Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson reflects on the emotional highs and lows of 2017.
Looking back on 2017, it was quite a year for you. You had career highs with winning the Gold Logie, personal hardship with losing your beautiful sister Connie to cancer, and were named Victorian Of The Year for your amazing charity work.
Every time I think my years can’t get any weirder, they go right ahead and pull it right out on me. I thought the year I rode around Australia on the unicycle would be the strangest year of my existence by far. But it was nothing more than an entrée.
How do you deal with the emotion of the year’s events?
My life has become progressively more surreal since my sister’s cancer diagnosis. I suppose I can pat myself on the back in a sense, in that I chose to learn the lessons cancer provides. It can go two ways when it hits and I’m just lucky I was ready to learn from the bastard.
What lesson did you take from it?
It can defeat you or it can give you a real understanding that now is awesome. I’m really glad I fell on the right side of it, because it didn’t crush my spirit. Instead, it increased my zest for life.
WATCH: TV WEEK chats to Connie and Samuel (story continues after video)
After Connie’s passing, you announced that your new title would be Head Of Cancer Vanquishment. But has it been hard to have your grieving so public?
It seems that, in death, we ignore all that life provides. And we see it quite simply in black and white terms of the loss for us, which is selfish. I’m a big believer that death can be a positive experience.
But you must still miss her at times…
I’ve lost the chance to have a cup of tea with Connie, but I had cups of tea with her for 40 years and I shouldn’t be greedy.
It will be your first Christmas without Connie. How are you and the Johnson family feeling about this?
I’m embracing the new structure rather than grieving for the old. Connie would have wanted progression for this family. We’re all lucky enough to still be together this Christmas, with or without her. These are the lessons she helped us learn. Her husband, Mike, and the kids and the family… we just can’t wait to be together for Christmas. It’s at my place this year as well.
So you’re on cooking duties, then?
Hell, no – I’ll be on beer patrol!
When you were nominated for the Gold Logie, part of the process meant a photo with TV WEEK. But you didn’t want to take part. Why was that?
In my mind, I’d already left showbiz when I was nominated, and I was fully immersed in my cancer-vanquishment obsession. I remember that day so clearly. I had debilitating anxiety the entire day. I remember sitting in the room next to all The Project people while they were laughing together and doing their shoot and they all sounded so familiar with it. They all seemed so at home and so comfortable. Everybody was relaxed and happy to be there.
Why did the anxiety take over that day?
My life had changed so dramatically after my sister got pulverised by cancer that I didn’t know what anything meant anymore – and I didn’t know where I stood when it came to showbiz. I didn’t know what to make of being nominated for the top award after I’d effectively walked away from it. Nothing made sense. Was this really happening to me? I’ve always wanted to belong in that world, but it’s like love: just when you give up on finding it, it turns up.
You said you wouldn’t return to acting until Love Your Sister hit $10 million in donations. You’ve almost hit that target. Any TV offers coming your way yet?
Not really. Well, I was asked to be on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
Really! Would you ever do it?
I’ve never done reality. I’ve got my own reality and it’s way better. But I’ve had a few whispers saying, “Let us know when you’ve hit the 10 million, we’ll be keen to have you back.” I hope we do get there, but at the same time, I’m more than happy to never do acting again and have Molly as my last hurrah.
To support Samuel’s Love Your Sister charity, go to loveyoursister.org.
To read the full interview, pick up this week’s issue of TV WEEK.
