Jonathon McKenna

Jonathon McKenna
Shortland Street character
Jonathon in 2011
Portrayed by	Kieren Hutchison
Duration	1993–1996, 2011
First appearance	19 October 1993
Last appearance	11 November 2011
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Tony Holden (1993) Gavin Stawhan (1996) Steven Zanoski (2011)
Jonathon in 1994
In-universe information Occupation Surgeon Father Michael McKenna Mother Alex McKenna Sisters Rachel McKenna Grandmothers May McKenna Uncles John Wilson Aunts Trish Wilson Shirley McKenna First cousins Waverley Harrison Stratford Wilson Amberley Wilson

Jonathon Alexander McKenna is a fictional character in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He is portrayed by Kieren Hutchison, who played the role in both recurring and regular stints in the 1990s, before returning for a six-month period during 2011.

Jonathon was created as the final installment to the recently expanded McKenna family unit; he was the son of the Shortland Street clinic's CEO, Michael McKenna (Paul Gittins). His initial storyline saw the character embark on a same-sex relationship with paramedic Jamie Forrest (Karl Urban) much to the outrage of his family and co workers. Jonathon appeared on a sporadic basis, making for 3 stints between 1993 and 1996, before returning again 15 years later. Other plot lines Jonathon was involved in include, several other same-sex relationships, dropping out of medical school, falling out with his parents and sister, having an HIV scare, developing blindness, and embarking on a relationship with a woman.

Jonathon is remembered as an "iconic" character, largely due to the impact his homosexual status had on the viewing public. He and boyfriend Jamie's kiss was the first same-sex kiss on prime time New Zealand television and was even edited largely due to the controversy at the time. His 2011 return was well received upon airing though his bisexual reclassification was criticized by fans.