Whanganui boy in Shortland St cliff hanger

Aaron Jackson as villain Hayden Crowhurst kidnapped nurse Kylie Brown (Kerry-Lee Dewing) in the final 2016 episode of Shortland St.

He is arguably the most evil villain to have featured in a Shortland St end of year cliff hanger.

Cold-blooded killer Hayden Crowhurst beat his former girlfriend Trina Duncan (Lucy Barclay) to death for having a relationship with Dr TK Samuels (Ben Mitchell).

Aaron Jackson who plays the uber-nasty Crowhurst is really a nice bloke who grew up in Castlecliff, Whanganui.

When he is not playing dastardly villains, he works as a fire fighter and has also been a builder which is how he stumbled in to acting.

Jackson was "discovered" while working on an Auckland building site in 2011.

"A casting director who walked past the site said I had an interesting face and asked if I was willing to do some acting," he says.

"I actually said 'no' at first, but she persisted and I agreed to go to an audition."

The past five years have seen Jackson appear in a number of film and TV roles including a part in Hollywood fantasy movie Pete's Dragon this year.

Despite fame and fortune Jackson says he still loves his home town and the seaside suburb where he grew up.

"I won't be coming home for Christmas but I will be in Whanganui from December 27 and I'm looking forward to it," he says.

Jackson says he has been following the news about Castlecliff and is delighted to see the work being done by local groups like Coast Care, Progress Castlecliff and Sustainable Whanganui Trust to care for the suburb.

When he arrives in town, Jackson says he likes to head in over the City Bridge and do an "ave mish."

"For as long as I can remember, we have always cruised up Victoria Ave to see if anything has changed or if there is anyone out that we know."

A trip home always includes a visit to Virginia Lake to feed the "hordes of flying creatures."

Before heading to his mum's place in Castlecliff, Jackson said he always makes a beeline for Morgan St.

As a kid who liked to surf when he was growing up, the St Augustine's (now Cullinane) student was a member of the "Morgan St Mafia" hanging out at the North Mole.

"When I visit now, I always hope I might catch that river mouth swell or one of those cheeky left-hander waves that the mole produces every now and then," says Jackson.

The final 2016 episode of Shortland St ended with Hayden Crowhurst being held under water by Dr Samuels.

Did he drown or will he be back to terrorise the other characters in 2017?

"I can't tell you that," says Jackson "I signed a confidentiality clause but you know anything could happen."

If you should see a tall, familiar-looking bloke loitering around Whanganui over summer remember that he's not really the ruthless killer off the telly.

He is local lad made good, Aaron Jackson and it is probably safe to shake his hand.