Paul Smith

Paul Smith (born 1968 in Sydney) is a former Australian actor, who started his career as a child actor. He is most known as Steve in the children's television series The Henderson Kids, before being the original Simon Kelly in the sitcom Hey Dad...!

Smith began his acting career when he was 12 years old. He had to finish his schooling, including his HSC, with private tutors, before he quit to concentrate on acting. Smith's first role was playing a juvenile delinquent in the 1982 film Fighting Back. He went on to appear in a number of television shows and films, including Platypus Cove, The Fire in the Stone, Waterloo Station, Boy in the Bush, Crime of the Decade, and The Cowra Breakout. Smith starred in a two-part episode of A Country Practice called "Repairing The Damage" as a glue-sniffing addict. The episodes were later re-screened by Seven due to popular demand.

In 1985, Smith was cast as 15 year old, "easy-going" Steve Henderson in The Henderson Kids. The series follows Steve and his sister Tamara, played by Nadine Garner, who are sent to the country to live with their uncle following the death of their mother. Smith found Steve to be more fun to play than some of his previous roles. He also enjoyed developing a good working relationship with Garner, and they became like brother and sister on the set.