He’s only been out of drama school six months, but Shortland Street’s new heartthrob, Cameron Jones, has already shared the same set as Sir Ian McKellen in The Hobbit sequel The Desolation of Smaug, made a TV movie and a miniseries, and caught Rachel Hunter’s eye with his musical skills on a saw during last year’s New Zealand’s Got Talent.
“My poppa is an ex-world champion at playing the saw, so I started playing early last year, busking so I could pay for my bills at drama school,” explains Cameron, on screen from Monday, May 13.
Growing up in his parents’ hotel in Hawke’s Bay, extreme sports fan Cameron (22) admits he had a flair for the dramatic from an early age.
“Hotels have many nooks and crannies – it’s a giant playground,” he remembers.
“I loved using my imagination. I used to run around the Bay racecourse, imagining things were coming after me.”
While the self-confessed adrenaline junkie and gym bunny shares a few similarities with his on-screen character, sexy ambulance officer Dallas Adams, he insists they don’t share the same views.
“I’m a lot more liberal than Dallas, but he’s an adventurous guy like me and loves stuff like base jumping – I’d love to try that,” smiles Cameron, whose list of hobbies also includes rock climbing and kayaking.
“Dallas is extreme, but he’s got a few issues. He’s had his heart broken too many times – I can relate to that,” he says.
But romance is far from his mind as he settles into Auckland. “I’m single – have been for some time. I’m new to the city, so it’s good for me to settle in. I’m the type who rushes from relationship to relationship, so now’s the right time to be alone. Between acting and climbing, it would be hard to find the time.”
