Their eldest daughter, Chloe Bayliss, plays a starring role in the new series about a heart surgeon (Rodger Corser) forced to return to the small country town of his birth and atone for some hard-living sins. Her character is the devoutly religious Hayley, the sweet and outspoken long-term girlfriend of Ajax (played by Matt Castley). 

Bayliss, 25, graduated with a Diploma of Dance and Performance at the National College of Dance, Newcastle, and has since worked as an actor, dancer and choreographer. Her film credits include Michael Petroni’s Backtrack alongside Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody and Sam Neill, and Driftwood Dustmites, and she has appeared on television shows Reef Doctors, Dance Academy and Deadly Women.

In May she was nominated for the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship for her role in Backtrack. 

Her stage credits with the Ensemble Theatre include Charitable Intent, Rapture Blister Burn and Circle Mirror Transformation, for which she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress at the 2012 GLUG Theatre Awards, and most recently The Good Doctor. She has also worked in Red Line Production’s The Whale.

Bayliss moved from Port Macquarie to Newcastle at the age of 14 to study dance full-time at the Marie Walton Mahon Dance Academy (now National College of Dance). 

“All my family live in Newcastle – my extended family too – so I’m there all the time,” she told Weekender from her studio apartment in Lane Cove. 

“On both sides of my family there are teachers who have taught in the area. My parents and younger sister Phoebe live in Eleebana.

“My sister is into performing as well. She is playing the role of Fiona in Hunter Drama’s Shrek The Musical JR.”

A gifted dancer and choreographer, Bayliss began to realise that it was the “acting” side of dancing that she was enjoying the most. Throwing herself into a character and bringing that person to life.

She was dancing in America at the time and returned to Australia, moved to Sydney and began acting classes. That was six years ago.

“I met my now acting coach and one thing led to another and I got an agent, then I got a role in a TV series, and from there I’ve worked in theatre and film,” she says. 

“All the dance training that I’ve had has been incorporated into the acting that I do. I still teach and choreograph all the time but acting is my chosen career path.

“I’m doing a play in Sydney called Gloria and my character has dance elements, mainly ballet. So it’s been nice to tap back into that.”

Working alongside Adrien Brody and Sam Neill in 2015 thriller Backtrack has been a definite career highlight for Bayliss to date. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. 

“It was amazing. Most of my scenes were with Adrien and he is the most beautiful human being in the world, and very good at what he does,” she says.

“With TV you never know where your character’s going to go but with a film, your character is part of the story from beginning to end. It was lots of fun and I’d love to do more.” 

Bayliss was asked to audition for the role of Hayley in Doctor Doctor and walked in thinking she wasn’t right for the role. 

“I didn’t hear anything for a couple of weeks so I presumed I didn’t get it and then a month later I got a call from my agent saying ‘You got the role’, and I was like ‘What role? What are you talking about?’,” she says with a laugh. 

“I have had the best time shooting this series. The cast is amazing and the writers are incredible – the show is so funny.

“And I think everyone can relate to the characters in one way or another. They’re quirky, a little bit damaged, but you just fall in love with each of them.

“We only just finished shooting a few weeks ago. The series was brought out early because Channel 9 liked it so much, so that’s exciting.” 

Bayliss has worked solidly for the past 12 months but isn’t taking it for granted.

“Before that I had 12 months where I was going ‘Oh, what’s next, what’s next?’,” she explains. 

“Having a role in a feature film has opened doors already – it got me representation overseas and recognition here. 

“I’m not fussed with recognition, though. As long as I am getting work, and doing good work, that’s all that really matters. 

“I’m in for the long haul. I don’t really care about the recognition or fame. I care about a career.”

As for the future, Bayliss is leaving her options open. 

“I’m working on a play [Gloria] right now with Marta Dusseldorp, who is incredible, so everyone wants to see it,” she says.

“We’ve sold out the season already. 

“After that, well, I’ve got a manager in the States, so I might think about heading over there for a bit. It just depends on what comes up here.”