Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
December 15, 1949
Place of Birth:
Flat Creek, Missouri, USA
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.
Year | Movie | Role |
---|---|---|
2024 | Unit 234 | Jules |
2024 | Rebel Ridge | Chief Sandy Burnne |
2023 | Book Club: The Next Chapter | Arthur |
2023 | The Collective | Liam |
2023 | A Little White Lie | T. Wasserman |
2022 | High Heat | Ray |
2021 | Nash Bridges | Nash Bridges |
2019 | Dragged Across Concrete | Chief Lt. Calvert |
2019 | Knives Out | Richard Drysdale |
2019 | Vault | Gerry |
2018 | Book Club | Arthur |
2017 | Brawl in Cell Block 99 | Warden Tuggs |
2017 | Vengeance: A Love Story | Jay Kirkpatrick |
2015 | Alex of Venice | Roger |
2014 | The Other Woman | Frank |
2014 | Cold in July | Jim Bob |
2013 | Blood of 1000 Virgins | Self (archive footage) |
2012 | Django Unchained | Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett |
2011 | Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star | Miles Deep |
2011 | WWE: DX: One Last Stand | Self (archive footage) |
2011 | A Good Old Fashioned Orgy | Jerry Keppler (uncredited) |
2010 | Machete | Von Jackson |
2010 | When in Rome | Beth's Dad |
2008 | Long Flat Balls II | Admiral Burnett |
2008 | Torno a vivere da solo | Nico |
2008 | Bastardi | Sante Patene |
2007 | Moondance Alexander | Dante |
2005 | Pennis from Heaven | Self |
2004 | Larry presents: Best of The 80s | Self |
2003 | Prachtig 80: Volume 2 | Self |
2003 | Word of Honor | Benjamin Tyson |
2002 | NBC 75th Anniversary Special | Self |
2001 | Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy | Self (archive footage) |
1999 | Goodbye Lover | Ben Dunmore |
1996 | Tin Cup | David Simms |
1995 | In Pursuit of Honor | Sgt. John Libbey |
1993 | Guilty as Sin | David Greenhill |
1993 | Born Yesterday | Paul Verrall |
1992 | The Grand Opening of Euro Disneyland | Self - Host (US) |
1991 | Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man | Robert Lee Anderson / The Marlboro Man |
1991 | Paradise | Ben Reed |
1990 | The Hot Spot | Harry Madox |
1990 | Seriously... Phil Collins | Self |
1989 | Dead Bang | Jerry Beck |
1989 | Miami Vice: Freefall | Detective James Crockett |
1988 | Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show | Self |
1988 | Sweet Hearts Dance | Wiley Boon |
1988 | Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes | Self |
1987 | Heartbeat | Documentary Filmmaker |
1987 | G.I. Joe: The Movie | Lt. Falcon (voice) |
1985 | Cease Fire | Tim Murphy |
1985 | Live Aid | Self |
1985 | Miami Vice: The Prodigal Son | Detective James Crockett |
1984 | Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper | Det. James “Sonny” Crockett |
1982 | Melanie | Carl |
1981 | Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. | Jacob Gorch |
1981 | Elvis and the Beauty Queen | Elvis Presley |
1981 | The Two Lives of Carol Letner | Bob Howard |
1980 | Revenge of the Stepford Wives | Officer Andy Brady |
1979 | The Rebels | Judson Fletcher |
1979 | Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill | Cowboy |
1978 | Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold | Gunther |
1978 | First, You Cry | Daniel Easton |
1978 | The Two-Five | Charlie Morgan |
1978 | Ski Lift to Death | Mike Sloan |
1977 | The City | Sgt. Brian Scott |
1977 | Cover Girls | Johnny Wilson |
1976 | Law of the Land | Quirt |
1975 | A Boy and His Dog | Vic |
1975 | Return to Macon County | Harley McKay |
1973 | The Harrad Experiment | Stanley Cole |
1971 | Zachariah | Matthew |
1971 | Lollipops and Roses | Frank |
1970 | The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart | Stanley Sweetheart |
Encore |
Year | TV Show | Role |
---|---|---|
2024 | Doctor Odyssey | Captain Robert Massey |
2021 | Kenan | Rick |
2020 | Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Prince Humperdinck |
2019 | Watchmen | Judd Crawford |
2017 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Sir |
2017 | Sick Note | Kenny West |
2015 | Blood & Oil | Hap Briggs |
2014 | From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series | Earl McGraw |
2014 | Late Night with Seth Meyers | Self |
2014 | TripTank | Johnny Bahama (voice) |
2010 | Conan | Self |
2009 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Grandpa Whitey (voice) |
2009 | Eastbound & Down | Eduardo Sanchez |
2009 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Self - Guest |
2007 | The Graham Norton Show | Self - Guest |
2005 | Just Legal | Grant Cooper |
2003 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Self |
2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Self |
2001 | Friday Night with Jonathan Ross | Self |
2001 | Richard & Judy | Self |
1999 | Judging Amy | Defense Attorney |
1997 | Classic Albums | Self (archive footage) |
1996 | Nash Bridges | Nash Bridges |
1995 | MADtv | Self |
1993 | Raw | Self |
1985 | The Long Hot Summer | Ben Quick |
1984 | Miami Vice | Sonny Crockett |
1982 | Matt Houston | Terry Spence |
1982 | Champs-Elysées | Self |
1980 | From Here to Eternity | Jefferson 'Jeff' Davis Prewitt |
1980 | Beulah Land | Bonard Davis |
1979 | Tales of the Unexpected | Reeve Baker |
1977 | Nashville 99 | Mike Watling |
1977 | Eight Is Enough | Doug |
1977 | Big Hawaii | Gandy |
1977 | What Really Happened to the Class of '65? | Edgar |
1975 | Saturday Night Live | Self - Cameo (uncredited) |
1973 | Police Story | Lee Morgan |
1973 | Barnaby Jones | Wayne Lockwood |
1972 | The Streets of San Francisco | Off. Larry Wilson |
1971 | Sarge | Deloy Coopersmith |
1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
1944 | Golden Globe Awards | Self (uncredited) |
1944 | Golden Globe Awards | Self - Nominee |