Biographie
D. David Morin was born and raised in Hollywood, California. He took Rita Wilson (Mrs. Tom Hanks) to his Senior Prom at Hollywood High. His father, Volney F. Morin, graduated Harvard law school and moved to California to work at Technicolor. His mother, Marjory Morin, was also an actress. His aunt, Patricia Ellis, was a B-movie star signed to Warner Bros. and William Morris Agency in the 1930s.
David graduated from Colorado University in Boulder and paid his way through California Western School of Law selling Kryptonics skateboard wheels. He was a White House Intern (1975) and did famine relief in West Africa with Sudan Interior Missions. He also announced professional surfing for 10 years around the world, and worked at Surfer Publishing Group as Editor of Action Now Magazine before hosting "Lifestyles" TV show at Saddleback College.
"The King of Commercials", Morin amassed some 200 national TV spots, over 30 network episodic television appearances, 2 TV series, and appeared in some 30 feature films and movie-of-the-weeks, including playing Jennifer Aniston's dad in CBS' sitcom Muddling Through (1994). He has acted opposite Bill Paxton, Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia, Bette Midler, James Caan, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Aniston, Ossie Davis, Bradley Whitford, Brad Garrett, Patricia Heaton, David Caruso, Josh Duhamel, Cheryl Ladd, Simon Baker, Cicely Tyson, Joey King, and many others.
David's first feature film, "Cold Play", won the Fairhope Film Festival and was an Official Selection into the Kansas Int'l Film Festival and Slamdance. His second feature film was for the faith-based PureFlix platform, "Johnny", starring Lee Majors and Musetta Vander, which he directed, as well as edited his page-one rewrite of the project. It won over 7 international film festival awards including Best Feature, Most Inspiring, Best Dramatic Film, Audience Favorite, and more.
David acted in the Kenyan indie "Leo", and later in 2011, he moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and founded Slingshot Productions Africa and the Slingshot Seminar Series in the Cinematic Arts teaching Screenwriting, Directing, Editing, Producing, and Acting. His Hollywood Acting Master Class produced some of Kenya's top players. He also has taught workshops at the Irresistible Drama Conference and The University of Nairobi.
Morin's career as a filmmaker continued with his wildlife documentary "The Sea Turtles of Lamu", shot entirely on the coast of Kenya. While in East Africa he also shot for CNN's "Next Big Thing", was Shooting Director for the "Cycle to Rwanda" documentary, and was Shooting Director for the BBC's "Ideas Exchange" in Ethiopia. Work took him repeatedly to Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. He acted in "The Agent", an Amharic feature film in Addis Ababa.
In 2014 he moved to Cape Town, South Africa, working opposite with Mr. Bill Paxton in the BBC's "The Game Changers"; Joey King in "The Kissing Booth" 1 & 2 for Netflix, and recurred as Senator Shelby in "Deep State" for Fox UK. He also completed his documentary "Finding Messiah" about the Cape Town Youth Choir. South African short films include "Disowned", for the Cape Town 48-Hour Film Project, "Essence", "Last Call", "About Andrew", as well "PB&J", a non-romantic comedy and Official Selection to the SA Indie Film Festival.
'DDM' bought a cottage in Stanford Village in 2016, two hours outside of Cape Town, and after keeping a flat in the CBD for two years as well as sailing from Brazil to Tobago, he lives in Stanford now full time. His passion is filmmaking and he continues to work with amateur cast and crew on his small format series "Life w/ Z&A" about two girls in high school. His rom-com treatment "Cheetah Run" has been picked up by Pinnacle Peak Pictures for Sony Affirm and is in development for Morin to helm towards the end of 2021.
Morin is the founder and facilitator of the Hollywood Acting Master Class in Cape Town. His book, 5 Steps to a Successful Camino, is on Kindle. He remains single and loves swimming.
