Michelle Danner

Michelle Danner

Michelle Danner is an American actor, director, and renowned acting coach whose dynamic career spans film, stage, and education. Born into entertainment—her father launched the first William Morris Agency office in Paris—Danner grew up immersed in arts and storytelling. She studied under legends like Stella Adler and Uta Hagen, eventually teaching at institutions she helped found such as the Edgemar Center for the Arts and the Los Angeles Acting Conservatory. After a successful acting career, she pivoted to coaching in the early ’90s, developing her signature “Golden Box” approach—a comprehensive toolkit combining Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Chekhov, and Stanislavsky techniques. Her coaching attracts A‑list talent like Penelope Cruz, Christian Slater, Salma Hayek, Gerard Butler, Zooey Deschanel, and Henry Cavill, and she's been named a favorite by Backstage readers. Transitioning to directing, Danner has helmed award-winning films including How to Go Out on a Date in Queens (2006), Hello Herman (2012), Bad Impulse (2020), The Runner (2021), Miranda’s Victim (2023), and most recently The Italians (2025). She is also a producer, festival director, and author (working on a book titled The Golden Box), all while raising two sons and continuing to teach workshops globally.

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