experience have afforded him. Not only has he experienced and executed what an actor and entertainer needs to bring to his most popular performances on the ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Love Child,’ he also has the breadth of experience by working on films with impressive casts such as ‘The Broken Shore.’
Hamill’s breadth of experience can ensure that students are prepared to handle all aspects of the industry before they begin their careers, which raises the overall standards for the film and television industry and encourages further artistic and commercial growth not only when these students first enter the industry, but throughout their careers as they continue to apply the lessons learnt at the performance school.
As Hamill says, “[T]he school I believe will have a lasting legacy and why it’s having a real impact in the industry is we build holistic artists. We’re highlighting the importance of self care and self belief, self love and getting young people to love themselves!”
Dan Hamill’s endeavor of sharing his knowledge and experience to future stars of the entertainment industry through Dan Hamill Performance Coaching (DHPC) demonstrates the extent of Hamill’s passion for the performing arts industry and his influence on the others in his field. With all of his experience, Hamill seeks to help students “step into their magnificence,” being informed by the impressive guests, coaching skills, and track record at his company.