An Auckland based actor who has very close links to Fiji is now starring in the top NZ TV series, Shortland Street.
Aaron Jackson’s father is from Savusavu.
Speaking to stuff.co.nz on his role in Shortland Street, Aaron Jackson says pretending to violently attack a woman is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
At the end of last night's shocking episode in NZ, Jackson's character ‑ psychotic thug Hayden ‑ lost his cool and assaulted stripper‑turned‑social worker Trina.
Yes, it's all staged for the cameras but multiple takes put added pressure on the actor.
Jackson says he had all the energy to do it once but the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth time, he had to say 'I've had enough guys. That's it’.
Jackson says that was the first time it got him - the first time he actually had a scene where he thought 'That went inside me'.
Aaron Jackson, a married father of one whose main job is a firefighter, says those working behind the scenes on Shortland Street wanted to make sure he was fully prepared for his character's storyline.
Appearing in NZ’s most high‑profile shows means Jackson is becoming a recognisable face, something he is slowly getting used to.
Jackson, who is in his mid‑thirties, never intended to be an actor. Six years ago he was working as a builder on a Wellington construction site when a casting agent walked past and badgered him into auditioning for a low‑budget film.
Other acting gigs followed. He played Kieran Read in the movie about Stephen Donald called The Kick, landed a bit part in Netflix drama Marco Polo which was filmed in Malaysia, starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the movie Emperor and also starred in Disney’s Pete’s Dragon.
Looking ahead, Aaron Jackson hopes to land more acting jobs abroad.
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