My Life as a Hollywood Animal Trainer with Mark Harden | The Long Leash #63
Mark Harden has trained Hollywood animal actors for four decades: rats, elephants, and most animals in between. Which species is the best at acting? Dogs, of course.
It’s likely that you have watched some of the animals Mark Harden has trained. Do any of these titles ring a bell: Stuart Little, Hachiko, Dracula, Arachnophobia, or Pirates of the Caribbean?
Mark takes us behind the scenes to show us the art of animal training and Hollywood production. How do you use makeup to make a dog look old? How do you keep a dog actor in perpetual puppyhood? How has CGI transformed animal acting in Hollywood?
After forty years in the business, there isn’t anything Mark doesn’t know.
Mark has trained many species, but he says dogs are special. They can learn complex behaviours and portray a range of emotions that most other animals simply cannot.
During this conversation, Mark shares with us the life of a wild animal trainer who transitioned to working in Hollywood … who has embraced the occupational hazard of adopting dogs from the set.
About Mark Harden
Hollywood animal trainer Mark Harden has worked with and trained animals of all sizes and species, from elephants to ants. In a career spanning over four decades, he has trained animals to act on the sets of major blockbuster hits, like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story, Dennis the Menace, and Captain Marvel. He has been married to Lori since 1983. They have three children.
Mark Harden IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362103/
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
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