Samuel Johnson (born 1978) is an Australian actor, radio presenter and voiceover artist. He is best known for his role as Evan Wylde in the television series The Secret Life of Us.

More recently, he has received considerable media coverage for his attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the most distance travelled on a unicycle, which he undertook to raise funds for breast cancer research and raise breast cancer awareness following his sister's diagnosis with the disease.

Biography

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. When Samuel was a toddler, his mother committed suicide. At age 11, his sister Constance was diagnosed with cancer, from which she recovered 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.

On 5 February 2006, his girlfriend Lainie Woodlands committed suicide. Sam and Lainie's mother Kim then endured a bitter legal tug-of-war for 2 months with her estranged father in order to lay her to rest close to her chosen home and those she loved. She was eventually laid to rest by Sam, Kim, Lainie's siblings and many close friends. Johnson took an extended career break to recover from the trauma and returned to Daylesford.

In late 2007, he began a 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 September 2007, he 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 that 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.