While many would say Steve Morgan has always been a character, his transition from land developer to actor later in life has some interesting twists and turns

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Steve Morgan is sometimes amazed at the dramatic turn his life has taken over the past two years. 

At 51, he never thought he’d be playing the role of a police office in the hit show Hudson and Rex, or being a motorcycle-riding stunt double for Allan Hawco. Morgan was introduced to acting through his girlfriend, Paula Morgan. 

A funny story 

“It’s actually a funny story. I brought Paula out to a fitting for an episode she was in during the first episode of season one of Hudson and Rex and I was just sat there in the vehicle going through a few Facebook posts and I saw that Hudson and Rex were looking for somebody on a motorcycle. I thought back to a foolish picture I had taken riding a bike and I said, ‘Oh, man, I’m going to pass that on just for fun.’ And to my surprise, I got a reply back.”

The casting folks liked his “enthusiasm and humour.” They offered him a reoccurring spot as a background police officer, and he’s been there ever since.

A new career 

“Things kind of snowballed from there. I’m pretty much a regular cast member and I’ve been in all the episodes since I started that first season and now we’re at the tail end of filming season three with another three episodes to go,” he shared. 

How was going from businessman to actor we ask?  

“Interesting,” he chuckles. “I’ve been in land development since 2001 and then I fell into this new career. The key to the transition is be available, do what you’re asked to do for two and work hard and people see that and then you get rewarded.” 

Morgan’s thrilled his aging parents are around to see his career transition.

“Mom was pretty excited to see her baby on TV. It’s not something anybody would have expected or thought I’d get involved with. My dad said those burnout days on bike served me well and he said, ‘hey, you actually had an opportunity to use some skills.’ That was funny.”

Recently, Morgan played Allan Hawco’s stunt double on an episode of Hudson and Rex. “It was a great honour and surprise to be asked to do that scene. Kind of brings me back to  my childhood motorcycle days, which a lot of people know me for,” he said with a laugh. 

‘Hurry up and wait’ 

What has been the greatest surprise or learning being on television?  

“Well, certainly there’s a lot of hurry up and wait. Every episode takes probably a little over a week to film, depending on how much is involved. You’re doing several locations from one end of St. John’s to the other. Each day you’re probably punching 12 plus hours. It’s a lot of sitting around. There’s a lot of retakes. You’re dealing with Rex, a dog. Sometimes, as great as he is, he can be like anybody else and not be in the mood right then.” 

Morgan added he’s felt blessed to be involved with such a great show. 

“There’s a lot of fans and it’s a great feeling to be involved. When it first came out, I knew it would probably hit the hearts of a lot of people across Canada. And it’s certainly good to be a small town guy who grew up in C.B.S. and be involved in such a popular show and that’s definitely humbling. Now it looks like the show’s going to be successful and carry on for a few more seasons for sure, we hope. That’s amazing.”

His small role in Hudson and Rex has opened more doors too. 

“I’ve been involved with several films and movies within the past two years as well. Little Orphans was one. The Death of Winter was another. Paula and I were in the video with Alan Doyle and Dean Brody, their last single We Don’t Want to Go Home. That was a lot of fun.” 

Any any words of advice for anybody thinking of making a transition to acting, no matter their age or stage of life? 

“Just shoot for it. There’s always a chance. That goes for anything in life you want. Step out of your comfort zone and just go for it.”