Bruce Samazan
Encyclopedia
Bruce Samazan is an Australian actor who appeared in several soap operas and drama series on Australian television, the only actor to have played regular roles in Australia's "Big Three" soap operas of the 1990s (E Street
, Neighbours
and Home and Away
).
's labourer, until 1989 when he accompanied his girlfriend to an audition for a part in the Network Ten
soap E Street
. The series had debuted six months earlier and had received a lukewarm reception from audience and critics alike and a major cast and crew re-shuffle was imminent. His girlfriend didn't get the part, but the casting director liked Bruce so much they offered him the part of a new character called Max Simmons, a new recruit at the community police station. Debuting eight months into the show's run, his role was primarily comic relief, but with the addition of ruthless killer Sonny Bennett to proceedings, E Street
s storylines got darker and the character of Max became a more central and balanced. By 1992, Samazan was at the height of his fame, and won the 1992 Silver Logie
as the Most Popular Actor on Australian television.
By the beginning of 1993, E Streets popularity had dwindled and the producers became more and more desperate to lure viewers. This resulted in one of the soap's more outrageous plots which involved Samazan's character Max turning into a werewolf
. Although this scene being part of a dream sequence, it was at this point that the tabloid media began to speculate that E Street had "jumped the shark", and the series was axed in May 1993. Bruce stayed with the show until the final episode where his character fell in love with Bonnie Tate (Melissa Bell
) who awoke from a coma just in time to see the final credits sequence.
In mid-1993, Samazan released a rap music single on the Westside Records label called "One of a Kind", and filmed a music video for the song with Kellie Hoggart
of Teen Queens
and Hi-5. The song peaked at No. 80 on the ARIA Charts. Samazan's Neighbours co-star Scott Michaelson
(who played Brad Willis) went on record during a 2003 court case saying Samazan had been lucky his song did not get too much airplay because it was "particularly bad".
, Bruce was immediately cast in Network Ten
's other major soap series, Neighbours
. He played Mark Gottlieb, brother of established character Stephen.
From Neighbours, he went straight into the Seven Network
's Home and Away
for a six month guest stint as the psychotic Brad Cooper who raped Chloe Richards.
for four years. He has worked for Real Estate Australia as a sales consultant. He reportedly spent four years at PRDnationwide Helensburgh finishing up in 2006.
He made a part-time return to acting, appearing in guest roles in Big Sky and Head Start
.
Samazan Pty Ltd, a company registered in 1991 which was directed by Bruce Samazan, was deregistered in late 2008.
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
, Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
and Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
).
E Street
Samazan was a brickieBricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
's labourer, until 1989 when he accompanied his girlfriend to an audition for a part in the Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
soap E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
. The series had debuted six months earlier and had received a lukewarm reception from audience and critics alike and a major cast and crew re-shuffle was imminent. His girlfriend didn't get the part, but the casting director liked Bruce so much they offered him the part of a new character called Max Simmons, a new recruit at the community police station. Debuting eight months into the show's run, his role was primarily comic relief, but with the addition of ruthless killer Sonny Bennett to proceedings, E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
s storylines got darker and the character of Max became a more central and balanced. By 1992, Samazan was at the height of his fame, and won the 1992 Silver Logie
Logie Awards of 1992
The 34th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 13 March 1992 at the Radisson President Hotel in Melbourne and broadcast on the Seven Network...
as the Most Popular Actor on Australian television.
By the beginning of 1993, E Streets popularity had dwindled and the producers became more and more desperate to lure viewers. This resulted in one of the soap's more outrageous plots which involved Samazan's character Max turning into a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. Although this scene being part of a dream sequence, it was at this point that the tabloid media began to speculate that E Street had "jumped the shark", and the series was axed in May 1993. Bruce stayed with the show until the final episode where his character fell in love with Bonnie Tate (Melissa Bell
Melissa Bell (actress)
Melissa Bell is an Australian actress and singer. She was the third actor to play Lucy Robinson in soap opera Neighbours....
) who awoke from a coma just in time to see the final credits sequence.
In mid-1993, Samazan released a rap music single on the Westside Records label called "One of a Kind", and filmed a music video for the song with Kellie Hoggart
Kellie Hoggart
Kellie Lynn Crawford, née Hoggart is an Australian singer, actress and children's performer. Crawford is most known for her involvement in Children's program Hi-5 and as a former member of pop group Teen Queens. She left Hi-5 in December 2008 after ten years with the group.- Career :Crawford was...
of Teen Queens
Teen Queens
The Teen Queens were an Australian girl group, which scored a string of hit singles in the 1990s with updated remakes of hits from the 1950s and 1960s.-Background:...
and Hi-5. The song peaked at No. 80 on the ARIA Charts. Samazan's Neighbours co-star Scott Michaelson
Scott Michaelson
Scott Michaelson is an Australian actor and manager who is most famous for playing Brad Willis in Neighbours...
(who played Brad Willis) went on record during a 2003 court case saying Samazan had been lucky his song did not get too much airplay because it was "particularly bad".
Neighbours and Home and Away
After the demise of E StreetE Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...
, Bruce was immediately cast in Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
's other major soap series, Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. He played Mark Gottlieb, brother of established character Stephen.
From Neighbours, he went straight into the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
for a six month guest stint as the psychotic Brad Cooper who raped Chloe Richards.
Post-acting career
After giving up acting in 2000, Samazan worked as a real estate agent in WollongongWollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
for four years. He has worked for Real Estate Australia as a sales consultant. He reportedly spent four years at PRDnationwide Helensburgh finishing up in 2006.
He made a part-time return to acting, appearing in guest roles in Big Sky and Head Start
Head Start (TV series)
Head Start is an Australian television drama series that ran for forty episodes on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2001.-Story:...
.
Samazan Pty Ltd, a company registered in 1991 which was directed by Bruce Samazan, was deregistered in late 2008.