Mac Macdonald, 67, loves the sounds of Sequim in the morning.

The actor/corporate trainer moved to the area from Seattle over a month ago and finds the company and pace of life a relief from Seattle.

But Macdonald, a corporate trainer since 1988, didn’t come here to settle down. He’s looking to use his talents while occasionally pursuing acting opportunities. You may have seen some of his work. With a keen eye, you likely can spot him in “American Graffiti,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Murder She Wrote” and even on YouTube as the star of Rainier Beer’s commercials where men chase wild beer cans by Barcalounger boat or car.

His resume is diverse and he holds a lot of memories from those shoots, including meeting some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, but being a star wasn’t always in the books for Macdonald.

“I never gave up acting,” he said. “I just gave up the idea I’d be a star.”

In 1988, Macdonald received a call from his adopted father Jim Huntley, now his neighbor, who took him under his wing following Macdonald’s father’s death. Huntley arranged for a job for him at Boeing in international finance, which he has a background in from Oxford University.

“He told me he saw me kind of floundering,” Macdonald said. “Come up here and get passionate about life and trade your jeans for a suit and tie.”

So Macdonald did and spent almost eight years with Boeing before branching off to corporate training, which led to starting Lyfe Enhancement Co.

“I thought, I’ve got so many experiences and talents, why don’t I teach them?” Macdonald said.

“So my background led me to become a counselor and a therapist … In a nutshell I help people understand they are bigger than their obstacles and then supply the skills and tools to help them get there.”

That’s the gist of his book “Lighting Your Own Fuse: A Glossary of Mission, Vision, and Passion” too. He uses it for training and pulls from his acting and work experiences, inspiring moments from films and more. Some of his topics include creating your own happiness, working with change and using effective communication.

Macdonald said he’s had plenty of life defining moments from meditating with a monk above the Monestaire de Montserrat in Spain to having his middle finger torn off on the Alaskan Pipeline. While his major acting moments are mostly tucked away in a portfolio or framed on his home’s walls, Macdonald says he thanks one actor everyday for his words.

Duvall and Me

On the set of “Apocalypse Now,” Macdonald recalls Robert Duvall, playing Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, bringing him back to Earth while in the chow line.

“I got chosen by (director Francis Ford Coppola) because he took a few of us from “American Graffiti” because he he liked our attitudes,” said Macdonald, who played a principal extra in “Graffiti.”

During filming a scene that appears before Duvall’s well-known “I love the smell of napalm in the morning …” speech, Macdonald said the actors had ashes in their eyes and the burning smell of tires choking them so tempers were becoming short.

“We must’ve filmed the scene 32 times and we couldn’t get what Coppola was trying to do,” Macdonald said.

He stood in line behind stunt coordinator Terry Leonard and said in a loud voice, “What’s Coppola trying to get that what we haven’t already given?”

A loud voice spoke up behind him.

“Kid, let me tell you something,” Duvall said. “There was an Indian lying in the road just like this and a cowboy rode up next to him and asked what are you doing. He said “stagecoach, four horses, two brown, two speckled, three riders, two passengers, one driver.” The cowboy said, “You can tell all that from listening on the ground?” “No, it just ran me over two hours ago.”

Macdonald said everyone began to chuckle but he became sweaty.

“So kid, let me tell you something,” Duvall continued. “There are two kinds of people, those who have their faces to the ground listening for what’s coming up constantly reading their own scripts and other people’s scripts. And then there are those on the ground with their mouths open choking on life’s dust.”

“It was like everyone backed away from me,” Macdonald said. “It was a real chastisement. I could’ve folded up and gone into a hole. But I glued my butt to his shadow for the month I was there. I just waited for his nod. He was basically saying, sit here and listen and become a better actor. I thank him everyday for that chastisement.”

Apocalypse Now

Macdonald captured plenty of candid moments on film with a number of the cast and crew including Coppola, Duvall and Martin Sheen with son Charlie. He did the same on the set of “American Graffiti” but the five film rolls didn’t develop due to an accident.

In “Apocalypse Now,” he speaks twice and a short 10-day gig turned into almost a month stay in the Philippines due to the erratic nature of the shoot.

He recalls during the USO party scene a helicopter on the stage beginning to take off unexpectedly because its guerrilla soldiers — the production was using their chopper — were leaving to go fight in a real battle.

“(Coppola) thought it was going to be a cake walk after “The Godfather” but he had no idea of the quagmire he’d go through to recreate the Vietnam War,” Macdonald said.

The film faced multiple issues including illnesses, weather, budget constraints and much more but Macdonald didn’t capture much of the disarray. However, his photos and account of the filming were printed in The Seattle Times as a feature for the re-release of the movie.

Santa Mac

Today, Macdonald plays more of the holly jolly type than grizzled soldier. All this month he’s been playing Santa Claus in a comedy routine for corporate and private events.

He performs with Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 20, at the Port Angeles High School Performing Arts Center and again on Christmas night at 7 Cedars Casino. Macdonald said he’s performed with Castle for about 15 years.

He continues to audition for acting gigs once a month while continuing to appear mostly in TV commercials.

“I have a great admiration for people in plays who can make you laugh and cry and make you feel their character,” he said.

He’ll continue to lead seminars across the nation but he seeks speaking and training opportunities in the area, too.

But for now, Macdonald is going to enjoy the Sequim area and Christmas with a plate of cookies, glass of milk and the stage.

For more information on Macdonald’s events and seminars/corporate training, e-mail him at maclyfe@msn.com.

Find his book “Lighting Your Own Fuse” through major book distributors.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.