Gold Coast actor Sam Hayden Smith stars in Chosen, Netflix’s first Chinese language TV series

MEET the Mandarin-speaking Gold Coast actor poised to become a household name in film and TV — in China.

Gold Coast actor Sam Hayden-Smith stars in the Chinese-produced Netflix drama Chosen. Picture Glenn Hampson.

MEET the Mandarin-speaking Gold Coast actor poised to become a household name in film and TV — in China.

Mudgeeraba actor, model and businessman Sam Hayden-Smith stars in Chosen, a landmark Chinese TV series set to screen in 195 countries including the US and Australia later this year after it was picked up by Netflix.

Adapted from the US TV drama of the same name that starred Milo Ventimiglai and Rose McGowan, the Mandarin-language series also stars Taiwanese actor Blue Lan Cheng-lung, Deng Jiajia and Han Pengyi.

“My character, John Henry — I’ve never seen a Chinese film or TV show with a caucasian character so good,” Hayden-Smith said.

“If you’re in a Chinese film and you’re caucasian, you’re usually the bad guy.”

Sam Hayden-Smith (second from left) and his Chosen co-stars at the Chinese series’ launch in China earlier this year. Picture: Supplied.

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Filmed in Sydney last year and presented in three episodes, the series was directed by Australia’s Tony Tilse, whose credits include HBO Asia’s Serangoon Road and Channel 9’s Underbelly.

The $4.6 million production had more than 30 million views when it premiered on leading streaming platform iQIYI in China and Taiwan in January.

Father of four Hayden-Smith, who owns a company that manufactures high-end shop fittings for retail clients including David Jones, studied Mandarin at university before spending almost six years living and working in China and Taiwan.

Gold Coast actor Sam Hayden-Smith studied Mandarin at university in Sydney and spent almost six years living and working in China and Taiwan before settling on the Coast. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

He said he’d all but given up on a full-time career as an actor when he landed his big break in Chosen.

“I chased acting for so many years and then I thought, I’ve got a family to feed, I’m going to focus on my Chinese and I’m going to set up (a business),” he said.

“When my agent called me last year and said hey ‘you’ll never believe this but there’s this Sony production looking for a Mandarin speaking caucasian detective’, I was like ‘oh my God’.

“I auditioned for that role and then they saw my tape and gave me a lead which was supposed to be an older, retired military guy.”

Thanks to the success of Chosen and his Mandarin language skills, Hayden-Smith is now in talks to star in more planned high-end co-productions.

Mandarin-speaking Gold Coast actor and businessman Sam Hayden-Smith. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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He said Chosen, the first Chinese series to premiere on Netflix, had forged new ground for Chinese film and TV productions.

“Traditionally Chinese productions haven’t done well overseas,” he said.

“But the Chinese box office is getting so big that they really want to internationalise their content. Hollywood films like Transformers are trying to incorporate more Chinese elements and product placements.

“That’s what I want to shoot for. I want to be the guy that can bridge Hollywood and China and China-fy Hollywood stuff and internationalise Chinese stuff.”

The Chinese Chosen series was co-produced by iQIYI, Australia’s Playmaker Media and Sony Pictures Television through Huaso Film & TV Digital Production, Sony Pictures’ joint venture in China.