Your form guide to who’s who in the Molly miniseries
THESE are the main players in Channel Seven’s long-awaited miniseries that explores the life of Australian music legend Molly Meldrum.
TV
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THERE’S a fine array of Australian acting talent in Molly, playing a mix of characters on both sides of the stage. You’ll also see quick guest roles by Hamish Blake, Greg Macanish of Skyhooks and even Molly’s dog Ziggy playing himself. But who’s who in the Molly zoo? Here’s your guide.
IAN ‘MOLLY’ MELDRUM
Who: Record producer, Countdown host and general Australian music industry legend
Played by: Samuel Johnson
Where have you seen him before?: Sam first charmed Australia in The Secret Life of Us and later in cop drama Rush, Johnson is also easily identifiable from his voice, which has been used in a string of documentaries and commercials. Molly is a return to acting after spending the last few years concentrating on his charity Love Your Sister, started after his sister Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer.
MICHAEL GUDINSKI
Who: The “head fungus” at Mushroom Records and now one of the most powerful figures in the Australian music industry, as well as Molly’s lifelong friend.
Played by: Aaron Glenane
Where have you seen him before?:Home & Away, Deadline Gallipoli, Puberty Blues, The Black Balloon, Tricky Business, Janet King and Truth. The Molly and Michael bromance is captured brilliantly in the miniseries, with Glenane the perfect man if they do a miniseries on Gudinski and Mushroom Records.
JOHN PAUL YOUNG
Who: Singer behind Love is the Air, Yesterday’s Hero and more whose career was effectively launched by Countdown.
Played by: Connor Crawford
Where do you know him from? The Divorce, Winners and Losers and Jersey Boys. JPY was one of the first made-on-Countdown stars, with the TV show creating a video for Yesterday’s Hero, which became his first Top 10 hit. JPY gets to host Countdown and also punch Molly in the miniseries.
SHIRLEY STRACHAN
Who: The late frontman of Australian rock band Skyhooks.
Played by: Ben Geurens
Where do you know him from: He was Toby Mangel on Neighbours, and has also been in Home & Away, Packed to the Rafters and US series Reign. Shirl and the ‘Hooks open the first episode of Countdown and the frontman is a regular at Molly’s house parties during the miniseries and wasn’t afraid to get up close and personal with some fans.
MADONNA
Who: Madonna — a singer you may have heard of.
Played by: Jacinta Stapleton
Where do you know her from: She was Amy on Neighbours for many years, as well as roles in Packed to the Rafters, All Saints and INXS telemovie Never Tear Us Apart. You’ll see Madonna in the second episode — Countdown gave Madonna her first hit anywhere in the world when they played her early single Burning Up.
MICHAEL SHRIMPTON
Who: Executive producer of Countdown
Played by: Tom O’Sullivan
Where have you seen him before?: O’Sullivan has had roles in X Men Origins: Wolverine, Fools Gold, A Place to Call Home, Wonderland and Cops LAC. His Shrimpton tries to keep Meldrum on track and loves a turtleneck sweater.
ROBBIE WEEKES
Who: Producer and co-creator of Countdown
Played by: TJ Power
Where have you seen him before?:Eat Pray Love, The Sapphires and The Little Death. Power is also a musician and spends much of his time in LA. His Weekes is the less stuffy Countdown producer who helps Molly concoct the famous John Paul Young fan mania — before any of the fans knew who JPY was.
CAROLINE
Who: Meldrum’s flatmate in the ‘70s, a transgender brothel owner who sadly died of a heroin overdose.
Played by: Ben Gerrard
Where have you seen him before?: Foxtel’s comedy Open Slather, as well as Jack Irish, Outland and Wolf Creek 2. Molly and Caroline’s friendship is one of the many relationships explored in the miniseries, with Caroline helping him deal with his evolving sexuality in the ‘70s. However Molly, who was always anti-drugs, has problems dealing with her addictions.
LYNNE RANDELL
Who: Singer who scored a huge hit in 1967 with Ciao Baby and wound up being Meldrum’s personal assistant in the 1980s. She passed away in 2007.
Played by: Krew Boylan
Where have you seen her before? She played Schapelle Corby in the Channel 9 TV miniseries, as well as spots in A Place to Call Home, Wild Boys and films Primal and Cliffy. There’s a few flashbacks to Randell in the first episode, but she’ll be featured in part two.
CAMILLE
Who: Molly’s fiance, from his early heterosexual era.
Played by: Rebecca Breeds
Where do you know her from? Home and Away, The Originals, Blue Water High and Pretty Little Liars. Meldrum had many girlfriends and a few fiances, but Camille is the one the miniseries zooms in on, including her getting a reality check about his changing moods. She was the lady who tamed him. Almost ...
RAGGSY
Who: One of Molly’s neighbours
Played by: Michael Beveridge
Where have you seen him before?: Big Brother and now on commercial radio. Raggys and Hoffa, based on real Molly friends, and were neighbours at his party house, finding that ripping a hole in the back fence was an easier access point than walking in the front door.
ZIGGY
Who: Molly Meldrum’s dog.
Played by: Ziggy
Where have you seen him before? Attached to Molly, usually. Ziggy stole the show on the Hey Hey It’s Saturday reboot and plays himself in the emotional scene recreating Molly’s fall off the roof of his house in 2011.
Molly airs on Channel 7 Sunday February 7.
Originally published as Your form guide to who’s who in the Molly miniseries
Star suddenly axed from iconic TV role
He was announced for one of the most iconic roles in television amid much fanfare – but just 26 episodes later, he’s been given the flick.
Host’s ‘embarrassing’ date with Aussie star
Talk show host Jimmy Fallon has shared an “embarrassing” new detail after he was roasted for fumbling a date with a big-name Aussie actress.