DANIEL MACPHERSON isn’t wired to sit still. Whether it’s an early morning cardio session, filming an action-heavy role, or escaping the city for a weekend away, the 45-year-old actor and former endurance athlete is always in motion. It’s that on-the-go lifestyle that made his recent appointment as Jaecoo’s first-ever Australian brand ambassador feel like a natural evolution rather than a departure.
From the moment the opportunity arose, MacPherson says he was drawn to the brand’s identity. “I was really impressed with Jaecoo right from the outset,” he says. “It is a brand that’s arrived in Australia with a really clear, powerful identity. Design led, performance driven, and with a real spirit of spontaneous adventure – all of which I feel is very cool.”
For a man whose life often straddles the city and the outdoors, the connection was immediate. “It’s not just about looking good on the city streets, it’s built for that weekend getaway too, and that duality really reflected my own life,” he explains. “I try to run a balance – be that working on set, city commuting, fatherhood, and all with plenty of time outdoors or on the trail.”
That blend of style and substance is personified in the Jaecoo J7, the sleek new SUV launched with a party under the stars in Sydney’s Centennial Park last month. For MacPherson, who took centre stage as ‘Mr Jaecoo’ on the night, it was a memorable moment.
“It was a huge night! Seeing the J7 lit up under the Sydney sky was surreal, and the weather gods turned on a perfect evening,” he says. “It was my first time meeting a lot of the team behind the brand, and the passion and belief they have for Jaecoo was infectious. I felt really welcomed into the family.”
As for the car itself, it’s already become a staple in MacPherson’s day-to-day. “The J7 ticks a lot of boxes for me,” he says. “I’m always on the move, whether it’s driving from Cronulla to the city for work, or heading away with my son for a weekend getaway.” MacPherson says the J7 is up for anything. “The tech is cutting edge, the interior is refined, and there’s plenty of space without it feeling oversized. For me, a car needs to perform but also feel intuitive and comfortable, and the J7 hits all of those notes.”
But it’s not just what’s under the hood that matters to MacPherson. He’s more selective than ever about the brands he aligns with, particularly when it comes to values like sustainability.
The Jaecoo Forest initiative – a partnership with Greenfleet that’s focused on planting thousands of native trees to regenerate Australian bushland – was a key reason he got involved with Jaecoo. “It is absolutely imperative,” he says. “We are the generation who must be looking forward and taking responsibility for the future that we leave to our kids.”
It’s a stance that mirrors the growing consciousness of Australian consumers who are looking for more than just performance and polish in their choice of car. “Modern Aussies want versatility, I think,” he says. “They want a vehicle that looks sharp in the city but can handle dirt roads, camp gear, and surfboards just as easily. I think also, more than ever, they want value for their money. The J7 absolutely delivers on that.”
His own car, MacPherson says, is something of a Swiss Army knife on wheels. “It’s become the ‘cardrobe’: packed with everything from running gear, boxing gloves, suits, you name it. Always ready for the next location, event or training session. There’s always a towel and pair of boardies in the boot, ready for that spontaneous bodysurf – that’s a non-negotiable.”
The same emphasis on versatility also applies to MacPherson’s training routine, which has changed a lot since his Ironman days. “I turned 45 this year, and [I’m] loving my training more than ever,” he says. “Outside of prepping for work, I’m constantly trying new things, anything from Muay Thai to Hyrox, which keeps me motivated and challenged mentally and physically.”
These days, he trains smarter, not just harder, focusing on recovery, sleep and nutrition to get the most out of each session. “I train way smarter than I used to,” he says. “Eventually I learned that training without proper diet, recovery and sleep is wasted energy. I don’t always have them all in check, but now when I really need to knuckle down for a role or an event, I know all the levers that I need to pull to get maximum results for my effort.”
His current split includes two sessions a day – cardio and strength – and a personal commitment to 100 sit-ups every day, which began in 2024 and has continued into this year. “Not a huge amount of work, but a challenge of daily discipline and consistency,” he says. “I’ve noticed such incredible changes in my core strength, balance, lifting and running especially.”
While he’s often on the road, MacPherson is meticulous about keeping his training consistent. “You just have to plan and prepare well,” he explains. “That can be anything from choosing hotels with good gyms, or making sure I have a set of training clothes in my carry-on.” When he’s home, it’s all about efficient, focused workouts – whether at The Yard gym in Caringbah or Adelaide, or in his own garage setup. “It’s my private little happy place,” he says.
MacPherson’s dedication to fitness was tested like never before in his upcoming film Beast in Me, where he plays a retired MMA fighter drawn back into the cage and shares the screen with heavyweights like Russell Crowe and Luke Hemsworth. “I’m excited for the world to see it,” he says.
The preparation, according to MacPherson, was the most intense of his career. “I spent two-and-a-half years training for this film,” he says. “I started martial arts from scratch, and worked with my nutritionist Kevin Libby to get down to a body fat I’ve never been before.”
Determined not to be the type of actor who is simply pretending to fight, MacPherson trained obsessively in boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, even travelling to Thailand for full-contact sparring camps. “I went over to training camp in Thailand a couple of times, got choked out and knocked out by professional MMA fighters,” he says. “We partnered with ONE Championship for the movie so I got to go and train with Thai fighters like Tawanchai and Superbon, as well as filming our final fight sequences in the cage in Bangkok in front of 10,000 real fight fans at ONE 172.”
Evidently, MacPherson doesn’t spend much time sitting still. But there’s a good reason for why he’s always in motion. “I want to be a fit, healthy, active father for many years to come,” he says. With the Jaecoo J7 by his side, he’s prepared to do so, wherever the next road leads.
