From the Pool to the Screen: Cody Simpson's Acting Return
Cody Simpson, the 28-year-old who transitioned from pop star to elite swimmer, has now broken his silence about his highly anticipated return to acting. The multi-talented Australian is set to appear in Stan's new university campus sitcom, He Had It Coming, which premieres later this month.
This marks Simpson's first acting role since his appearance in the 2020 US film Smiley Face Killers and represents his debut performance in an Australian television production. The series will see him take on the character of Scott, a star rugby player who finds himself at odds with a group of hard-line feminists.
A Polarising Character
In a recent interview with TV Week, Simpson opened up about his challenging new role. 'He's a polarising figure and that's what he had to be, that's what they [the creators] wanted him to be,' the performer revealed about his character.
He elaborated further on Scott's significance within the show's narrative, explaining that his character 'kind of sets the tone for the way a lot of the female characters in the show think about men and their relationship to men and to the male characters in the series.'
Simpson, who made his acting debut back in 2014 in the US sitcom Instant Mom, was quick to distinguish his own personality from that of his character. He expressed hope that audiences would recognise the 'contrast' between himself and the 'misogynistic and unlikable' Scott.
Behind the Scenes and Personal Life
Away from the camera, Simpson shared sweet details about his personal life, particularly his relationship with champion swimmer Emma McKeon. He revealed that his girlfriend hasn't yet seen his new show, confirming 'We're going to be watching it together.'
The plot of He Had It Coming follows two young women, Barbara (played by Natasha Liu) and Elise (played by Lydia West), who find themselves in legal trouble after defacing a statue on their university campus. Their situation becomes considerably more complicated when a man's body is discovered beside the statue, with the phrase 'Kill All Men' carved into his chest – which coincidentally shares its name with the women's 'art' project.
Beyond this new venture, Simpson has previous television experience, having appeared in the US series Cougar Town in 2015. His return to acting comes alongside his recent announcement that he's also making a comeback to music, demonstrating his continued versatility across multiple entertainment fields.
In a separate interview with 9Honey, Simpson offered more insight into his three-year relationship with McKeon, describing her as 'a rock in my life' and acknowledging that 'anyone who has that in life is lucky.' The pair first met within the Australian swimming circuit, with their relationship reportedly developing during national team training camps and competitions.
They went public with their romance in July 2022, and Simpson has previously praised McKeon's influence on his own transition to professional swimming. Both athletes have consistently supported each other at major events, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games where McKeon achieved record-breaking success.
