Samazan was a brickie's labourer until 1989 when he accompanied his girlfriend to an audition for a part in the Network Ten soap "E Street". The series had debuted six months earlier to a lukewarm reception from audience and critics alike, and a major cast and crew re-shuffle was imminent. His girlfriend didn't get the part, but the casting director liked Bruce so much they offered him the part of a new character called Max Simmons, a new recruit at the community police station. Introduced early in Season 2, his role was primarily comic relief, but with the addition of ruthless killer Sonny Bennett to proceedings, "E Street"'s storylines grew darker and the character of Max became more central and balanced. By 1992, Samazan was at the height of his fame, and won the 1992 Silver Logie as the Most Popular Actor on Australian television.