Samuel Johnson (actor)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Johnson is an Australian actor, radio presenter and voiceover artist.
He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne
and is best known for his role as Evan Wylde in the television series The Secret Life of Us
.
. On opening night he was spotted by the late Rhonda Schepisi, former wife of director Fred Schepisi. Taking the reins, she helped Johnson acquire an Equity Card and find auditions.
, as Sally Fletcher
's first boyfriend, Gus Bishop, in Home and Away
and in other bit parts including Blue Heelers
, Halifax f.p.
, Stingers
and Something in the Air.
His break, however, came in 2001 when he was chosen for the role of the scruffy, womanising writer Evan Wylde in Channel 10's hugely successful drama series The Secret Life of Us
. Evan was a main character, also narrating the majority of the show (apart from instances narrated by Deborah Mailman
's character Kelly Lewis). This made Johnson a household name and earned him an AFI Award in 2001 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Series.
The Secret Life of Us enjoyed consistent success up until the third series when many major characters left resulting in a drop in ratings. Johnson's character Evan (one of the last two original major characters alongside Kelly Lewis) left early in the fourth series in 2004 and the show was axed soon after.
In 2003, during the height of Johnson's Secret Life-career, he received rave reviews for his performance in the mini-series After the Deluge. It follows the story of the Kirby family; their father Cliff is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, and relives his disturbing memories of the war and his first love, as a part of his experiences of the present.
His three estranged sons Alex (David Wenham
), Marty (Hugo Weaving
) and Toby (Johnson) are thrown together to care for their father whilst struggling with their own lives and relationships and attempting to come to terms with their fathers mental state.
His performance as Toby won him another AFI Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Series in 2003.
Apart from Johnson's appearances on many Australian shows to promote his work, he has also featured on Thank God You're Here
and The Panel as well as the ABC documentary The Sum of Sam; documenting his personal struggles and work with Open Family Australia, a youth outreach program co-founded by South Melbourne
parish priest Fr Bob Maguire
.
Johnson is currently filming police drama Rush
in Melbourne, a drama revolving around Melbourne's Tactical Response team (based on Critical Incident Response-style teams).
Johnson is playing the role of communications specialist Leon Broznic; alongside Callan Mulvey
and Catherine McClements
who played Evan's girlfriend Carmen in The Secret Life of Us.
where he played Check-Out Cashier. Angel Baby
was the tale of two people suffering from schizophrenia who meet at therapy and fall in love. The film was a huge success, sweeping the board at the 1995 AFI Awards.
Johnson is also well known for his role in the 2002 Mick Molloy
film Crackerjack. Playing Molloy's slacker pothead flatmate Dave Jackson, the film enjoyed relative success winning a host of awards including Outstanding Comic Screenplay and Outstanding Film Comedy at the Australian Comedy Awards in 2003.
After leaving The Secret Life of Us in 2004, Johnson went on to star in the dark, black comedy The Illustrated Family Doctor as Gary Kelp, a man condensing The Illustrated Family Doctor medical guide. Unfulfilled in every way, Gary starts to develop the physical symptoms of the ills he is transcribing and his life begins to really fall apart.
The film divided viewers and critics, with the film resulting in a love-it-or-hate-it divide and was nominated for a handful of awards including Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2005 AFI Awards.
He featured in ads for Pedders, and most famously, lingerie brand Lovable in 2002/2003 where he played the hapless male (with Australian model Lisa Cazzulino) spouting lines such as "it's just wrapping paper" and "I don't understand bras... but I like looking at them".
One of the ads featured the girlfriend (Cazzulino) walking into the kitchen in her bra and knickers where Johnson was drinking milk from the carton. Looking down at her herself admiringly she said "Nice bra" cut to Johnson and his thought-bubble voiceover of "Great tits". The ad was controversial due to the un-PC language and was criticized by some viewers, resulting in the ad moved to only being aired post-watershed.
He was also featured prominently on billboards and in window displays for the department stores around Australia such as Myer
and David Jones
.
He has also done voice over work for TAFE NSW, Austereo, Listerine, Hungry Jacks and advertising of many Channel 10 programmes, although deliberately stopped recording them due to the over-exposure he felt was negative on his career and life.
He now does a voiceover for Vodafone.
, presenting the 9am – 12pm slot. He was popular in the role but resigned mid-2006, several months after his girlfriend Lainie Woodlands died.
Johnson has gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in his life.
When Samuel was a toddler, his mother committed suicide.
At age 11, his sister Constance was diagnosed with cancer, which she pulled through successfully after chemotherapy sessions.
Prior to his discovery, his family were going through some financial difficulty.
His father had enough money to pay for one of them to go to a private school for a term.
"He chose me despite the fact that my sister had a better academic record. And by the end of the first term, I was earning enough to pay for the school fees that we couldn't afford. I was very lucky. I got an opportunity and I made the most of it."
With the money he earned through his acting, they were able to pay off the school fees and eventually started their own family business, a chain of second-hand bookstores around Melbourne.
In 2004 he ventured on a round-Australia unicycle
trip to raise funds for his charity.
On 5 February 2006, his girlfriend committed suicide.
He then endured a bitter legal tug-of-war for seven months between her estranged parents about where she should be laid to rest. She was eventually laid to rest while the case ended in the High Court in August.
Johnson took an extended career break to recover from the trauma and returned to Daylesford.
In 2007, Johnson found happiness again and is enjoying a strong and supportive relationship with Sarah Hallam, a casting director. They have known each other since they were 15.
He stated, "I am really enjoying my new life. It is very different from the other one ... out in the 'burbs with my girl and her little boy, who is five."
They live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with Sarah's young son, while running workshops for aspiring actors.
In July 2007, he returned to acting, playing a young Weary Dunlop in the play "Weary: The Story of Sir Edward Dunlop". Weary follows the ageing veteran after retirement, when he returns to the diaries of his time in a World War II POW camp. The action switches between the young Weary and his older, wiser self.
In September 2007, Samuel was involved in a bar brawl at Star City Casino
, Sydney.
While attending a wedding with his girlfriend Hallam, he was involved in an altercation with another guest Ben Benson, of Brisbane. Johnson had repeatedly punched him before stomping on his head as he lay prone on the floor.
The court was told at the time of the offence Johnson was receiving treatment for depression following the suicide of his long-term partner Lainie Woodlands.
Upon leaving the court, Johnson was completely remorseful for his actions, stating
"I am very sorry it all happened, I was a bit of a nincompoop and I'm glad that it's all over. I'm looking forward to moving on.
He was given a 12-month good behaviour bond, with Johnson to continue with his counselling, and no conviction was reported.
In May 2008, Johnson gave his first interview since the death of Woodlands to ABC Television
's Australian Story
– The Sum of Sam.
He talked about the turmoil of the last three years – and his life changing involvement with Open Family Australia, a charity that works with vulnerable young people.
Johnson is now starring in a police series called Rush (2008 TV series)
as Intelligence Officer Leon Broznic. And continues to do volunteer work with ‘Open Family’.
In 2010 he made an amusing cameo appearance
as an old friend of Sarah's at the end of an episode of Wilfred
.
He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
and is best known for his role as Evan Wylde in the television series The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
.
Starting out
At the age of 14, Johnson performed in his first school play, cast in a role as the mad scientist in The Pink Panther Strikes AgainThe Pink Panther Strikes Again
The Pink Panther Strikes Again is the fifth film in the Pink Panther series and picks up where The Return of the Pink Panther leaves off...
. On opening night he was spotted by the late Rhonda Schepisi, former wife of director Fred Schepisi. Taking the reins, she helped Johnson acquire an Equity Card and find auditions.
"So I literally got a phone call on the first night I'd ever been in a play. She marched me to the union and demanded that they give me a card, then she drove me to an agent and demanded they take me on. It was somewhat fortuitous and I happened to get the first 20 or so jobs I went for. This career was certainly not designed by me."
Television
Johnson's first foray into television started with small roles in various shows including the role of prince jobah in the popular kids sci-fi adventure the new adventures of Ocean GirlOcean Girl
Ocean Girl is an Australian science fiction TV series aimed for family audiences and starring Marzena Godecki as the lead character...
, as Sally Fletcher
Sally Fletcher
Sally Louise Fletcher is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Kate Ritchie...
's first boyfriend, Gus Bishop, in Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
and in other bit parts including Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
, Halifax f.p.
Halifax f.p.
Halifax f.p. is an Australian television drama series produced by Nine Network from 1994 to 2001. The series stars Rebecca Gibney as Doctor Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist investigating cases involving the mental state of suspects or victims...
, Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...
and Something in the Air.
His break, however, came in 2001 when he was chosen for the role of the scruffy, womanising writer Evan Wylde in Channel 10's hugely successful drama series The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us
The Secret Life of Us was a television drama series set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. The series was produced by Southern Star Entertainment and screened in Australia from 2001 to 2005 on Network Ten and on Channel 4 in the UK...
. Evan was a main character, also narrating the majority of the show (apart from instances narrated by Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman , is an Australian television and film actress. She was the first Aboriginal actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role...
's character Kelly Lewis). This made Johnson a household name and earned him an AFI Award in 2001 for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Series.
The Secret Life of Us enjoyed consistent success up until the third series when many major characters left resulting in a drop in ratings. Johnson's character Evan (one of the last two original major characters alongside Kelly Lewis) left early in the fourth series in 2004 and the show was axed soon after.
In 2003, during the height of Johnson's Secret Life-career, he received rave reviews for his performance in the mini-series After the Deluge. It follows the story of the Kirby family; their father Cliff is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, and relives his disturbing memories of the war and his first love, as a part of his experiences of the present.
His three estranged sons Alex (David Wenham
David Wenham
David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Carl in Van Helsing and Dilios in 300 and Neil Fletcher in Australia...
), Marty (Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving
Hugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
) and Toby (Johnson) are thrown together to care for their father whilst struggling with their own lives and relationships and attempting to come to terms with their fathers mental state.
His performance as Toby won him another AFI Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama Series in 2003.
Apart from Johnson's appearances on many Australian shows to promote his work, he has also featured on Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
and The Panel as well as the ABC documentary The Sum of Sam; documenting his personal struggles and work with Open Family Australia, a youth outreach program co-founded by South Melbourne
South Melbourne, Victoria
South Melbourne is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Port Phillip and Melbourne...
parish priest Fr Bob Maguire
Bob Maguire
Robert John Thomas "Bob" Maguire AM, RFD is an Australian Catholic priest, community worker and media personality from South Melbourne. Commonly known as "Father Bob", Maguire was awarded the Order of Australia in 1989...
.
Johnson is currently filming police drama Rush
Rush (2008 TV series)
-DVD releases:-Achievements:-International distribution:-External links:...
in Melbourne, a drama revolving around Melbourne's Tactical Response team (based on Critical Incident Response-style teams).
Johnson is playing the role of communications specialist Leon Broznic; alongside Callan Mulvey
Callan Mulvey
Callan Francis Mulvey is an Australian actor.-Biography:Mulvey was born in New Zealand and is of Maori heritage. His family moved to Sydney, Australia when he was eight years old...
and Catherine McClements
Catherine McClements
Catherine McClements is an Australian actress.-Early life:Catherine is the third of four children, and after acting with the St Martin's Youth Arts Centre in Melbourne for a couple of years, she successfully auditioned for the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art when she was 17...
who played Evan's girlfriend Carmen in The Secret Life of Us.
Film
Johnson's first ever role was in the 1995 film Angel BabyAngel Baby
Angel Baby may refer to:*"Angel Baby" , a 1960 single by Rosie and the Originals*Angel Baby , starring George Hamilton and Mercedes McCambridge*Angel Baby , starring John Lynch and Jacqueline McKenzie...
where he played Check-Out Cashier. Angel Baby
Angel Baby
Angel Baby may refer to:*"Angel Baby" , a 1960 single by Rosie and the Originals*Angel Baby , starring George Hamilton and Mercedes McCambridge*Angel Baby , starring John Lynch and Jacqueline McKenzie...
was the tale of two people suffering from schizophrenia who meet at therapy and fall in love. The film was a huge success, sweeping the board at the 1995 AFI Awards.
Johnson is also well known for his role in the 2002 Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
film Crackerjack. Playing Molloy's slacker pothead flatmate Dave Jackson, the film enjoyed relative success winning a host of awards including Outstanding Comic Screenplay and Outstanding Film Comedy at the Australian Comedy Awards in 2003.
After leaving The Secret Life of Us in 2004, Johnson went on to star in the dark, black comedy The Illustrated Family Doctor as Gary Kelp, a man condensing The Illustrated Family Doctor medical guide. Unfulfilled in every way, Gary starts to develop the physical symptoms of the ills he is transcribing and his life begins to really fall apart.
The film divided viewers and critics, with the film resulting in a love-it-or-hate-it divide and was nominated for a handful of awards including Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2005 AFI Awards.
Voiceovers and commercials
Johnson is also well known for his many commercial appearances and voiceovers.He featured in ads for Pedders, and most famously, lingerie brand Lovable in 2002/2003 where he played the hapless male (with Australian model Lisa Cazzulino) spouting lines such as "it's just wrapping paper" and "I don't understand bras... but I like looking at them".
One of the ads featured the girlfriend (Cazzulino) walking into the kitchen in her bra and knickers where Johnson was drinking milk from the carton. Looking down at her herself admiringly she said "Nice bra" cut to Johnson and his thought-bubble voiceover of "Great tits". The ad was controversial due to the un-PC language and was criticized by some viewers, resulting in the ad moved to only being aired post-watershed.
He was also featured prominently on billboards and in window displays for the department stores around Australia such as Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
and David Jones
David Jones Limited
David Jones Limited , colloquially known as DJs, is a high-end Australian department store chain.David Jones was founded in 1838 by David Jones, a Welsh immigrant, and is claimed to be the oldest continuously operating department store in the world still trading under its original name. It...
.
He has also done voice over work for TAFE NSW, Austereo, Listerine, Hungry Jacks and advertising of many Channel 10 programmes, although deliberately stopped recording them due to the over-exposure he felt was negative on his career and life.
He now does a voiceover for Vodafone.
"Everyone got sick of me and weren't shy of telling me. Including friends and family. So I thought, well, I'll give them a rest. Ex-girlfriends in particular weren't happy hearing me around the place all the time. One of them was known to throw her radio out the window."
Radio
In 2005/6 Johnson started working at major Melbourne FM station Nova 100Nova 100
Nova 100 is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, broadcasting on 100.3 MHz. It is in the Melbourne radio market, with the intention of challenging the number one FM Austereo station Fox FM by playing alternative, hip hop, pop & dance music, with a strong lean towards...
, presenting the 9am – 12pm slot. He was popular in the role but resigned mid-2006, several months after his girlfriend Lainie Woodlands died.
Theatre
Johnson's stage credits include:- Weary – The Story of Sir Edward Dunlop
- Love Letters – Andrew Makepeace Ladd III
- Hotel Sorrento – The Son
- The Present – Danny Rule
- The Snake Pit – Harry
- Mad Woman’s Fountain – Harry
- Life During War Time – Howard
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again – Dreyfus
Personal life
Born in 1978, Samuel was born and raised in Daylesford, Victoria. He has two sisters, Constance and Hilde and both were raised by their father.Johnson has gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in his life.
When Samuel was a toddler, his mother committed suicide.
At age 11, his sister Constance was diagnosed with cancer, which she pulled through successfully after chemotherapy sessions.
Prior to his discovery, his family were going through some financial difficulty.
His father had enough money to pay for one of them to go to a private school for a term.
"He chose me despite the fact that my sister had a better academic record. And by the end of the first term, I was earning enough to pay for the school fees that we couldn't afford. I was very lucky. I got an opportunity and I made the most of it."
With the money he earned through his acting, they were able to pay off the school fees and eventually started their own family business, a chain of second-hand bookstores around Melbourne.
In 2004 he ventured on a round-Australia unicycle
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
trip to raise funds for his charity.
On 5 February 2006, his girlfriend committed suicide.
He then endured a bitter legal tug-of-war for seven months between her estranged parents about where she should be laid to rest. She was eventually laid to rest while the case ended in the High Court in August.
Johnson took an extended career break to recover from the trauma and returned to Daylesford.
In 2007, Johnson found happiness again and is enjoying a strong and supportive relationship with Sarah Hallam, a casting director. They have known each other since they were 15.
He stated, "I am really enjoying my new life. It is very different from the other one ... out in the 'burbs with my girl and her little boy, who is five."
They live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with Sarah's young son, while running workshops for aspiring actors.
In July 2007, he returned to acting, playing a young Weary Dunlop in the play "Weary: The Story of Sir Edward Dunlop". Weary follows the ageing veteran after retirement, when he returns to the diaries of his time in a World War II POW camp. The action switches between the young Weary and his older, wiser self.
In September 2007, Samuel was involved in a bar brawl at Star City Casino
Star City Casino
The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, The Star Sydney Casino features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned...
, Sydney.
While attending a wedding with his girlfriend Hallam, he was involved in an altercation with another guest Ben Benson, of Brisbane. Johnson had repeatedly punched him before stomping on his head as he lay prone on the floor.
The court was told at the time of the offence Johnson was receiving treatment for depression following the suicide of his long-term partner Lainie Woodlands.
Upon leaving the court, Johnson was completely remorseful for his actions, stating
"I am very sorry it all happened, I was a bit of a nincompoop and I'm glad that it's all over. I'm looking forward to moving on.
He was given a 12-month good behaviour bond, with Johnson to continue with his counselling, and no conviction was reported.
In May 2008, Johnson gave his first interview since the death of Woodlands to ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
's Australian Story
Australian Story
Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
– The Sum of Sam.
He talked about the turmoil of the last three years – and his life changing involvement with Open Family Australia, a charity that works with vulnerable young people.
Johnson is now starring in a police series called Rush (2008 TV series)
Rush (2008 TV series)
-DVD releases:-Achievements:-International distribution:-External links:...
as Intelligence Officer Leon Broznic. And continues to do volunteer work with ‘Open Family’.
In 2010 he made an amusing cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as an old friend of Sarah's at the end of an episode of Wilfred
Wilfred (TV series)
Wilfred is an Australian comedy television series directed by Tony Rogers, produced by Jenny Livingston and starring Jason Gann, Adam Zwar and Cindy Waddingham. Created by Zwar, Gann and Rogers, it was based on their award-winning 2002 short film and later adapted to a series...
.