Callan McAuliffe took a punt when he packed his bags and headed to Hollywood at the tender age of 14. But with the 23-year-old Aussie now starring as Alden in international mega-hit series The Walking Dead, clearly the move has paid off.
Callan now has several high-profile credits to his résumé, including the 2013 hit film The Great Gatsby.
With fans of The Walking Dead still reeling over the shock exit of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) this season, Callan hints that Alden will “remain true to form” amid the chaos.
“There are a lot of sh—y people in the apocalypse, but I’d like to think Alden isn’t one of them,” he tells TV WEEK.
Callan appears in The Walking Dead.
While Callan may be flying in Hollywood, he admits he’d jump at the chance to return home to work.
The young actor appeared in Packed To The Rafters, Underground: The Julian Assange Story and Blue Water High and says he’s always on the lookout for an “excuse to come back”.
His desire was fuelled further in 2016 when he returned home to star in Australian film The Legend Of Ben Hall.
“I’ve been reinjected with the Australian fever,” Callan says. “I’m so in love with the atmosphere of the outback.”
“I’m so in love with the atmosphere of the outback.”
Although moving abroad has taken Callan’s career to the next level, he admits he’s struggled with life in Hollywood at times.
“When I first moved, it was quite difficult because Los Angeles was such an unusual place,” he says. “It took me about four years to come to terms with the city.”
Meanwhile, acting isn’t Callan’s only talent. He recently published a novel, The Hill Ghost – but is unsure about whether he’d consider permanently switching from front of camera to screenwriter.
“I don’t have much patience, in that I kind of lose interest in my own projects,” he reveals. “It’s taken me over two years just to get off my ass and try to put this book into print,” he says with a laugh.
The Walking Dead airs Monday, 1.30pm (AEDT), on FOX Showcase.
