Braden Danner was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His
mother, Cheryl Danner, performed in Los Angeles at The Comedy Store and
The Improv's open mic nights, and later in Indianapolis with such
improvisational comedy groups as Laff Staff with comedians Ray Combs
and Robert G. Lee. As a boy, Danner often accompanied his mother to her
comedic rehearsals. Inspired by her performances, he soon began singing
and acting at home for family and friends. He has two sisters,
photographer Diane Danner, and Broadway and film actress Demaree
Catherine Hill. He is a relative of two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning
author, Booth Tarkington, and was given his 2nd middle name in the
author's honor.
At age six, Danner began acting professionally in television
commercials in Indianapolis. He soon appeared in regional theatre
productions such as The Music Man and Charles Dickens' A Christmas
Carol. In 1983, he played the comedic role of Top Man with screen
legend Ginger Rogers in Miss Moffat, directed by Joshua Logan, Pulitzer
Prize-winning writer and director of South Pacific and Annie Get Your
Gun. A few weeks after finishing Miss Moffat, Danner met talent agent
Nancy Carson who invited him to New York City to audition for the Tony
Award-winning musical Nine, directed by Tommy Tune. After winning the
role, Danner, his mother and two sisters moved to New York City. He
made his Broadway debut at the age of seven as Young Guido's Schoolmate
in Nine.
In 1984, Danner starred in the title role of Oliver! on Broadway with
Patti LuPonne and Ron Moody. This was Danner's first production with
musical magnate Cameron Mackintosh and original Oliver! director Peter
Coe. Later that year, Danner made his theatrical television debut on As
the World Turns as Paul Ryan. Danner worked continuously in stage,
radio and television productions, appearing as Kurt in The Sound of
Music with Jenna Van Oy, and John Henry in The Berkshire Theatre
Festival's Member of the Wedding with Carrie Hamilton, Frances Foster
and David Schramm. In 1986, Danner worked with Academy Award-winning
writer Ted Allen when he performed as David in Lies My Father Told Me.
In 1986, Danner won the role of Gavroche in the Original Broadway
production of Les Miserables. Working again with Cameron Mackintosh,
Danner rehearsed with directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird and
originated the role of Victor Hugo's young hero. Danner first performed
the role at The Kennedy Center's Opera House in Washington D.C. where
he began working simultaneously on Nunn's next Broadway production,
originating the role of Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical
Starlight Express.
When Les Miserables and Starlight Express both opened on Broadway in
March 1987 to commercial success, many news outlets, such as United
Press International, noted that Danner became the first young actor in
history to accomplish the "dual feat" of starring in two "hits on
Broadway" at the same time. Danner garnered critical acclaim for his
performances from writers such as Frank Rich, chief theatre critic of
the New York Times. Starlight Express became the newest Andrew Lloyd Webber
success, and Les Miserables went on to win eight Tony Awards, including
Best Musical, and has become one of the most successful and most
performed musicals in history. The success of the original West End and
Broadway productions of Les Miserables created the momentum for
thousands of subsequent Les Miserables productions around the world,
including the film version of the same musical, starring Hugh Jackman
and Russell Crowe.
Danner performed eight shows a week for over a year before leaving Les
Miserables in early 1988 to create the role of Buddy McGillis in One
Life to Live, for which he was nominated for The Young Artist Award.
Also in 1988, he played Isaac in Joseph Papp and A.J. Antoon's New York
Shakespeare Festival (now The Public Theater) production, Genesis.
In 1989, Danner starred in the original cast of The Mickey Mouse Club
(also known as The All New Mickey Mouse Club and MMC). Described by TV
writer Lee Winfrey as "the most impressive of all," Danner launched the
Disney television series that would give rise to recording artists
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake and actors
Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling. Disney continued to rebroadcast Danner's
Season One performances from 1989 to 1995.
In 2001, Danner moved to Los Angeles to continue to study filmmaking at
USC's School of Cinematic Arts. While in film school at USC, he began
creating music videos, commercials, and short films. He made his
theatrical debut as a filmmaker, writing, directing, producing and
starring in the short film Sincerely Hollis (2003). Danner earned his
degree from the USC Film School in December 2003 and graduated with his
class in May 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cinematic Arts.
After film school, Danner began working on a wide variety of
productions. He worked as a producer on several educational television
programs such as The Profiles Series with Lou Gossett, Jr. and The
National Report Series with Hugh Downs for public television. Danner's
other television credits include reality television programs such as
Jury Duty, and music videos with artists such as Master P and MIGGS.
Partnering with Insights Entertainment and Google, he has written,
directed and produced over twenty television, radio and interactive
media commercials for such clients as Variety Children's Charity,Stern
Environmental Group, iBank and the U.S. Airforce.
Throughout his career, Danner has worked continuously with nonprofit
organizations to further philanthropic and charitable works in the
United States and around the world. In the 1980s, Danner began
supporting organizations such as The Ronald McDonald House and The
Muscular Dystrophy Association, participating in celebrity charity
events such as The MDA Labor Day Telethon (previously known as The
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon). In 1987, he participated in the first Easter
Bonnet Competition for what would later become Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS. In the 1990s, Danner began working and traveling with
nonprofit organizations to give humanitarian aid to people in areas of
Kenya, Uganda, and Mexico where medical and dental care was not readily
available. Danner helped build medical facilities at La Esperanza
Medical Clinic in San Quintín and worked as a dental assistant in a
free dental clinic near Tororo, Uganda. In the 2000s, he became a
supporter of The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to increasing global awareness of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
(SMA). In the 2010s, he began working with many charitable
organizations to fight human trafficking, sexual abuse and homelessness
in Los Angeles, the city with the highest concentration of homelessness
in the United States. In 2011, he began working with The GEANCO
Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving
the lives of Nigeria's women and children through the development of
world-class medical, education and recreational facilities and
programs.
