He’s been a cop on Neighbours and the sexy doctor on Love Child. Now, Dan Hamill is in his beefiest role yet – a gladiator!
Tell us about your role as Celadus in Spartacus: House of Ashur.
He’s the most seasoned gladiator and the alpha of the bunch in Ashur’s fresh pen of fighters at the Ludus (training). Unlike the others, Celadus has been in the arena, won fights and carries a level of expertise. He brings wisdom to the new rucks and a father-son dynamic. His son was born as a slave in captivity and is being raised by his dad to be the next champion. Celadus has an edge of brutality and fear, but also a gorgeous heart, and it was nice playing that.
Dan Hamill Photo credit: Michael Comninus
How did you prepare for it?
I felt I was ready for the part. I’ve undergone significant personal growth and feel comfortable in my own skin. I run a Performance Coaching school for kids, and teaching them is close to my heart. I know what it’s like to be the dad figure. I hand-ball them back to their parents, but I do have that father instinct within me.
Dan Hamill Photo credit: Michael Comninus
It seems a very physical role too.
We had a three-week boot camp, which was intense. I’m usually a lone wolf in terms of my life, and I was suddenly in group dynamics. We were all very conscious that we’d be naked for a long period, so there was a rush to get fit. We were dieting, ice-bathing, and I think we all got sick twice in three weeks, because we were pushing our bodies to the extreme. But we bonded through the stress, not just to become fierce fighters but also to look good in pretty much nothing!
“After being in Spartacus, none of us have an issue wearing budgie smugglers!”
Spartacus is so…homoerotic! Was that well-known throughout the production?
It certainly was with the cast. If you look at the reality of that age, everyone was fluid with no hang-ups about sexuality. They would all have been trying different flavours, not to mention being stuck in something of a prison cell. I researched being a gladiator at the Ludus, and it definitely leaned towards all that. But there’s an ironic freedom to it as well, because they had sexual liberation. You could be fierce, yet have different lovers of different sexes.
Dan Hamill with the cast of Spartacus: House of Ashur
And what about the skimpy costumes?
When we began filming, everyone was a bit self-conscious and getting spray tans for the nude scenes, but at the end of a seven-month shoot, you’re just rolling around in your G-banger (G-string) without thinking. After being in Spartacus, none of us has an issue wearing budgie smugglers ever again!
As an openly gay actor, do you feel times have changed for the better in terms of getting these roles?
Yes, it has. There were always exceptions who broke through, but it’s becoming increasingly common. In this age, owning who you are is a currency in the market. In the past, there was a cookie-cutter expectation of what it had to be, but now it’s about your uniqueness being your gold. I see that as a superpower rather than a hindrance.
“I was in a lovely ecosystem that felt safe to acknowledge that I was gay.”
You’re alongside others in the cast, such as Stephen Madsen. Gay men make pretty good gladiators.
(Laughs) Well, we’re good at getting a six-pack, and that fits in well with being a gladiator.
Dan Hamill Photo credit: Michael Comninus
What was growing up gay like for you?
I came out when I was twenty-three, and it was weirdly easy. I studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where I was suddenly in a lovely ecosystem that felt safe to acknowledge to myself that I was gay. Before that, it was very repressed, and even I couldn’t acknowledge it for myself. It wasn’t easy as a kid. In fact, it was quite horrible. It was different back then, and as a kid, I felt that vocalising that I was gay sort of meant death. That repression and knowing from early on that I was gay made it all very hard. It’s interesting how my evolution has led me to become a man who fully loves himself. I’m proud and my own best mate.
“I came out when I was twenty-three, and it was weirdly easy.”
Tell us about your boyfriend.
I have a beautiful Italian partner and we’ve been together for eleven years. We’ve been back to Italy five times to visit his family. I love him and he’s my forever guy. Relationships take work and dedication, but I see him every day, and it brings a big smile to my face.
Dan Hamill as Dr. Andrew Patterson in Love Child
Many will forget that you originally appeared on X-Factor and Popstars.
Yes, I was eighteen with bleached blonde hair when I got into the top ten on Popstars. It was a fun time, but also a trial by fire that propelled me into the industry. I went back to WAAPA and learned how to act. However, I do love singing, as it gives me the chance to let my soul out and tap into my inner Beyoncé. While shooting Spartacus, Graham McTavish (Korris) and I were about to go into the arena to fight, and in his deep Scottish voice, he asked me what music I liked because I had great energy in the arena. I said, “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce!”
“If you look at that age, everyone was fluid with no hang-ups about sexuality.”
What’s your advice for people wanting to break into the industry?
Get to know yourself, do the inner work and celebrate your uniqueness. The only reason I do what I do is because I know my internal world. As an actor, you channel different roles with a magnifying glass and need to know yourself intimately, from the darkest to the lightest. We’re emotional athletes, but we’ve also got to be tough as nails in business and negotiation. We must be able to take ownership of ourselves. The emotional trajectory of Spartacus, as well as the athleticism involved, is the biggest workout I’ve ever had in my life!
Spartacus: House of Ashur is available to stream on Stan
Follow Dan on Instagram @danhamillofficial
Dan Hamill Photo credit: Michael Comninus
