Samuel Johnson, 37, took home the highest honour at the 59th TV WEEK Logie Awards winning the Gold Logie. He also won the award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Molly Meldrum in the miniseries Molly.
This morning, Sam told Sunrise, that the news still hadn’t sunk in.
“It’s so over the top…I’m beside myself,” he said. “I don’t even know what to think. I don’t think the penny has dropped. I’m holding it and I still can’t wrap my head around it.”
“How can you ever think you’re going to win when you’re up against the likes of Waleed and Peter Helliar and Jess [Marais],” the Molly star said.
During his Gold Logie acceptance speech Sam was joined by music legend Molly Meldrum on stage.
“Molly came up and did a Molly – it was just awesome, I can’t think of a better way for it to end,” Sam laughed.
He later told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa, “Let’s be honest, I got Kanye’d. Oh mate, what a sweetheart.”
At home, Sam’s sister Connie was over the moon with his wins.
“He did it, he did it, he did it,” she wrote on Instagram as she watched on.
While receiving a Gold Logie is an honour, perhaps the higher honour was the praise Sam received from Molly himself.
After learning of Sam’s nomination for the award, Molly wrote the following letter exclusively for TV WEEK. A testament to just how much he respects and admires Sam not just as an actor, but as a man.
“Before meeting Sam, I got to know his sister Hilda and his father Jack at the local pub in Richmond where we all used to pop in.
Sam and I became close when he took on his unicycle ride and came to visit me to tell me about his Love Your Sister charity.
Since then, what Sam has achieved is incredible. He is passionate about everything he does and always gives 100 per cent. From unicycling across Australia to raise money for breast cancer research and playing a dramatic role as an actor of a waffling mad music lover and drama queen like me.
Sam was so convincing in this role that when I walked past the telly and saw him playing Molly, I thought “Are Rage playing the Countdown re-runs again?”
Sam’s tireless love and support of his family, especially for his brave and beautiful sister Connie, with her incredibly though journey with cancer and his ambitious nature and hope to cure brain cancer is contagious and admirable.
When I learned Sam was nominated for the Gold Logie I was so happy for him and I believe it is so well deserved.
Sam is strong, he has character and determination, all these marvellous traits are ingrained in the essence and depth of his character acting. He says he won’t act again, but I really hope he does as it would be a big loss to the Australian arts repertoire not to see him again on our screens or on stage.
So yes, until then I shall keep nagging him like an old Nana to return to acting. (And please Sam, don’t ever lose faith in the Saints who we both lovingly support).
Molly Meldrum”
Read our full interview with Sam in our current Logies special on sale now.
