BY now news of his famous meeting with top actor Tom Hardy which landed him a role in a BBC TV series will have made headlines around the world.
Danny Ligairi Badham, whose father is former SAS member Ilisoni Ligairi of Nabalebale on Vanua Levu, says he’s still getting used to the acting role.
“It’s surreal. I have now attended six huge movie premieres and movie castings since acting in the role,” described the burly six-foot three from his home in Worcestershire in the United Kingdom.
The chance meeting which paved the way for Danny had occured in Richmond Park in 2012.
An out-of-control labrador owned by famous English actor Tom Hardy had run on to the field and disrupted the training of an under-14 rugby team coached at the time by Danny.
Describing the incident, Danny told international media: “The dog had run on the field and started running round, so I thought the quickest way to calm it down would be to stroke him.
“I was bent down with him when all the team started saying: ‘It’s Tom Hardy, it’s Tom Hardy’.
“I said, ‘who? The rugby player?’ I thought they meant Tom Croft. They said: ‘No, Bane from Batman’.
“I turned round and there was Tom Hardy. He said: ‘Dogs know good people’.”
Danny said their friendship developed from there. Four years later, he found himseld snagging a role in a TV series with Hardy despite having no acting experience.
He plays the role of a Polynesian character, Martinez, in the British drama TV mini-series Taboo, which would have premiered in the United Kingdom yesterday and in the US on January 10.
“My character acts in the role of expert sailor and protector warrior to Tom Hardy’s character. Most of the scenes were done with him,” Danny said.
If you’re one who follows Hardy’s movies (Mad Max, Inception, Black Hawk Down and This Means War) then you would definitely enjoy this dark drama.
The TV series is described by reviewers as dark and broody and set off by a gothic tone.
Set in 1814, Hardy plays James Keziah Delaney, the son of a despised and deceased shipping tycoon who surprises everyone by returning to England after being gone for a decade in Africa.
Considered crazy and, more important, dead, James surprises his half-sister, Zilpha (Oona Chaplin), and her husband, Thorne (Jefferson Hall), who wanted to sell off some of the old tycoon’s rich properties, namely, an island near the West Coast of Canada called Nootka Sound, which is pursued by the East India Company.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Taboo efficiently spells out the intrigue and conveys the danger and mystery surrounding both the remote outpost of Nootka Sound and the connection James has with Zilpha.
Along the way he is accompanied by Martinez (Danny Ligairi), his protector.
The TV series is described as one of the anticipated shows for 2017.
While he cannot disclose much about his character, Danny says he is enjoying the opportunity as it comes.
He is still as much involved in his coaching clinics which he started back in 1993.
“I have been sports ambassador for eight years with a number of brands and charities.
“I also was technical and operations person for Mate ma Tonga in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup as well as being an international 7s coach with a couple of Arab nations in the Middle East.
“I have always felt strongly of my (Fijian) heritage having played pro sports league and rugby union and basketball, it’s surreal as I was offered many opportunities.”
One of his achievements, he says, is the satisfaction of seeing most of the boys who went through his rugby clinics go on to play representative rugby.
These include Josh Matavesi and Alex Cuthbert. The 45-year-old was recently part of the winning J9 legends team that took part in the Dubai 7s last year.
The team included the likes of former 7s stars Waisale Serevi, Api Naevo, Nasoni Roko, Apolosi Satala and Brian Lima.
While he has achieved a lot in his 20-year sporting career, there is one personal challenge he has yet to carry out.
“I have yet to meet my father face to face,” he told this newspaper. I was adopted in 1972 from Hereford by a wonderful English family who slowly allowed this boy to love soldiers and the Special Air Service (SAS), a special forces unit of the British Army not knowing until 1988 that his dad was one of the highest ranking Fijians in the SAS.
“Every time I planned to go, it’s been so expensive to visit my family in Fiji.”
While wishing not divulge anymore information, Danny confirmed he was in discussions with producers and writers to cover the famous Mirbat battle in Orman and the eight Fijians involved in the SAS.
“Life’s a bus journey. It takes ages sometimes but the destiny is always the same. “Have the faith,” he says with finality.
