Leigh Hart is a New Zealand comedian, radio announcer and performance artist who is also known as "That Guy". He has made various appearances on New Zealand television, including SportsCafe and his own show, Moon TV.
Early life and education
Hart was born in Greymouth, and lived outside of New Zealand, with four years spent in Peru, until the age of eleven when his family returned to New Zealand. He attended Christ's College in Christchurch before spending a year at the University of Canterbury. After working on the Channel Tunnel for two-and-a-half years in the early 1990s, he returned to Christchurch and the founded the rock band "Wild Turkey" with his brother Greg and friend Matt Johnson. The band suspended activities in 1994 after being briefly jailed in France for visa irregularities and then deported. Returning to Christchurch, Hart enrolled in film and television school, where he began a newspaper titled Moon.
Career
SportsCafe
He moved to Auckland, where he was working in television production for Greenstone Pictures when producer Marc Ellis recruited him for a vacant guest spot on a 1996 episode of SportsCafe, in which he appeared as an "international snail trainer."
Moon TV
Beginning in 2002, Hart produced and starred in Moon TV, a late night comedy show. Hart also wrote a column for the Herald on Sunday, and worked for the television showFair Go.
Screaming Reels
Leigh's television career reached a screaming climax with his internationally successful fishing show Screaming Reels. The show also featured Jason Hoyte who co-hosted the educational show which saw the dynamic duo take the loyal viewership around various secret fishing locations in and around the Auckland harbour. The show especially took off in Australia as Channel 7 featured the show on a weekly basis in the popular Sunday morning slot. Although the twosome never managed to catch a fish, the knowledge and experience they were able to share with the viewers was next to none and as a result, they have really stamped their mark in the global game fishing sector.
Olympico on Comedy Central NZ: a three episode series with Jeremy Wells and Jason Hoyte which lampooned the London Olympics.
Descent from Disaster: Leigh looks back at the Strongman Mine disaster in 1967 which shook New Zealand, particularly the West Coast and many of Leigh's friends and family.
7 Days on TV3
Late Night Big Breakfast with Jason Hoyte and Jeremy Wells, on TV One and WatchMe.
The DNA Detectives on TV One
Rude Tube episode "Feasts of Fury", where his short "Fastest chef in the world 1" was ranked 16.
Hamsterman from Amsterdam on WatchMe, a spinoff of the Moon TV character.
Screaming Reels
Hart has also appeared on the comedy show Jono and Ben at Ten. With Jason Hoyte he hosts a satirical sports show called Sports Bhuja.
Live appearances
Hart is a regular speaker and M.C. at public events. In 2011 in Shanghai, he helped raise nearly half a million dollars for the Christchurch earthquake relief fund.
On 10 May 2009, Hart wrote a humorous piece for the New Zealand Herald entitled "That Guy: Let's hear it for the Maori sasquatch". The piece provoked outrage in the cryptozoological community for the representations of individuals at the conference, as well as its overall tone.
Wakachangi beer
In July 2013, Leigh released his own brand of beer, Wakachangi, brewed by Harringtons Brewery. It was initially marketed to students having big parties around the country and sold in 2-litre bottles. Wakachangi was released nationwide at all Liquorlands in 330ml bottles in October 2013. Hart's comedic taste continues with the beer branding, with "hardly a true word on the label"; it is said to be "a South Otago beer, with North Canterbury flavours, brewed by a West Coaster, with the ol' misty waters of the Waikato - est circa 1648", and winner of the Moon Breweries beer awards.
