
Don Johnson
Biography
Donald Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer, director, singer, and songwriter. He's best known for his role as Det. James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice, winning a Golden Globe for his work in the role.
In 1984, after more then a decade of acting on television, Johnson landed a starring role as undercover police detective Sonny Crockett in the Michael Mann/Universal Television cop series, Miami Vice (1984-1990). Miami Vice made him "a major international star." According to Rolling Stone, "No one had more swagger in the Reagan era than Don Johnson."
His work on Miami Vice earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama, in 1986, and he was nominated for the same award in 1987. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1985. Between seasons on Miami Vice, he gained further renown through TV miniseries such as the 1985 remake of The Long, Hot Summer. In 1996, he had a supporting role in Tin Cup, along with Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, and Cheech Marin. Johnson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.
He later starred in the 1996–2001 CBS-TV police drama Nash Bridges with Cheech Marin, Jeff Perry, Jaime P. Gomez, Kelly Hu, Wendy Moniz, Annette O'Toole, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as his daughter Cassidy, and James Gammon as his father Nick.
In October 2010, he began appearing on the HBO series Eastbound & Down, playing Kenny Powers' long-lost father, going by the alias "Eduardo Sanchez." He also reprised his role as Sonny Crockett for a Nike commercial with LeBron James in which the NBA player contemplates acting and appears alongside Johnson on Miami Vice.
He had a supporting role in the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained, playing a southern plantation owner named Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett. In 2014, Johnson starred as the character "Jim Bob" opposite Sam Shepard and Michael C. Hall in Jim Mickle's critically acclaimed crime film, Cold in July. In 2014, he had a supporting role in the film The Other Woman as Cameron Diaz's character's father. In 2015, Johnson began starring in the ABC prime time soap opera Blood & Oil.
In 2018, he starred as the character of Arthur, the love interest of Vivian, played by Jane Fonda in Bill Holderman's romantic-comedy Book Club. In 2019, Johnson played the role of Richard Drysdale in Rian Johnson's murder-mystery Knives Out; and starred as Police Chief Judd Crawford in the HBO series Watchmen.
In 2021, he co-starred on Kenan, until its cancellation in May 2022. He also appeared in a Nash Bridges television film, with co-star Cheech Marin, on the USA Network in 2021.
Gallery




Known For
Acting History
2024
Doctor Odyssey as Captain Robert Massey
2024Unit 234 as Jules
2024Rebel Ridge as Chief Sandy Burnne
2023The Collective as Liam
2023Book Club: The Next Chapter as Arthur
2023A Little White Lie as T. Wasserman
2022High Heat as Ray
2021Nash Bridges as Nash Bridges
2021Kenan as Rick
2020Home Movie: The Princess Bride as Prince Humperdinck
2019Knives Out as Richard Drysdale
2019Watchmen as Judd Crawford
2019Vault as Gerry
2019Dragged Across Concrete as Chief Lt. Calvert
2018Book Club as Arthur
2017Sick Note as Kenny West
2017Brawl in Cell Block 99 as Warden Tuggs
2017Vengeance: A Love Story as Jay Kirkpatrick
2017A Series of Unfortunate Events as Sir
2015Blood & Oil as Hap Briggs
2015Alex of Venice as Roger
2014Cold in July as Jim Bob
2014The Other Woman as Frank
2014TripTank as Johnny Bahama (voice)
2014From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series as Earl McGraw
2014From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season
2014Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
2014Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self - Guest
2013Blood of 1000 Virgins as Self (archive footage)
2012Django Unchained as Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
2011Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star as Miles Deep
2011A Good Old Fashioned Orgy as Jerry Keppler (uncredited)
2011WWE: DX: One Last Stand as Self (archive footage)
2010Conan as Self
2010Machete as Von Jackson
2010When in Rome as Beth's Dad
2009Glenn Martin, DDS as Grandpa Whitey (voice)
2009Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
2009Eastbound & Down as Eduardo Sanchez
2008Torno a vivere da solo as Nico
2008Long Flat Balls II as Admiral Burnett
2008Bastardi as Sante Patene
2007Moondance Alexander as Dante
2007The Graham Norton Show as Self - Guest
2005Just Legal as Grant Cooper
2005Pennis from Heaven as Self
2004Larry presents: Best of The 80s as Self
2003Word of Honor as Benjamin Tyson
2003Prachtig 80: Volume 2 as Self
2003The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
2002NBC 75th Anniversary Special as Self
2001Richard & Judy as Self
2001Friday Night with Jonathan Ross as Self
2001Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy as Self (archive footage)
1999Judging Amy as Defense Attorney
1999Goodbye Lover as Ben Dunmore
1997Classic Albums as Self (archive footage)
1996Tin Cup as David Simms
1996Nash Bridges as Nash Bridges
1995MADtv as Self
1995In Pursuit of Honor as Sgt. John Libbey
1993Guilty as Sin as David Greenhill
1993Born Yesterday as Paul Verrall
1993Raw as Self
1992The Grand Opening of Euro Disneyland as Self - Host (US)
1991Paradise as Ben Reed
1991Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man as Robert Lee Anderson / The Marlboro Man
1990The Hot Spot as Harry Madox
1990Seriously... Phil Collins as Self
1989Dead Bang as Jerry Beck
1989Clive James' Postcard from as Self
1988Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show as Self
1988Sweet Hearts Dance as Wiley Boon
1988LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
1988Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes as Self
1987G.I. Joe: The Movie as Lt. Falcon (voice)
1987Heartbeat as Documentary Filmmaker
1985Cease Fire as Tim Murphy
1985The Long Hot Summer as Ben Quick
1985The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1985Live Aid as Self
1984Miami Vice as James 'Sonny' Crockett
1984Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper as Det. James “Sonny” Crockett
1982Matt Houston as Terry Spence
1982Melanie as Carl
1982Champs-Elysées as Self
1981The Two Lives of Carol Letner as Bob Howard
1981Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. as Jacob Gorch
1981Elvis and the Beauty Queen as Elvis Presley
1980Revenge of the Stepford Wives as Officer Andy Brady
1980Beulah Land as Bonard Davis
1980From Here to Eternity as Jefferson 'Jeff' Davis Prewitt
1979The Rebels as Judson Fletcher
1979Tales of the Unexpected as Reeve Baker
1979Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill as Cowboy
1978First, You Cry as Daniel Easton
1978Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold as Gunther
1978The Two-Five as Charlie Morgan
1978Ski Lift to Death as Mike Sloan
1977What Really Happened to the Class of '65? as Edgar
1977Big Hawaii as Gandy
1977Cover Girls as Johnny Wilson
1977Nashville 99 as Mike Watling
1977Eight Is Enough as Doug
1977The City as Sgt. Brian Scott
1976Law of the Land as Quirt
1975Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975Return to Macon County as Harley McKay
1975A Boy and His Dog as Vic
1973The Harrad Experiment as Stanley Cole
1973Police Story as Lee Morgan
1973Barnaby Jones as Wayne Lockwood
1972The Streets of San Francisco as Off. Larry Wilson
1971Lollipops and Roses as Frank
1971Zachariah as Matthew
1970The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart as Stanley Sweetheart
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self (uncredited)
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
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