Like most comedians, Sam Pang is always looking for the next laugh. But at the 66th TV WEEK Logie Awards, his remarkable Gold Logie win was met with a gratuitous heart and humility.
Of course, there were jokes as he lightly roasted his peers. But there was always thoughtfulness behind it; a recognition of what the Logie means. This could be perhaps, because success is never certain in the entertainment field – something Sam asserted to TV WEEK when we sat down at the end of the night to reflect on his career and win. He’s quick to acknowledge the other Gold nominees could’ve easily been called up to the stage instead of him.
“It’s insane really, quite surreal, because you don’t set out to win these things,” Sam, 52, said, holding the Gold Logie in hand. “I didn’t prepare a speech because if any one of those people was called out, you wouldn’t be surprised.”
The same goes for his career, which he describes as a slow-burn journey, and one paved with much support from the team at Working Dog Productions – Santo Cilauro, Rob Sitch, Jane Kennedy, producer Michael Hirsh and Sam’s Have You Been Paying Attention? colleague Tom Gleisner.
“I owe them everything. Those guys have been so supportive,” Sam says adding he never truly expected to make a career out of it. “You never expect to be on TV,” he said on stage, adding in our interview, that “It’s only been recently I’ve thought, ‘I think this is going to be alright.’ Early on, I didn’t.”
Starting in community radio before moving to television, Sam first appeared on SBS history quiz show ADbc, which didn’t fare well because “ideally the host should know the answers.”
From there, he became the Australian commentator for Eurovision alongside Julia Zemiro and starred in a series of sport-related programs with Santo and Ed Kavalee. Then in 2013, he joined the panel of comedians on HYBPA? And since 2015, he’s been alongside Mick Malloy and Andy Maher for The Front Bar. All these shows have one thing in common, Sam says.
They started off small and slowly built success.
It’s been the thread of his career, which led to bigger moments such as his own talk show, Sam Pang Tonight, acting roles in Fisk and Ground Up and three-time host of the Logies.
As for what he’d like to do next, Sam says he’s keeping up with the reality of right now – “it hasn’t sunk in”. But upon consideration, he wouldn’t mind revisiting stand-up.
“The tour I did with Mick, Lawrence Mooney and Marty Sheagold was awesome, so I’d like to more of that,” he says. But for now it’s good; I’m busy. I’m happy.”
While Sam remains private about his personal life, he did pay tribute to his wife Adriana and daughter, Sienna.
“They know how much they mean to me,” he said on stage. Afterward, Sam said he hadn’t had a moment to speak with them before quipping, “I think they went to bed,” he smiles. “They probably didn’t stay up for it.”
His mum, however, was likely to be glued to the screen to see her son take home the Gold. It also coincided with her birthday.
“It is nice,” he says of what it might mean for his mum.
“If you grow up watching the Logies or watching Australian television, especially in the old ways it was viewed, the Logies were the pinnacle,” he says.
“Things are changing a bit with streamers and other platforms but it’s still a wonderful acknowledgement and celebration of our industry. The best of the best is still very good in this country.”
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