After graduating from drama school Toi Whakaari in 2014, Jayden Daniels hit the ground running with a recurring role on Shortland Street as Curtis Hannah. The character eventually became a fan favourite, as he journeyed from bad boy to cop. Following time on adventure series The New Legends of Monkey, Daniels co-starred in prime time drama Head High. Daniels played Mana Roberts, one of two brothers striving to make their mark in rugby at a low decile high school. Daniels won Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 NZ TV Awards for the role. Next came roles in horror film Evil Dead Rise, and Whina, a biopic of Dame Whina Cooper.