Molly, whose early life story is the subject of a Seven mini-series screening in February, was placed in an induced coma after that life-threatening scare.
He suffered serious head injuries as well as a fractured skull, ribs, shoulder blade, vertebrae and collarbone.
Although initially shaken by news of his recent taxi spill in Thailand, long-time assistant Yael Cohn tells The Carousel that her former boss is recovering well from his four broken ribs and dislocated shoulder.
“From my perspective there’s also a bit of irony in the fact he went to Bangkok to get away from the growing interest for the mini-series,” says Yael, who first began working for Molly in 1989.
“It was all getting a bit overwhelming, but now he’s gone and shot himself in the foot.
“He wanted to lay low and now he’s doing anything but staying out of the spotlight.”
Yael says she’s excited about the upcoming mini-series, called Molly, and is confident it’ll be a hit with Aussie fans, particularly those who grew up watching Molly on Countdown.
Although her working role isn’t portrayed on screen – the TV series mainly focuses on the “Countdown years” from 1974 to 1987 – Yael was hands-on with production as a researcher and consultant.
She was particularly impressed with the uncanny accuracy with which actor Samuel Johnson, below, plays the now 73-year-old Australian musical legend.
“He’s gold! You kind of forget that you’re dealing with an actor and not Molly at times,” says Yael, who has already seen the mini-series.
“I remember one day on set when Sam yelled out to me and I stopped and did a double-take – I could have sworn it was Molly yelling at me!
“They are just both delightful guys with big hearts and I think that’s why Molly and Sam get along so well.”
