SIMON SCOOPS THE POLLS
August 1992

What is it with you guys in uniform?

After Bruce Samazan’s two year rule, you’ve just voted E-Streets newest cop, Simon Denny as our 1992 Soap Prince.

Brownwyn McNutty finds out more about TV’s most popular Hunk. Simon Denny is one happy cop. As E-Streets constable Sam Farrell, Simon has just found out that he easily wrestled the Prince of Soap crown away from fellow crime fighter Bruce Samazan.

"It’s flattering to win something like this, because obviously people are happy with what you do. It’s nice to know that,” Simon, 23 says.

Well from the stack of votes he got, it seems you guys think Simon’s got the talent and drop dead gorgeous looks that guarantee he’ll be hot for awhile. We knew Simon had the right stuff back in 1991, when we put him on the Dolly model card. Then in November we featured him in the 50 most coolest guys around.

Originally from NSW’s north coast, Simon says there was a time when he had trouble deciding what to do with his life. "I had absolutely no idea when I left school.” he admits. "I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I thought I was going to end up a loser, because in years 11 & 12 I didn’t know what to do. All my friends were saying ‘I’m going to apply for uni’ or ‘I want to be an accountant’ or ‘I’m going to be an electrical engineer’ and I was like ‘I don’t know what I want to do.”

"I didn’t want to close my options by saying ‘I want to be an accountant, and go to university 6 years and then not like being an accountant.”

"I wanted to be an actor. I like film and TV and that sort of medium of entertainment. I wanted to get into either the production side or the visual side of it.”

He became a production assistant and started modeling part time. Then, last March (1991) he was given his big break with a role on E-Street.

Simon already seems to have the whole TV industry, and the idea of being a soap star, pretty well sussed.

"It’s a soap opera era isn’t it? I think it’s because people watch and relate to the different characters.
"They don’t just appeal to young people, generally there’s a broad spectrum and it crosses demographics - there’s the young characters and then there’s the older characters.” Simon says.

"A lot of soaps are on at a time where the family have just finished dinner or something, and they can sit down together and watch themselves, in a way.”

Simon says he used to watch E-street even before he landed the role of Sam Farrell. After all his girlfriend is former E-Street star Rebecca Rigg.

"I was going out with Rebecca before E-Street. It was just a coincidence that we were both cast. It was funny.” as he flashes his killer smile.

Simon has the right attitude to make it in the volatile TV industry- he realises it could all end tomorrow. For him acting is more a means to pay the bills than to attract attention when he’s walking down the street.

"It’s a fickle kind of industry. Next year people might not know my name. ‘If I got stacked from what I’m doing now, I wouldn’t be at all hesitant to seek out work on the production side again. I’m just taking it every day as it comes at the moment. I’m happy. I enjoy acting.”

And with Simon in the E-Street cop shop we don’t mind watching the action either!