A former child star has said goodbye to his life as an innocent young pop star and become a criminal for a new role in Stan’s latest crime drama.
Jai Waetford, 25, was only 14 when he stole the hearts of Australians as a contestant on X Factor back in 2013.
And he has now delved into the world of acting more than a decade after his television debut.
He plays criminal underling Hayden Broadis in the hard-hitting television series Critical Incident, which is now streaming only on Stan.
Speaking with Daily Mail Australia about his role in the show, which was shot over multiple locations across Sydney, Jai admits he has a personal connection with his troubled and fragile character.
‘I grew up around people that kind of resemble the character that I’m playing. It’s interesting,’ he says.
Jai grew up in Campbelltown, located in south-western Sydney, and was raised by his single mother and grandparents.
The singer-turned-actor says he’s grateful for his upbringing and how making music was a pivotal moment in how his life is now.
Jai Waetford, 25, has now delved into the world of acting more than a decade after his television debut
‘When I look at where I grew up, the people that I grew up around, there’s a very real opportunity that who Hayden [my character] is mightn’t have been too far from who I could have been if I didn’t have the opportunity to make music,’ he says.
‘It’s given me the opportunity to reflect, like, this isn’t too far from potentially what could have been.’
‘But I’m super lucky that at a young age, I was given the opportunity to this and make music,’ he adds.
‘It’s roles like this that kind of give you the opportunity to think internally and be like, “How do I relate to this?” And it’s those topics and realisations that come forth… again, this could have been my life.’
The singer was only 14 when he stole the hearts of Australians as a contestant on X Factor back in 2013
He now plays criminal underling Hayden Broadis in the hard-hitting television series Critical Incident, which is now streaming only on Stan
Jai, who earned the nickname of ‘Aussie Bieber’ during his time on X Factor, made his acting debut on Neighbours in 2016.
In 2017 he announced he was relocating to Hollywood to pursue an acting career shortly after signing with the powerful US talent company Creative Artists Agency.
He spent some time in Africa and South America before returning to Australia to pursue entertainment opportunities.
Stan’s series Critical Incident is a gripping psychological crime thriller is inspired by creator Sarah Bassiuoni’s real life experiences working as a lawyer in Western Sydney’s juvenile justice system.
The series was filmed in multiple locations across Sydney, including Western Sydney’s Blacktown, Granville, Parramatta and Greenacre.
Speaking with Daily Mail Australia about his role in the show, which was shot over multiple locations across Sydney, Jai admits he has a personal connection with his troubled character
Led by Akshay Khanna (Polite Society, The Doll Factory), Critical Incident stars breakout actors Zoë Boe (The Tree, Total Control), Roxie Mohebbi (Shortland Street), Hunter Page-Lochard (The Newsreader), Jai Waetford (Neighbours), Jackson Heywood (Bloom) and Zindzi Okenyo (Wolf Like Me).
They are joined by well-known Australian actors Simone Kessell (Yellowjackets) and Erik Thomson (Black Snow).
While on patrol for a teenage suspect, Senior Constable Zilficar ‘Zil’ Ahmed (Khanna) pursues Dalia (Boe) and a bystander is critically injured amid the chaos and confusion of the pursuit.
Zil’s world comes crashing down when he discovers Dalia was in fact not the perpetrator.
The immense guilt over the bystander’s injuries, coupled with the pressure of the investigation and the public scrutiny, creates an unbearable burden for Zil.
Encouraged by his police officer colleagues, Zil becomes obsessed with pinning something on Dalia.
The Stan Original Series Critical Incident is directed by Heartbreak High’s Neil Sharma and The Tourist and Line of Duty’s Daniel Nettheim.
