On 11th June 1999, twenty minutes before going on stage to play the title role in Martin McDonagh's "The Cripple of Inishmaan" for the Auckland Theater Company, Leighton was informed that his father had died in a plane crash, just hours before in the Wairarapa, New Zealand.
The Cripple of Inishmaan was Leighton's first professional production. He landed the lead role from his very first audition on the second day after graduating from drama school.
In 2002, Leighton landed two roles in two different TV shows [Being Eve/ Shortland St] on the same day. He was able to play both roles at the same time because the shows where being made by the same production company at the same studio.