Cameron Daddo

Behind his magnetism and whimsical smile, one senses an authentic generosity and warmth exuding from Cameron Daddo. His personal magic more than captures our fascination as the inspiring and appealing, truth-searching minister, who finds himself entering a world of unpredictability on Hope Island.

Cameron has commented in the past that he and his brothers were "guided to a place where we could achieve anything we wanted, but it was up to us to create our own destinies." Not unlike the character of Daniel, it seems Cameron more often finds himself grappling with uncertainty than looking for "right" answers. About his acting, Daddo has commented that in front of the camera, "my challenge is to be with the moment, and never manipulate it to what I think it should be." As a star, the acclaimed Australian actor brings to the set inventiveness, humor and a desire to make things work.

Daddo is a wonderful musician, with a natural instinct for timing and pacing, clearly visible in the fluidity of his style and scenes with female co-star Suki Kaiser, (Alex) where the whimsical push-pull between the characters seems effortless.

Cameron has also said with regard to working on a television series , "Everyone gets their moment. Humility is knowing when it's another person's moment."

Cameron Daddo is best known to American fans as the ambitious and attractive photographer, Brian Peterson on Aaron Spelling's "MODEL'S INC.," and as special effects wizard Rollie Tyler, whose cinemagic catches criminals the high tech way in Rysher Entertainment's action drama, "FX: The Series". He's also appeared in the TV Movie, "Between Love and Hate" and George Lucas' "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles". Though he's a great admirer of computer generated images, Cameron knows and trusts the power of human spirit in performance, which can never be replaced. He's said, "People want soul, they want the truth. You can't reproduce that."

Destiny had it that Cameron Daddo first became famous in Australia at 19, when he starred in "Off The Dish". Ratings led to the creation of his own talk program, "The Cameron Daddo Show". Next came the game show titled: "Perfect Match," and Daddo became the youngest prime time host in the history of Australian television.

His career is already adorned with numerous awards including the Australian People's Choice Award for Best Actor in a dramatic series, "Bony," and two Logie Awards, the Australian equivalent of the Emmys, for his portrayal of a bicycle champion in the Australian/Disney Channel mini-series, "Tracks of Glory," which aired on PBS.

He's also picked up a Mo-Award, the Australian equivalent of the Tonys, for male performer of the year honoring his stage performance in Huckleberry Finn. A renaissance man of many talents, Cameron Daddo released a solo album, "A Long Goodbye," in 1992 and was applauded as Best Country Vocalist at the Victorian Country Music Awards. He has also performed with two Aussie bands, "Nearly Smooth Guys" and "Baby James".

A Special PAX Interview with Cameron Daddo

Cameron Daddo is an award-winning actor with Hollywood leading-man good looks and graceful, international savvy. Multi-faceted in his talents and creative pursuits, when Daddo steps out of the camera's frame, he easily slips into the music scene as well as the director's chair. 

Listening to Cameron is tantamount to being transported into the Zen of Successful Artistry. Daddo has the heart of a musician, the sensitivity of a teacher, and the soul of a storyteller, who spins emotionally stunning yarns with his gifts of performance, music, and words. In his powerful world, creativity is as vital to daily life as oxygen. 

The Oxygen of Creativity 

"Storytelling is my passion. I've wanted to be an actor and performer all my life. Now I'm one of the fortunate people that gets paid for my passion and I'm very thankful for that. Although when I'm not being paid, I don't wait for anyone to give me permission to perform, write music or act." 

Daddo's work is endowed with a sense of magic, melody, and interactions that flow like water. Though he may make it look effortless, Cameron Daddo works at his craft. He is extremely disciplined in the practice of taking action on behalf of his creativity, even in the face of no visible agreement. He is adept at responding to the call from his inner voice. 

Cameron suggests that people who look for permission to express their art become resentful of power figures, the entertainment business and eventually block the flow of their own creative juices. Successful people just take action. The artist needs to always be immersed in his or her craft and is the last person who should judge the work. Cameron says it in his simple Zen fashion. "An artist needs to be responsive and responsible to his or her own needs. That's the essence of an artist." 

Tons of Charlie Brown & Peanuts comics filled the Daddo household when Cameron was growing up. With the passing of cartoonist, Charles Schulz, Cameron was struck by the fact that though Schulz didn't think much of his own work, he loved to draw, and brought joy to millions of people for having honored his gifts. 

Cameron commented, "One thing I've realized about life is that we come here to be in relationships with people and hopefully we leave the place better. My journey as a man is not to waste the talents I've been given as a storyteller, but to let life bring me the biggest possible stage on which to share my gifts."

The Gift of "Hope Island"

PAX-TV's Hope Island," is a unique vehicle. In 1999, Cameron Daddo had a busy pilot season. Having spent the prior two and a half years shooting "FX: The Series" in Canada, Daddo wasn't looking to sign on for another television show outside LA's 30 mile limit. 

"Initially, it was the pilot script that drew me to Hope Island. I told my Canadian agent, Perry Zimmel, that I wouldn't read it, but he's a smart guy and sent it along anyway," commented Cameron. Sixty pages later, the wise actor couldn't help but to reconsider getting out his down parka. 

The heart of the show is completely aligned with the vision of PAX-TV. Daddo said, "I'd like to see PAX grow as big as NBC. The world needs to see that you don't have to abuse or create fear in other people in order to get what you want. You can get what you want by loving yourself and loving what you do. That's the passion of Daniel."

In the pilot, Cameron heard a kindred soul in the voice of Daniel and his self-validating journey (the truth-seeking minister who finds his own calling without benefit of outside approval). The colorful quality and kindness in the writing, and the boldness of tackling Alzheimer's, a topic not often dealt with in series television, spoke to him.

Along with starring in the warm-hearted soulful series, Cameron thrived in directing one of the episodes. He also wrote and performed an original song. As a director he's skillful in knowing the nuances of when to speak to an actor and when to just let them be. He's in tune with allowing for the unexpected, the originality of any given moment, the challenge of not getting in its way and just letting it emerge.

A Thought for the MTV Generation

Cameron's message to the MTV generation is to "Find Your heart!" While our culture teaches us to give our power over to external sources, whether in idolizing materialism or attributing accountability for our feelings to others. "We need to be responsible for our own feelings," says Cameron.

"Be kind and treat people in kind as you would want to be treated. Follow your heart and take action on whatever you want to do and you can do it. You can find support from inner strength if you choose a path that honors truth."