TV Star Dan Cade: South of Iceland is incredible

Dan Cade is an illustrious actor who secured his Icelandic connection by acting in the TV series Black Sands. In this series, a serial killer wreaks havoc in a small town in Iceland, and I won’t give any more of the plot away. It suffices to say that it is an exciting piece of well-produced television. The Icelandic Aldís Amah Hamilton played the leading role of the police officer who takes on the cold-blooded killer, and you can read my interview with Aldís elsewhere on the site.

Dan Cade might be the hardest working man in show business

Dan Cade has had a very successful career in films and TV. Among the shows he has starred in are Borgia, Hanna, Van Helsing, Carnival Row, and Miss Scarlett and the Duke, just to name a few, so I am very grateful that he is taking the time out of his busy schedule for this interview.

Hey Dan, can you tell me how it came about that you starred in Black Sands?

Well, after the success of the Icelandic crime thriller, “Trapped” and the Swedish drama “Modus”, and having watched these shows, it was clear that the crime thrillers and drama coming out of the Nordics are highly respected and critically acclaimed. I wanted to build my career as an actor by being associated with highly respected directors and dramas, and being able to showcase my work through high-end television and film.

Heading to the Nordics

The perfect way for me to do this was to seek out working with some of the best filmmakers out there. I came to the conclusion that the Nordics would be able to do this for me. So I looked to work in Iceland. I did a previous show called “Atlantic Crossing”, which came out of Norway and was broadcast on PBS in the US. I played an integral character, “Joseph Lockard” in this series. The show went on to win an Emmy award. The director of “Black Sands”, Baldvin Z, actually saw me in this show and it came together, where the casting director of “Black Sands” contacted me to self tape for a role and I ended up getting it.

When I looked over the impressive portfolio of your previous acting roles on IMDB, I was struck by their variety. Do you have a favorite role?

My favorite has actually been working on “Black Sands”. The character I play, Stephen Mayer, has many layers and is very emotional. I got to showcase this in the drama and I also got to film my scenes in some of the most beautiful locations in the world, in Iceland. Of course, I also had fun shooting the Netflix series “Van Helsing” and also the fantasy drama “Carnival Row” for Amazon.

Was the production in Iceland in any way different than you are used to?

Yes it was. In fact, it was the most comfortable shoot I have ever worked on. The actors and crew were extremely generous and very friendly and great people. Baldvin gave me so much freedom, time and relaxation to explore the emotions the character goes through. This was very important to bring this character to life. The set was so relaxed for the actors and welcoming. Other productions I have worked on have been more intense and you sometimes feel rushed due to the high budget and amount of scenes needed to go through in a day to keep on top of the schedule, whereas this was completely the opposite.

Baldvin Z is an up-and-coming director, and Aldís Amah is also a rising star. What was it like to work with them?

To work with Baldvin and Aldis was an amazing experience in my career. I hope to work a lot more with both of them. Aldis and Baldvin are both very collaborative and want to know your ideas to make the scene work. Baldvin takes the time to really go through and explore the journey of the scene to get the best possible performance.

It was so easy to work with Aldis. Although she was the lead, she really wanted to make our scenes the best they can be. She was very generous off screen during takes when the camera was on me and on set was funny and easy going. It was very relaxing and enjoyable working both with Baldvin and Aldis.

Black Sands was a huge success for all

I knew working with them would bring something special, which it did, being picked up by one of the biggest production outfits, All3Media and being selected to premiere at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, Berlinale, alongside other critically acclaimed Nordic film makers, such as Lone Scherfig.

Did you have a chance to travel around Iceland, and if so, what were your favorite places or activities?

The production was shot in many different locations in Iceland, mostly being in South Iceland, which was incredible. On one side there are volcanoes. On the other side there are glaciers, hot water springs, waterfalls, blacks sands. It’s absolutely incredible and one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The sunsets are incredible too. I have never seen anything like I have seen in Iceland. Keep in mind that I’ve traveled all over the world making movies and TV series.

What advice would you give those visiting Iceland for the first time?

To go to South Iceland and experience the most amazing nature and landscapes you will ever see.

Can you reveal what you are working on now?

Well, Miss Scarlet & The Duke is coming to the US and UK. It   will be on Amazon, Apple TV and all the streaming platforms. I play a great role in Season 2, a character called “Stannard”, who has a pretty bad side. It was a different character for me to play and was a lot of fun. I have been working on something else, I am not allowed to say too much, but it will be a gripping drama going on one of the major streaming platforms.