Australian actor Samuel Johnson has won the 2017 Gold Logie at the 59th annual awards, for his turn as music-industry legend Ian "Molly" Meldrum in Channel Seven's well-received miniseries, Molly.
The victory was 38-year-old Johnson's second for the night (and ever) — he had earlier won the Best Actor award, also for his Molly performance — and saw him beat out the likes of previous Gold winner Waleed Aly and fellow nominees Jessica Marais, Peter Helliar, Grant Denyer and Roger Corser to claim the prize.
However, the one-time The Secret Life Of Us star was upstaged himself when, to apparently everybody's surprise (including Johnson's), Meldrum himself emerged on-stage and interrupted the actor before following his speech with a wild and wandering — but clearly affectionate — contribution of his own, in which he recounted being friends with the actor's father and even bestowed Johnson with a golden hat in the style of Meldrum's iconic Stetson.
"I know it’s very hard to play an old drama queen like myself, and you did a great job," Meldrum told the actor at the end of his speech. "So, on behalf of the drama queens of Australia, I would like to crown you also with my gold hat. Here it is. Well done. Thank you, everyone."
Johnson, who hasn't worked as an actor since starring in the miniseries, had earlier dedicated his Best Actor win to his elder sister, Connie, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer seven years ago and has recently decided to cease treatment.
He helped found charity Love Your Sister to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer, and explained that Connie is attempting to break the world record for the longest line of coins, set to be laid in just over a week.
"She's putting together a row of coins in the shape of a love heart, hopefully the biggest love heart this country has ever seen, made of five-cent pieces from cancer families all around the country, with the entire proceeds going directly to scientists and researchers," he said following the Best Actor win.
According to News Corp, Johnson said backstage that he is likely to post his Gold Logie acceptance speech to Facebook, as the emotion of the win meant that he forgot to publicly acknowledge the charity, which he viewed as integral to his victory — not that he was actually expecting to take out the award.
"There is literally no precedent for an actor like me in that category, let alone taking the award," he told News Corp. "My sister asked our village who are committed and engaged and active and gutsy as hell; my sisters asked them to vote for me and they did in droves.
"Even if you factor in the viewing numbers of Molly, even if you factor in Molly’s inherent iconography, it doesn’t explain me being in that category if you look at the history of it," he continued. "For me, our Love Your Sister village had a lot to do with it and I'm so annoyed that I didn't have the presence of mind to acknowledge them."
Along with Johnson's Gold and Silver for Best Actor, Molly also picked up the Best Drama Program award.
Watch the actor's Gold Logie acceptance below.
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