John Leigh on Gandalf, pyromania and attending one’s own funeral
John Leigh is one of NZ’s most versatile and experienced actors, with over 40 NZ TV and film credits to his name including roles in Outrageous Fortune, Lord of the Rings, Serial Killers, Stickmen, Shortland St, The Frighteners, Diplomatic Immunity, Eating Media Lunch, Mercy Peak, We’re Here to Help and Xena, plus numerous theatre and voice-over appearances.
From early beginnings in the Wellington theatre scene at Taki Rua, through his first major TV role as core cast member Lionel Skeggins on Shortland Street, to dozens of gritty character roles, Leigh is a very familiar face on NZ stage and screen.
His talents also extend to voice-over with several character appearances on Power Rangers, along with numerous national TV and radio advertising campaigns.
In this ScreenTalk interview, Leigh shares his experiences on:
- Playing Lionel Skeggins on Shortland Street, and a theory on his own disappearance
- The challenges of fast turnaround TV show Spin Doctors
- A real fire on the set of Outrageous Fortune
- Bringing Serial Killers to life
- Upstaging Michael J Fox in Lyttelton
- Playing Hama in Lord of the Rings, and working with Sir Ian McKellen
This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence
Credits: Interview, Camera & Editing – James Coleman
NZ ON SCREEN 2012