Swain started his career in entertainment at Dracula’s Comedy Cabaret in the mid 1980’s performing sketches, singing and dancing, as well as playing guitar and drums.
He had previously appeared in Neighbours as John Swan, the duck hunter who killed Kerry Bishop in 1990 and in 1992 as builder Buzz Wade and 1993 as a horse racing commentator.
At the time, he was the real life partner of former Neighbours actress Marcella Russo (who played Liljana Bishop).
He played the main character Shaun's father in Mallboy (2001), and had a small role in Ghost Rider (2007) as a police officer.
On stage, Swain has played Riff Raff in the Melbourne production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Regent Theatre, and cricketer Terry Jenner in Shane Warne: The Musical.