The unforgettable Sam Hayden-Smith

A performer you will never forget Sam Hayden-Smith

Sam Hayden-Smith in "The Spirit of the Game"

Sam Hayden-Smith is one of those actors who, when you first see him on the big screen you never forget his face. He has piercing, and at the same time gentle blue eyes, that seem to invite you into his characters mind for tea, no matter what role he’s playing at the time. He’s tall, (6"1), athletic, and has a thoughtful face when he’s not trying to make someone laugh. Even then his cleverness shows a level of high intelligence as soon as he starts talking.

 

Sam can play any role he tries out for and his characterizations are spot on. His intensive training in several styles of acting techniques has done him well and prepared him for whatever comes his way. He was in the TV series Crownies and felt quite comfortable surrounded by all the other professionals who were as ready as he was to hit their marks. His Crownies experience also gave him a taste of what it was like to be involved in the behind the scenes efforts of production. He went on to act in and direct his next venture, which was Lao Gong, which literally means “old Grandpa.” The short was also written by Sam and the tagline read: “Marriage is not easy…especially for many young brides in rural China.”

 

One of his current acting projects is a feature-length movie called, The Spirit of The Game, directed by Australian filmmaker Darran Scott, who made a name for himself with the film, The Playbook, among several others.

 

The Spirit of The Game tells the story of a group of Mormon missionaries whose basketball team was named the “Mormon Yankees,” and who traveled around Australia victoriously playing against all comers. The missionary team also beat most of the international teams they played against before those teams represented their countries in the 1956 Olympics. Sam Hayden-Smith acts alongside Kevin Sorbo, Wade Briggs and Anna McGahan.

 

Sam has a great deal of acting experience under his belt and he’s always on the look out for that special role to be cast in. As they say, he’ll recognize it when he sees it.