Darren Hill - Actor

The personal website of stage and screen actor Darren Hill

[darrenhilll]

I am here. I'm back...

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

It’s been a while since the last episode of 'the story pilgrim'.

Sometimes the creative path isn’t about moving forward, it’s about standing still long enough to understand what’s just happened.

This new episode, I Am Here, isn’t a walk. It’s just me, no footsteps, no ambient sound, reflecting on those moments when something you quietly hope for arrives, only to vanish before you can hold it.

It’s about uncertainty, presence, and the courage to keep showing up when things don’t unfold the way you imagined.

“𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖: 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑵𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍.” 𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑹𝒊𝒍𝒌𝒆

If you work in a creative field, acting, writing, storytelling, podcasting, you’ll know this rhythm. The mix of pride, doubt, silence, and the small voice that still says: keep going.

I Am Here: out now on https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/18056609

'the story pilgrim': sharing sacred stories on the pilgrimage through life.

[darrenhilll]

🎧✨ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦 ✨🎧

I’m very pleased to share that the story pilgrim has been shortlisted as a Finalist in the Travel & Adventure category at the 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

This podcast began with one man and a long walk… and it’s grown into a space for reflection, connection, and stories that ask the bigger questions about life. To have it recognised in this way is a real honour.

The awards ceremony takes place in London this October; win or lose, it feels great to be walking this path alongside so many strong voices.

🎧 Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493

or search 'the story pilgrim' wherever you get your podcasts.

[darrenhilll]

Big news: the story pilgrim has made it to the Finalist list in the Travel & Adventure category at the Independent Podcast Awards 2025.

This little project of walks, reflections, and stories is heading to London this October.

🎧 Catch up with episodes here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493

[darrenhilll]

Olly Mann: Designed Wit

Two years. 52 episodes. One gentle walk to end Season One. And who better to walk it with than one of the UK’s original podcasters?

Olly Mann met me in Letchworth Garden City — the world’s first planned utopia and the town where he grew up. We wandered past Edwardian ideals and into stories of school newspapers, Oxford days, goldfish (yes, really), and how voices find their way into the world.

This episode goes back to basics: no visuals, no segments, no clever cuts. Just two people walking and talking. Out of respect for the medium, and the man.

🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17553127 📺 Watch/listen on YouTube (audio only): https://youtu.be/SB4ZadjSRJw

Season Two of the story pilgrim will arrive in 2026. Until then: keep listening, and buen camino.

[darrenhilll]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝...

Those who’ve listened to Sad Hill… and those who are missing out.

It’s been 5 days since Santo Domingo de Silos: Sad Hill went live. It’s the longest episode I’ve ever done. 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 44 seconds of stories, dust, wind, and memory—set in the graveyard where no one is buried, and yet grief breathes through the stones.

Featuring Nick, who returns each year to visit his brother’s cross. Sergio and Raquel, who helped resurrect the place. And Clemente, the shopkeeper who remembers it all.

🎧 Audio: https://apple.co/40TRfwF 📺 Video: https://youtu.be/hUZTDhEByhA

If you’ve already watched or listened, thank you. If not - don’t worry. Sad Hill isn’t going anywhere. It waited 50 years for this. A few more days won’t hurt.

[darrenhilll]

Okay, Imagine this...

There’s a pretend graveyard in Spain. It was built for a cowboy film. After the film was finished, it got left behind… and nearly forgotten.

But some people really loved that film. So they came back. And they built it all again, stone by stone.

Now, imagine someone special isn’t around anymore. And going to this place helps you feel close to them. Not because it makes sense… just because it does.

That’s what this new episode is about. I went to that place. I met the people who brought it back to life. And I met someone who goes there every year, because it matters to him.

It’s the longest story I’ve told so far. There’s wind, music, crosses, old shops, kind faces, and something you can’t quite name.

🎥 Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hUZTDhEByhA 🎧 Or listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40TRfwF

[darrenhilll]

“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝… 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧."

This one’s for the returners.

I’ve just released the longest episode of the story pilgrim to date—𝟏 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝟐𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟒𝟒 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 of me wandering around 𝐒𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 in northern Spain, chasing ghosts, old film sets, and stories that refuse to stay buried.

We’re talking fake graves, real grief, Ennio Morricone’s music echoing through the hills, and a man named Nick who comes back here every year to remember his brother. I also chat with volunteers who rebuilt this legendary set from 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒈𝒍𝒚 one stone at a time, and an 82-year-old shopkeeper who’s seen it all—including Clint Eastwood’s squint.

This episode is part pilgrimage, part cinephile fever dream, part existential ramble. So if you're one of the ones who returns, click below.

📺 Watch the full thing here (tea recommended, spittoon optional): 👉 https://youtu.be/hUZTDhEByhA

[darrenhilll]

SO here's the thing...

🚶‍♂️ 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟓𝟎: 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 – 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 🎧

So, here's the thing…

29 views on YouTube. 22 podcast downloads. 1 lonely listen on YouTube Audio. Zero comments.

And still — still — I showed up.

I flew to Amsterdam on standby. Filmed. Wandered. Wondered. Sat in an airport food court talking legacy and imposter syndrome. Thought about my mum’s cancer. Questioned everything. Then came home, walked Todd, and made an episode.

That’s what this is: not a viral hit, just a quiet mark on the map.

Give it a listen if you fancy a thoughtful ramble through work, worth, and what we carry:

🎥 YouTube: https://youtu.be/JFi8ORnD214 🎧 Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17425073

Because sometimes, showing up is the story.

#thestorypilgrim #Amsterdam #VoiceoverLife #PodcastingOnPurpose

[darrenhilll]

NEW EPISODE!

🚨 NEW EPISODE — Amsterdam: Weighty Wonders 🚨

I flew standby to Amsterdam for something that lasted just longer than a shower. It rained. I wandered. I thought deep thoughts in a bus shelter.

🎧 It’s episode 50 of the story pilgrim, and somehow it’s about everything — travel, time, grief, Todd, and that weird limbo between “you’re needed” and “no one called.”

Watch it on YouTube with full visuals: 📺 https://youtu.be/JFi8ORnD214

Or listen to the audio podcast here: 🎙️ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17425073

No clogs, no canals, just one middle-aged bloke doing his best to stay grounded while flying.

(Yes, that’s a metaphor. Sort of.)

[darrenhilll]

Three Days...

Three days. One flight. No flight. A seizure mid-air. A cold cup of tea. A walk with Todd. A whisper that says “You’re late.”

Episode 49 of the story pilgrim is a stitched-together meditation on waiting, worth, and whatever it means to be needed one moment… and invisible the next.

🎧 Myself: Between Departures 📺 Watch on YouTube 🔊 Or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[darrenhilll]

BREAKING NEWS

🚨𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: I found the meaning of life in a Costa receipt. ☕ It was lightly crumpled, emotionally vague, and somehow… sticky.

Also: • A woman fainted mid-air 🛫 • I didn’t fly the next day and still needed a nap • I questioned productivity, silence, and whether lukewarm tea is a metaphor for modern living • Todd sniffed something profound in a barley field 🌾 • I may have become a metaphor myself. Still investigating.

All of this has been stitched together into Episode 49 of the story pilgrim. It’s called “Myself: Between Departures” — because no one’s ever written a podcast about Heathrow standby and philosophical dread before.

🎧 LISTEN/FEEL/PROCESS: Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17351438

Video: https://youtu.be/xeuGaclkJds

Bring tea. Brace yourself. And maybe… be ready to do absolutely nothing.

[darrenhilll]

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩.

21 views on YouTube. 1 audio stream. 20 podcast downloads.

And yet… A stranger wrote to say it helped them be softer with themselves. An old friend reached out after years in silence.

This episode — Myself: Between Departures — is about standby, stillness, and that strange ache when you’re prepared but not needed. It’s about planes that don’t fly, podcasts you’re not sure anyone’s listening to, and the unexpected power of showing up anyway.

If you’re in between things — jobs, answers, emotions, plans — this one might meet you there. Quietly.

🎧 Audio podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17351438

📺 Full video episode: https://youtu.be/xeuGaclkJds

Let me know if it lands with you. Or just watch, walk away, and carry it quietly. Either way… buen camino.

[darrenhilll]

𝐘𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝟏𝟎𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝.

Someone coughed in a Costa. Someone else wept in the office. I had cold tea, a rogue biscuit, and a very warm dog.

This isn’t a cry for help. It’s not performance art. It might be a pilgrimage.

I filmed it. It’s here now. You might want to watch it. You might not. That’s between you and your gods.

📺 https://youtu.be/xeuGaclkJds

[darrenhilll]

New Episode Available

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰: 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17351438 📺 https://youtu.be/xeuGaclkJds

Three days of standby.

One dramatic flight to Istanbul.

Two days of silence, cancelled flights, and a lot of lukewarm tea.

This episode was filmed in my office, kitchen, garden... and walking Todd — because sometimes, waiting is the story. It's about pressure, purpose, doing nothing, and still somehow being exhausted. With a little help from Slavoj Žižek.

Would love to know what your version of “between departures” is.

[darrenhilll]

Do you listen to podcasts that feel like a walk with a friend rather than a show?

I make one. It’s called the story pilgrim.

The latest episode takes place over 24 hours in Houston: a baseball game, a sleepless night, a weird little moment of clarity in a shopping mall.

Watch: https://youtu.be/JNXkEmA3CUI Listen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17270460

If you give it a go, thank you. If not, no problem—next time, maybe.

[darrenhilll]

A Question for you

What’s the shortest amount of time you've ever spent in a place that still left a mark?

I had 24 hours in Houston. I didn't see NASA. I did see a home run. I walked, I wondered, I recorded this:

📺 https://youtu.be/JNXkEmA3CUI 🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17270460

Pilgrimage, in miniature.

[darrenhilll]

🎧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 – 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧: 𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦

🎧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 – 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧: 𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 (available now wherever you get your podcasts)

I flew 5,000 miles to Houston and didn’t go to NASA. Not out of rebellion. Out of logistics.

But what I did do was wander a mall, cheer at a baseball game, admire cherry blossom soap, walk down Post Oak Boulevard past a shop called Dick’s, and reflect on how strange and brief these work trips really are.

You get 24 hours in a place. You barely scratch the surface. But maybe the surface is enough.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398493/episodes/17270460

Put your headphones in, go for a walk, and come with me. The stories are small—but they’re everywhere.

Buen camino, and keep listening.