For Aaron Pedersen, his leading role in City Homicide is a welcome return to the policing world and Australian TV drama.

Well known for his role on Water Rats, Aaron is now channelling all his energy into Duncan Freeman, who he describes as an "unknown entity".

"He's there to get results and do a job good. He's not concerned with making friends and he says that clearly. So he can come across quite brash, rude and arrogant when he's really not," says Aaron.

With great dramatic credentials to his name, including MDA, Wildside, Blackjack and The Secret Life of Us, Aaron believes the fantastic scripts and actors on City Homicide will resonate with Australian audiences.

"The whole dynamic and energy of the cast and crew is fantastic," he enthuses. "I truly believe we have something here that will show Australian audiences that TV is finding its straps again."

"The scripts are fantastic - John Banas and John Hugginson do an amazing job. To have a template of that nature only inspires us more."

"I think Australian audiences are a little bit fed up with the overindulgence of American TV which is fantastic and there are plenty of Australian actors involved in it too, but we've got to be proud of our culture, proud of our own voice and style. I hope this is up there with the best of them. I hope Australian audiences will be happy and relieved to have something of their own."

Aaron recently finished filming the lead role in the six-hour SBS mini-series The Circuit, set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, which aired this year.

His acclaimed and awarded documentary My Brother Vinnie - the heartfelt documentary that explores his close relationship with his 34-year-old brother Vincent, who has a mild intellectual disability and cerebral palsy - continues to be lauded, winning Best Documentary in this year's St Kilda Film Festival and the 2007 Sydney Flickerfest Film Festival. His work on the film, which he wrote and starred in, was also nominated for two Deadly Awards and took out Best Short Documentary at the 2006 Melbourne International Film Festival. He was also nominated for a Helpmann Award in 2005 for best male actor in Eating Ice Cream with Your Eyes Closed.

Aaron is an experienced thespian with a Green Room award for Best Male Actor for his 2002 role in "Conversations With The Dead" (Playbox Theatre Company). In the same year, he was also awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Indigenous Individual award, while in 2003 he scooped the Deadly Award for Male Actor of the Year.