Christopher Chung has spent a decade and a half inching his way up the acting ladder. He appeared in episodes of Neighbours and Doctors, had a prolonged stint on Waterloo Road, and starred as a ‘geek’ in Sky Movies HD adverts, all while performing in National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and West End productions.

Then, in 2022, the role of Slow Horses’ computer hacker Roddy Ho finally gave Chung the platform to showcase his acting chops. As insufferable and arrogant as he is brilliant, clueless, and insecure, Chung managed to make Ho a firm fan favourite, a particularly impressive feat when you consider that Slow Horses’ cast includes Oscar winner Gary Oldman, BAFTA winner Kristin Scott Thomas, as well as Jonathan Pryce, Saskia Reeves, Jack Lowden, and Hugo Weaving. 

Chung really stood out in Slow Horses’ fifth season, when Ho was given an expanded storyline – and he is set to return to our screens for the sixth series next month. He even received a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination for his work on the show. This increased exposure led to a tidal wave of offers, many of which Chung was underwhelmed by. 

Chung as Roddy Ho in Slow Horses. Images: Apple TV

That was until Chung – who was born and raised in Melbourne – learned about Liz Doran’s adaptation of the seminal Australian novel My Brilliant Career, which was written by Miles Franklin, published in 1901, and is regarded as one of the country’s most important books. The Netflix series once again tells the tale of Sybylla (Philippa Northeast), a girl growing up in rural Australia at the turn of the 20th century who desires to become a writer. Those plans are complicated when she begins a romance with Harry (Chung) and Sybylla soon has to decide between love and her artistic ambitions. 

Released on Netflix on 13 August 2026, My Brilliant Career was previously adapted into the 1979 film directed by Gillian Armstrong. Judy Davis’ turn as Sybylla earned her the BAFTA Best Actress award, while legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill portrayed Harry. Speaking to Luxury London just a few weeks after Neill’s death on 13 July 2026, Chung admits that portraying Harry has now taken on an extra level of poignancy. 

Chung secured Neill’s approval while shooting My Brilliant Career thanks to Kate Mulvany, who plays Augusta in the show and previously worked with Neill on the 2022 Australian series The Twelve. “She was really good friends with Sam. She’d flown to Melbourne one weekend and caught up with him. He was asking about the show and he sent me a video where he gave me tips and advice. Basically he said, ‘You’ve got it all in hand. He’s yours now. Run with it.’”

Overwhelmed by this act of generosity, Chung quickly sent Neill a video of himself in his Harry costume. “I got another video back where he told me that I looked perfect for the role and that I looked so different. Just getting that blessing meant everything to me.”

Chung has had to become used to meeting his heroes in recent years. As a 17-year-old, Chung became obsessed with the 2005 Australian crime film Little Fish, starring Cate Blanchett, Neill, and Hugo Weaving. When Weaving joined the cast of Slow Horses in season four, Chung waited patiently to share a scene with his compatriot. They finally do so in the upcoming sixth season of the show. During the course of their collaboration, Chung made it known how much of an idol Weaving had been to him.

“Just talking about how formative that film was for me as an actor with him, it just felt serendipitous in so many ways. And he’s just the most relatable, normal person. Despite all his success, he told me stories about being cast in The Matrix and working with these incredible titans of the industry. It’s almost like he didn’t realize how iconic and formative he has been for people.”

It was Chung’s older sister who set him on the path to becoming an actor. She regularly starred in amateur musical theater in Melbourne and Chung would revel in how much fun she was having on stage in the likes of 42nd Street and Beauty And The Beast. “Those are my earliest memories,” admits Chung. Around the age of 12, Chung took his own first steps as a performer when he was cast as the lead in Aladdin. “It was at that point that I remember thinking, ‘Ok, I guess this is what I’m doing for the rest of my life.’”

After participating in acting workshops at St Martin’s Youth Theatre in Melbourne, Chung initially tried to become a pop star, entering competitions like Australian Idol and The X Factor. By the age of 21, though, he’d pivoted to drama, travelling to New York to study at the Ward Acting Studio, then moving to London full-time when he was 24-years-old. 

“I took such a leap of faith by moving away from Australia and trying to set up my career,” admits Chung. “I just knew the opportunities that I wanted for myself weren't going to exist in the local market. That's how I found myself in the UK.”

Chung in My Brilliant Career. Images: Netflix

Fourteen years after leaving his home country for the UK, Chung says shooting My Brilliant Career in south Australia felt like a “full-circle moment.” In fact, there were several incidents during production that made Chung recollect about his journey as an actor.  

Even reading Dolan’s scripts for the first time, provoked Chung to think about the fact that his favourite film as a youngster was The King & I. It wasn’t until he was older that Chung realized just how problematic the casting of Yul Brynner as King Mongkut of Siam in the musical was. Throughout his career, Chung has avoided “stereotypical tropes and roles,” which is why he immediately connected with Doran’s depiction of Harry. 

“He was Australian Chinese in the outback and it felt very true to what that experience would have been at that time,” says Chung, who adds that the character felt like “an opportunity to change the narrative and present a point of view from history that hasn't been shown before.” Thinking back to his own youth, Chung continues, “I know how important it is for people to see themselves represented on stage in fully realized roles, not just like stereotypical tropes. That’s what I've tried to do with all of the jobs that I've done so far.”

Meanwhile, working in and around Adelaide also allowed Chung to fly his parents out to set. Despite his success on Slow Horses and now My Brilliant Career, Chung insists he gave up a lot by leaving his home country to try and make it as an actor. Giving his parents a chance to see him starring in such a significant role, in such a prestigious production, was Chung’s way of showing that it worked out quite well. “Coming back to Australia really did feel like a full-circle moment. We all want to make our parents proud. Especially in an industry as unpredictable as acting. Being able to bring them to the set was just a really big moment for me.”

My Brilliant Career lands on Netflix on 13 August 2026.

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