‘I’m not taking calls’: Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson ISN’T backing down from retirement

HE famously walked away from acting to raise $10 million for his cancer charity. And Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson isn’t backing down from that pledge.

“I’M not taking calls.”

He famously retired from acting to raise $10 million for his cancer charity and Samuel Johnson isn’t backing down despite winning two Logies last night.

The Gold Logie recipient, 38, launched into an epic speech backstage in the media room when he was asked by a reporter if he was still retired from acting.

“Why would I say something and not do it?,” Johnson said.

“This is the thing, when I said I’d unicycle around the country, I f...ing did it, you know?

“And if I say I’m going to retire and focus on this $10 million, I’m going to f...ing do it.”

Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson is committed to raising $10 million for cancer research. Picture: Getty Images

Johnson was referring to Love Your Sister, the cancer charity he set up with his sister, Connie, who is battling cancer. (Today, Johnson described her as “everything” to him and said he had been up all night speaking to her on the phone).

“I’ve shown that I’m a man of my conviction,” Johnson continued.

“The timing is a little bit tragic, because who knows? I might have gotten a run of work off this.

“But you know what? I’m off doing other sh.. right now and I stand by it,” the Molly star said.

“If I then turned around and go, I’ve got a Logie, I’m just going to go back and make a bit of cash ... I’m not half trying to tackle this problem.”

Golden boy Samuel Johnson. Picture: Getty Images

This morning, Johnson reiterated his position in an interview with Sunrise.

“I’ve made a promise to 380,000 people that I would not stop until we got to the $10 million. So until then, I’m not taking calls,” he said on Seven.

The 38-year-old Melbourne-based actor — who played Molly Meldrum in Seven’s miniseries Molly — was lost for words as he walked on stage to accept Australian television’s highest honour last night, in a memorable acceptance speech which was interrupted by Meldrum.

Inside Channel Nine’s Logies after party

VIEW GALLERY

“And then Molly came up and did a Molly. It was awesome, I can’t think of a better way for it to end,” Johnson told Sunrise.

Meldrum crowned Johnson with a gold akubra hat, planted a kiss on him, and launched into an emotional — and unexpected — speech last night, to a stunned Logies crowd.

Johnson had earlier won the silver Logie for outstanding actor in a TV series for his role in Molly.

Samuel Johnson holding his silver Logie for Best Actor, for his role as Molly Meldrium in Seven’s drama, Molly. Picture: AAP

Originally published as ‘I’m not taking calls’: Gold Logie winner Samuel Johnson ISN’T backing down from retirement