25 Years of Shortland Street: John Leigh

As Shortland Street turns 25, New Zealand on Screen opens the archives to bring us 25 years of trivia.

Actor John Leigh says he's still not sure what happened to Shortland Street's Lionel.

Initially written as a guest character, muffin man Lionel Skeggins quickly won the hearts of the nation, winning actor John Leigh a five-year run on the Street.

Jaws dropped when, in 1999, Lionel was washed off a rock while attempting to escape his murderous wife, Mackenzie Choat. Was he dead? With his body never recovered, to this day, the mystery remains.

Here Leigh reflects on working with New Zealand's best writers, directors and actors... and on what it feels like to be present at your own, possible, demise.

Are you a bona fide Shortland Street fan? Take our quiz and put your knowledge to the test.

- NZ Herald