From Down Under to the Top of the World: Meet Daddy Dan (aka Downunder Dan) and follow this Aussie’s Incredible Journey

Daddy Dan’s catch phrase is “Hey, hey, hey… Daddy Dan Here”. It’s become a little iconic. He is 62 years old. He has been married. He has children. He has grandchildren. He was brought up in Brisbane, has travelled around the world and is now back in Brisbane until the next adventure begins.

Dan has tackled some bizarre jobs. In Denver, he was the doorman in a 50s nightclub called Studebaker’s, wearing tight leather pants and getting hit on by every girl that walked in. He was a butler for a wealthy oil family with a huge estate, the Tudor mansion, the private jet, the yachts, the mobile home, and all the kids had Corvettes. It was a surreal experience.

When he was younger, Dan would model. He was living in Florida and would fly up to New York and strut the catwalk for some of the country’s leading designers. He’s a qualified chef and has had five restaurants over 30 years. Great restaurants, from gourmet pizzas to California cuisine. Three decades in the hospitality industry were enough for Dan, and he was poached to work in the mining industry, running mining camps as a senior project manager. 

Most people are unaware that Dan is also an artist who has produced many paintings. His large acrylic on canvas works feature vivid colours with unexpected textures and shapes that invite people to touch and feel the emotion of the piece. His artwork has been featured in numerous art exhibitions.

Oh, and when he was in America, he bought a car called a Pacer. One of the biggest lemons America ever put out. We’re not sure what to say about that. Let’s just say he was young, and not a car person. It’s been quite an adventure. Now the adventure continues.

Luka Musicki (LM.): Tell me more about the Downunder Dan and Daddy Dan, how did you come up with this persona?

Daddy Dan (DD): So about three years ago, I was with a mate. He has this really deep, masculine voice, and he just kept calling me “Daddy Dan”. And it caught on from there. After I started using it in my social media, I just became known as Daddy Dan, and people all over the world were like: “There’s Daddy Dan”. I never imagined myself as a daddy, but I’m 62 now and I reckon I’m embracing the ‘daddy’ in me. So ‘Daddy Dan’ seems to work.

As for ‘Downunder Dan’, well, I’m a proud Aussie, so it has become my brand. And then there’s the hat. I’m never without the hat.

LM: You have a daily vlog, and you’ve never missed a day. What was the motivation for that?

DD: At first, the motivation was just to let people know where I was, and what was going on with me. I called it my ‘Gap Year’ as I was intending to just take a break for a year. But it grew into so much more, and I’ve now been doing these posts for nearly 750 days, wherever I am in the world, no matter what. It’s starting to become a big part of the Daddy Dan image, and people seem to like to hear my sometimes rambling thoughts. It’s not always easy, but I try to keep the posts positive in these crazy times. 

LM: Did you know that there is a 1995 video game, called “The Adventures of Down Under Dan” with a parody of an Australian Crocodile Hunter? If there were a video game that was based on you, what would be the game’s style and purpose?

DD: No, I didn’t know there was a video game. That was a surprise to me as I’m not really a gamer (don’t judge me!). If there was a game based on me, I love the idea that it would be based around my adventures and travels. Maybe something educational to tell the stories of the amazing places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen and the things I’ve got up to. I’m sure it would be very x-rated, or at least I hope it would.

LM: Did you know that there is a hip-hop artist called Daddy Dan, who is a Harlem designer? He was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020? What type of music do you like? And what would you do if you were in Grindr or Scruff’s Most Influential People?

DD: Yeah, I am aware of the musical artist, Daddy Dan. I listened to his music the other day, and it’s definitely not for me. Having lived through several decades of musical styles, I have developed an eclectic taste, and I love that I can sit and listen to most styles of music. At the moment, I’m really enjoying chilled trance.

If I were in one of the dating site’s influential lists, I’d use the opportunity to tell them that they really need to work on their apps and lift their game. I think we all know how annoying some of these apps can be. I’m looking at you, Grindr. Enough with the incessant pop-up irrelevant ads. In all seriousness though, I would use the platform to raise awareness of my advocacy (1in4marriedmen) to help anyone struggling with being gay and married – as I was for 33 years – by telling the stories of others who have been in the same situation, to give them advice and let them know they’re not alone.

LM: You were recently on the Hide and Seek radio program on Joy FM where you were interviewed about the most intimate details of your life as a married gay man. Tell me about the podcast experience.

DD: It was a really positive experience talking with Tim and Craig and being on the other side of the microphone for a change. We delved into some extremely personal issues that I was very comfortable opening up about, especially at this point in my life. I feel that one of the most important things we discussed was my HIV status, which I had kept secret since the mid-80s. We talked about being gay, HIV positive, married, a father, and not knowing exactly how much time I had left. Remember, when I was first diagnosed, there were no antiviral drugs, and the Grim Reaper ads were playing on every TV. It was really difficult, and society at the time meant that there were very few people I could open up to. I consider myself a survivor, and I hope the younger members of our communities will learn about the incredibly difficult times we had to go through.

The interview also allowed me to talk about how I moved on from my past life and became Daddy Dan. We talked about my travels around the world, my porn experiences, the amazing people I’ve met in the industry and my love for life. I’m a sex positive, 62 year old porn actor. I don’t think of myself as an influencer, but if my profile allows me to help or inspire others, or give someone a hardon or even just a smile, then I know I’m doing ok.

LM: Your profile says that you are single at the moment. Are you looking for another daddy or bear or twink?

DD: I love many men, and around the world I’ve met some of the most extraordinary, interesting, beautiful, generous and kind men of all types, shapes and sizes. I know it sounds like a cliché but as you get older you can appreciate so many more things about a person than their body or face. The mind can be sexy. And of course, fur is good too.

While I’m currently single, I’m lucky enough to have a beautiful man, who will be accompanying me for parts of my international adventure over the next few months. We are both very open, which suits us well, and it’s the only way I would have a relationship after having been married for so long. It’ll be refreshing to be traveling with a mate for a change. 

LM: Your photos are impressive, and you have an imposing physique, especially for someone of your age. When did you start your exercise regime, and how do you maintain your fitness while traveling?

DD: Thank you very much. It’s a lot of work. I’ve always tried to keep fit for my whole life, but in my late 30s I decided I wanted to put on some mass, as I was always lean. To be honest, I wanted to be bigger, and to me, that was sexier. I was 75 kgs or around 165 lbs at the time. I’ve worked hard to get up to 100 kgs now, or about 220 lbs and that’s the weight I try to maintain. As I’ve got older, working out can be a challenge and injuries happen, and take longer to recover from. Wherever I am in the world, I’m looking for suitable gyms that let me do my workout every day if possible. I was getting to experience so many gyms in so many places that it prompted me to start a gym review blog where I would give each gym a ‘cockring’ rating based on how well it appealed to Daddy Dan. Weights, men, showers, sauna, steam. You get the idea.

LM: You are based in Queensland, what was it like growing up in Brisbane and what’s the gay scene like?

DD: Brisbane was a great town to grow up in and I brought up my own children here, but I feel like it was never the place that I would always be. It’s a very beautiful and liveable town and you’ve got the beaches close by.

As for the gay scene, Brisbane is just not as big as Sydney or Melbourne but it’s a friendly and welcoming community. But for somebody like me, I like to go to dance parties where there are freedoms that are just not allowed in Brisbane.

Now that I’ve experienced the freedoms offered to gay men in other cities around the world, it’s a little disheartening that Brisbane and other Australian cities have not really advanced much for many years. There are only a handful of SOP, gay and gay friendly venues in Brisbane and gay parties are severely restricted in what’s allowed. Hopefully, in the future, Brisbane will have the same freedoms for gay men found in so many other cities.

We’re gay men. We love sex. We love men.

LM: You do a bit of travelling. Where have you travelled to? Europe, USA?

DD: I’ve travelled extensively. USA, UK, Europe, Asia. I love America and have many friends there, but I don’t want to be in America at the moment with what’s going on politically over there. And the exchange rate just sucks. 

My next trip is to the UK and Europe. Definitely Spain and probably Portugal, Germany, France and hopefully Denmark – although I know it’s bloody expensive.

I love life and I love travelling, and I’ve always got a smile on my face. Well, usually anyway. Not that you can see it with this beard.

LM: Would you say being a bear has helped or hindered your career? Is your audience primarily bears?

DD: I think it has really helped me being a part of the bear world. I love being around the bear crowd. You know, if I was in Sitges, on the beach with 2000 naked men, nobody gives a crap what you look like. It’s just that you’re meeting the most beautiful people, whether they’re a chub or musclebound, hairy or smooth, hung or not, it doesn’t matter. Everybody is the same and nobody judges. It’s always fun. I find the bears are the most welcoming tribe. I find that the younger ones in the gay world can be a little bit more judgy.

LM: What are your goals for the future?

DD: I’m working on the Daddy Dan brand. I’m working on my book. I’m working on my image. I’d like to get more affiliations where people are asking me to promote their products.

I’d like to make more movies. I love collaborating with other content makers and it’s always a great experience. We happily share our knowledge and we learn from each other about the highs and lows of adult entertainment. It can be a fickle industry but it is so rewarding, meeting these fabulous people, who are just people.

I’m also currently working on a website which will handle sales of my upcoming book as well as allowing anybody to see where I am and what I’ve been up to through my vlogs. I’m hoping that it’ll also allow me to support affiliations with other products and services that I use and believe in.

I want to continue growing the Daddy Dan brand and be able to make it sustainable for as long as I can.

LM: Thank you, Dan, for answering those in-depth questions. 

LM: We are going to the home-run now. Here are some quick questions:

Favourite Drink?

A vodka and pineapple or a glass of Pinot noir, depending on my mood.

What type of guy are you into? 

Many. I’m so diverse. It just depends on where I am at the time. I could be at an event and it’s a big bear function, and there’s sexy bears. Big, oversize, furry, beautiful men. The only thing I’m not attracted to is femininity, which does cut out a lot of gays, but I don’t judge, it’s just what’s right for me.

Favourite Cities/Vacation Spots?

I love Spain, Barcelona, Madrid, Mallorca. I love Wilton Manors in Fort Lauderdale and I love Palm Springs. Whatever city I’m in, I make it special and I try to meet locals and get around that way.

Favourite Hobby or Pastime?

I like painting. My paintings are very big and abstract. Unfortunately, because I’ve been traveling, I just don’t have the time right now. I really enjoy sex, so if I don’t have sex often then I’ll probably turn into a miserable bastard. I love the gym, and of course I love having sex at the gym when possible.

Idea of a good date? 

I haven’t dated until recently. I like a date where it’s just like being with a mate. But, I like to do all sorts of things. I love to go to a beautiful dinner and have a nice meal and wine. I like to be romantic as well and I love to look in the eyes of who I’m with and reach over the table and kiss them. And I don’t give a fuck who’s looking. Yeah, and then maybe go home and cuddle up, watch a movie, or get into bed and spoon and have mad sex. That’s a good date.

What do you look for in a guy? 

I think I’m looking at their heart and soul. And, of course I’m looking at somebody who is masculine, who’s gym fit. But it’s more how they react with me, and I will know. You know in a minute if we have a good connection. I try not to hang around people that I don’t have a good connection with.

LM: Finally, Daddy Dan, where can you find yourself? Website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

–Instagram: downunderdan3.
-Facebook: Daddy Dan.
-Twitter or X: dandownunder3.
–Spotify podcast: 1in4marriedmen