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, Serial Killers, Stickmen, Shortland Street and Mercy Peak, plus numerous theatre and voice-over appearances. From early beginnings in the Wellington theatre scene through his first major TV role as Lionel Skeggins on Shortland Street, he is a familiar face on NZ stage and screen. His talents also extend to voice-over with several character appearances on Power Rangers, along with numerous advertising campaigns.

In this ScreenTalk, Leigh talks about:

• Early acting roles
• 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 during the making of The Frighteners
• Playing Hama in Lord of the Rings, and working with Sir Ian McKellen

This video was first uploaded on 3 September 2009, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – James Coleman