Daniel MacPherson trains in Koh Samui for Beast film with Russell Crowe ahead of April 23 cinema release

Fittingly, ROAM catches Daniel MacPherson on the road — on an extended string of press for new film Beast, and a set of itineraries that has the affable Australian actor crossing cities and States every other day.

It’s a good thing he likes to move — a companion to any successful career — given, since January, the 45 year-old’s “been to LA three times, just spent the weekend in Milwaukee, I’ve now got three days in Miami, then back to LA for a week, then Sydney for a week, then up to Tokyo, and then, yeah, then I might just take a break.”

Strike while hot — and right now MacPherson’s top billing in Beast alongside Oscar-winner Russell Crowe (who also co-wrote the script) has him in demand.

MacPherson’s happy to label Beast his best work, a brutal mixed martial arts outing that holds layers and depth and which proves a strong vehicle for his talents. “It took three years — we had a few false starts . . . Ultimately, Beast demanded that I act opposite Russell Crowe, fight like (Australian UFC champion) Alex Volkanovski in front of 10,000 fight fans and look like a smaller Chris Hemsworth with my shirt off. So, yeah, it tested me.”

Read the latest edition of ROAM here. As part of his training, MacPherson headed for Thailand, recounting a Koh Samui stint framed by friendship, culture and connectivity.

“I hadn’t been to Koh Samui since 2001 when I was 21 and flying back from London, where I’d been doing panto — I stopped for a week before going back into Neighbours.

“We landed and we were straight into it — we weren’t there to f... around. The clock was ticking; I had to train and focus on the role. I also had to soak up the Thai culture and the spirituality, which is a big part of the film and my character, Patton James.

“We’d come back to the pool at the Avani Chaweng hotel and beach club to order up some food platters and chicken satay and all the staples. It was all protein and some more protein, washed down with protein.

“Now, this hotel is right on the beach. And as the name suggests, it also has a f...... massive day club. On the Saturday and Sunday, there’d be a thumping party going on. It was the most tempting part of the whole thing and Warren didn’t have a fight film to train for. But somehow, he stood with me and we never did end up dancing on a podium in the pool — which is exactly what would have happened any other time.

“We stayed very disciplined, and there’s something about that, that repetition of training twice a day, every day, hanging out together and the freedom of riding motorbikes in another country. It’s a pretty good way to clear the mind and clear any troubles you might have. It was a solid reset and refocus.

“I was fortunate to be able to be up there and to do what I did with a close mate. I don’t take that for granted. And that trip was such a positive investment for both of us in our friendship, in our health and in our careers, too . . . Your best friends inspire and motivate you to chase your dreams and do good things. And we both bounced out of that trip into big, landmark moments in our careers. “I’ve had 20 years away travelling and I always used Thailand as a stopover between Sydney and London, especially in my 20s when I was in London. Now, it’s firmly a destination for me — for the food and the people and the culture. There’s a calm spirituality to the Thai culture . . . Then you add an understanding and a firsthand knowledge now of Muay Thai culture and martial arts culture — it’s opened a deeper understanding of the country and the people for me and I love that.” Beast is in cinemas April 23