Early life

Born as Roy Hayward in Swansea, Wales, he initially pursued a career in the military, and at 19 had become a commissioned as an officer in the engineers, but decided it was not for him. After jobs as an actuary and part-time work in catering, Hayward heard about the National Institute of Dramatic Art, auditioned, and was accepted. However, he left NIDA after only 12 months to join the Pageant Theatre Company, which toured schools throughout New South Wales. He eventually worked at both directing and producing plays for the company.

Career

Hayward's role of the high-camp gay caterer and old-movie fan Dudley Butterfield in Number 96 began in late 1973 and quickly became one of the show's most popular and recognised characters. Dudley was involved in a long-running gay relationship with Don Finlayson (Joe Hasham) in the show. Dudley was later revealed as a bisexual and embarked on relationships with women, opened a hairdressing salon and then a disco, briefly became a television star, and then was shot to death in June 1977 after Hayward decided to leave the series.

His career continued steadily with roles in Australian feature films, drama series and miniseries through the 1980s. In the 1990s he acted on US television with a role in soap opera Santa Barbara. More recent appearances include Babylon 5, Lost and, in 2007, as a surprise guest for the Number 96 reunion on Australia's Where Are They Now?.