Today we’d like to introduce you to Hutch Dano.
Hi Hutch, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was lucky to come from a long line of talented people who have been in the business for a long time. My great-grandmother was 30’s Hollywood star Virginia Bruce and my grandfather was veteran character actor Royal Dano. My dad is an actor as well. I started out in community theatre as a kid and taking classes and got my first agent at 15. After a year of auditioning, I booked the lead in a Disney XD show, Zeke & Luther. I’ve been acting ever since. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, but friends, family and colleagues kept encouraging me to direct… and I found a whole new love and passion for filmmaking. During the pandemic, with everything at a standstill, I wrote the story of As Certain as Death, based in part on my own struggles with addiction. I called friends, they called friends and we set off on this adventure, not sure what the outcome would be. The outcome turned out to be a really good little film.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I said, my own struggles with addiction have certainly been a mountain of their own to climb. Landing the lead on a tv series doesn’t fix all your troubles. I had an amazing supportive family, but I was 16 and did what 16-year-old do…
I struggled with the same things most teenagers do. As a kid, I always felt really uncomfortable in my own skin. Socializing and school didn’t come easy for me. I thought that success would fix my anxiety and depression. When it didn’t, I looked for other things to fix what I thought was broken.
The fame, the attention, the money actually can’t fix you on the inside. No matter how many times you’re on the cover of a magazine or you see a poster of yourself in Times Square, you’re still the same as you were before anyone knew your name.
At 31 years old, I can honestly say that I like myself and I don’t think I could have gotten to this place without those bumps in the road along the way. I’m grateful for everything that has happened in my life, regardless.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an actor, director, abstract artist and reluctant screenwriter. I also coach young actors from time to time. I just wrapped a film called Down Below which also stars Eric Roberts, directed by close friend Spyder Dobrofsky. I’m really looking forward to that film’s release in a few months. Also, my directorial debut As Certain as Death releases on July 11th On Demand. Our production team put a lot of hard work into this and I really can’t wait for everyone to see it. I’m hoping to direct another feature later this year as well.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Watching my grandfather’s old films with my grandmother. He worked with some of the greats, James Stewart, Clint Eastwood, James Cagney, John Wayne Alfred Hitchcock & John Huston. So getting to watch his work is truly what inspired me to be an actor in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Hutch.dano
Image Credits
A.K. Moore.
