A former child star has said goodbye to his life as a young, innocent pop star and turned criminal for a new role in Stan’s latest crime drama.
Jai Waetford, 25, was just 14 when he stole the hearts of Australians as an X Factor contestant in 2013.
And now she has entered the world of acting more than a decade after her television debut.
He plays criminal underling Hayden Broadis in the hard-hitting TV series Critical Incident, now streaming only on Stan.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about her role on the show, which was filmed across multiple locations in Sydney, Jai admits she has a personal connection to her troubled and fragile character.
“I grew up surrounded by people who resembled the character I play. It’s interesting,” he says.
Jai grew up in Campbelltown, located in south-west 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 entered the world of acting more than a decade after his television debut.
“When I look at where I grew up, the people I grew up with, there’s a very real possibility that who Hayden (my character) is might not have been that much different than who I might have been if I hadn’t had the opportunity to make music,” he says.
“It’s given me the opportunity to reflect and think that this is not far from what potentially could have been.”
“But I’m very lucky that at a very young age I was given the opportunity to do this and make music,” he adds.
‘It’s roles like this that give you the opportunity to think internally and say, ‘How do I relate to this?’ And it’s those themes and those realizations that come up… Again, this could have been my life.’
The singer was just 14 when he stole the hearts of Australians as a contestant on X Factor in 2013.
He now plays criminal underling Hayden Broadis in the shocking TV series Critical Incident, now streaming only on Stan
Jai, who earned the nickname ‘Aussie Bieber’ during his time on X Factor, made his acting debut on Neighbours in 2016.
In 2017 he announced that he would be moving to Hollywood to pursue an acting career, shortly after signing with the powerful American talent company Creative Artists Agency.
He spent some time in Africa and South America before returning to Australia to pursue opportunities in the entertainment world.
Stan’s Critical Incident series is a gripping psychological crime thriller inspired by creator Sarah Bassiuoni’s real-life experiences working as a lawyer in the youth justice system in Western Sydney.
The series was filmed in various locations around Sydney including Blacktown, Granville, Parramatta and Greenacre in Sydney’s west.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about his role on the show, which was filmed across multiple locations in Sydney, Jai admits he has a personal connection to his troubled character.
Directed by Akshay Khanna (Polite Society, The Doll Factory), Critical Incident stars emerging actors Zoë Boe (The Tree, Total Control), Roxie Mohebbi (Shortland Street), Hunter Page-Lochard (The Newsreader), Jai Waetford ( Neighbors), 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 in search of a teenage suspect, Senior Constable Zilficar ‘Zil’ Ahmed (Khanna) pursues Dalia (Boe) and a bystander is seriously injured amidst the chaos and confusion of the chase.
Zil’s world falls apart when he discovers that Dalia was not, in fact, the perpetrator.
The immense guilt over the bystander’s injuries, coupled with the pressure of the investigation and public scrutiny, creates an unbearable burden for Zil.
Encouraged by his fellow police officers, Zil becomes obsessed with framing Dalia for something.
Stan’s original series Critical Incident is directed by Heartbreak High’s Neil Sharma and The Tourist and Line of Duty’s Daniel Nettheim.
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