He acted at the Old Vic Theatre (Royal Victorian Hall) in London, England with Wilfrid Walter, Florence Saunders, Ion Swinley, Jane Bacon, John Laurie, Sir Robert Atkins (director), Hilton Edwards, Henry Cohen, and Neil Curtis in the company.
In June 1917, Hayes enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, joining the University of Toronto Officers' Training Company along with a number of other actors.
