Chris Haywood is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer, with close to 500 screen performances to his name. Haywood has also worked as a casting director, art director, sound recordist, camera operator, gaffer, grip, location and unit manager.
Early life
Haywood was born in Billericay, Essex, England. He spent his early childhood in Chelmsford before moving to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire where he attended Royal Grammar School from 1959 to 1965. He then started working in the cellars of a local wine shipper before gaining a place at E15 Acting School. After graduating in 1970 he emigrated to Australia and soon after, he was involved with Sydney's Nimrod Theatre Company and according to an interview with ABC reporter Jane Cowan, actually helped build the premises with scrap timber. He was the Artistic Director of the Pro's and Con's Playhouse at Parramatta Jail for two years. He established the drama service on Kiribati National Radio. Chris is the Patron of the Friends of Waverley Library where he inaugurated the Waverley Library Literary Award, an annual award of $20,000 given for the quality of research for a published work of literary merit written by an Australian writer and published in the previous 12 months. This prestigious prize has so far distributed around $350,000 directly to deserving Australian authors. Chris is now the Deputy Captain of VRA Hawkesbury and Coxswain of their rescue boat.
Film
Film credits as an actor include: Dogs in Space, The Cars That Ate Paris, Newsfront, In Search of Anna, Kostas, Call Me Mr. Brown Breaker Morant, , Running on Empty, Man of Flowers, Quigley Down Under, The Clinic Lonely Hearts, The Man From Snowy River, Strikebound, Malcolm, The Bit Part, Golden Braid, A Woman's Tale, The First Kangaroos, Muriel's Wedding, Shine, Beneath Hill 60 and Sleeping Beauty. Razorback, Freedom , Love is Now and Boar. He is soon to start work on the film of Tim Winton's novel Dirt Music. Film credits as an Art Director: Force of Destiny Film credit as Casting Director: The Crater Film credit as Producer: The Media Project directed by Peter Watkins
Television
TV credits as an actor include: Homicide, Essington, Against the Wind, Five Mile Creek, Return to Eden, Waterfront, A Good Thing Going, Boys From The Bush, Water Rats, Farscape, McLeod's Daughters, All Saints, Stingers, Grass Roots, Home and Away, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce and The Pacific. Haywood appeared in Neighbours as Walter Mitchell in June 2013. TV credits as a writer: Alvin Purple additional material
