Don Johnson
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Dec 15, 1949 (age 76)
- Place of birth
- Flat Creek, Missouri, USA
- Credits
- 129
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.
Known for
Filmography
Soap Fever
2026Movie
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America
2026TV
Doc Holliday
Doctor Odyssey
2024TV
Captain Robert Massey
Unit 234
2024Movie
Jules
Rebel Ridge
2024Movie
Chief Sandy Burnne
The Collective
2023Movie
Liam
Book Club: The Next Chapter
2023Movie
Arthur
A Little White Lie
2023Movie
T. Wasserman
Commitment to Life
2023Movie
Self (archive footage)
High Heat
2022Movie
Ray
Nash Bridges
2021Movie
Nash Bridges
Kenan
2021TV
Rick
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
2020TV
Prince Humperdinck
Knives Out
2019Movie
Richard Drysdale
Watchmen
2019TV
Judd Crawford
Vault
2019Movie
Gerry
Dragged Across Concrete
2019Movie
Chief Lt. Calvert
Book Club
2018Movie
Arthur
Sick Note
2017TV
Kenny West
Brawl in Cell Block 99
2017Movie
Warden Tuggs
Vengeance: A Love Story
2017Movie
Jay Kirkpatrick
A Series of Unfortunate Events
2017TV
Sir
Andy Warhol, Fluorescent
2016Movie
(archive footage)
Blood & Oil
2015TV
Hap Briggs
Alex of Venice
2015Movie
Roger
Cold in July
2014Movie
Jim Bob
The Other Woman
2014Movie
Frank
TripTank
2014TV
Johnny Bahama (voice)
From Dusk Till Dawn: Making the First Season
2014Movie
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
2014TV
Earl McGraw
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014TV
Self, Self - Guest
Blood of 1000 Virgins
2013Movie
Self (archive footage)
Django Unchained
2012Movie
Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
2011Movie
Miles Deep
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
2011Movie
Jerry Keppler (uncredited)
WWE: DX: One Last Stand
2011Movie
Self (archive footage)
Conan
2010TV
Self
Machete
2010Movie
Von Jackson
When in Rome
2010Movie
Beth's Dad
Glenn Martin, DDS
2009TV
Grandpa Whitey (voice)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009TV
Self - Guest
Eastbound & Down
2009TV
Eduardo Sanchez
Torno a vivere da solo
2008Movie
Nico
Long Flat Balls II
2008Movie
Admiral Burnett
Bastardi
2008Movie
Sante Patene'
Moondance Alexander
2007Movie
Dante
The Graham Norton Show
2007TV
Self - Guest
Just Legal
2005TV
Grant Cooper
Pennis from Heaven
2005Movie
Self
Larry presents: Best of The 80s
2004Movie
Self
Word of Honor
2003Movie
Benjamin Tyson
Prachtig 80: Volume 2
2003Movie
Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003TV
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003TV
Self - Guest
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002Movie
Self
Richard & Judy
2001TV
Self
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001TV
Self
Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy
2001Movie
Self (archive footage)
Judging Amy
1999TV
Defense Attorney
Goodbye Lover
1999Movie
Ben Dunmore
Classic Albums
1997TV
Self (archive footage)
Tin Cup
1996Movie
David Simms
Nash Bridges
1996TV
Nash Bridges
MADtv
1995TV
Self
In Pursuit of Honor
1995Movie
Sgt. John Libbey
Guilty as Sin
1993Movie
David Greenhill
Born Yesterday
1993Movie
Paul Verrall
Raw
1993TV
Self
The Grand Opening of Euro Disneyland
1992Movie
Self - Host (US)
Paradise
1991Movie
Ben Reed
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
1991Movie
Robert Lee Anderson / The Marlboro Man
The Hot Spot
1990Movie
Harry Madox
Seriously... Phil Collins
1990Movie
Self
The Word
1990TV
Miami Vice: Freefall
1989Movie
Det. James “Sonny” Crockett
Dead Bang
1989Movie
Jerry Beck
Clive James' Postcard from
1989TV
Self
Bob Hope's Jolly Christmas Show
1988Movie
Self
Sweet Hearts Dance
1988Movie
Wiley Boon
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988TV
Self - Guest
Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes
1988Movie
Self
G.I. Joe: The Movie
1987Movie
Lt. Falcon (voice)
Heartbeat
1987Movie
Documentary Filmmaker
Cease Fire
1985Movie
Tim Murphy
The Long Hot Summer
1985TV
Ben Quick
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1985Movie
Live Aid
1985Movie
Self
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
1984Movie
Det. James “Sonny” Crockett
Miami Vice
1984TV
Sonny Crockett
Matt Houston
1982TV
Terry Spence
Melanie
1982Movie
Carl
Champs-Elysées
1982TV
Self
The Two Lives of Carol Letner
1981Movie
Bob Howard
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
1981Movie
Jacob Gorch
Elvis and the Beauty Queen
1981Movie
Elvis Presley
Elvis and The Beauty Queen
1981TV
Elvis Presley
Revenge of the Stepford Wives
1980Movie
Officer Andy Brady
Beulah Land
1980TV
Bonard Davis
From Here to Eternity
1980TV
Jefferson 'Jeff' Davis Prewitt
The Rebels
1979TV
Judson Fletcher
Tales of the Unexpected
1979TV
Reeve Baker
Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill
1979Movie
Cowboy
First, You Cry
1978Movie
Daniel Easton
Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold
1978Movie
Gunther
The Two-Five
1978Movie
Charlie Morgan
Ski Lift to Death
1978Movie
Mike Sloan
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1977TV
Edgar
Big Hawaii
1977TV
Gandy
Cover Girls
1977Movie
Johnny Wilson
Nashville 99
1977TV
Mike Watling
Eight Is Enough
1977TV
Doug
The City
1977Movie
Sgt. Brian Scott
Law of the Land
1976Movie
Quirt
Saturday Night Live
1975TV
Self - Cameo (uncredited), Self (uncredited)
Return to Macon County
1975Movie
Harley McKay
A Boy and His Dog
1975Movie
Vic
People's Choice Awards
1975TV
Self - Host
The Harrad Experiment
1973Movie
Stanley Cole
Police Story
1973TV
Lee Morgan
Barnaby Jones
1973TV
Wayne Lockwood
The Streets of San Francisco
1972TV
Off. Larry Wilson
Lollipops and Roses
1971Movie
Frank
Zachariah
1971Movie
Matthew
The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart
1970Movie
Stanley Sweetheart
Fortune and Men's Eyes
1969Movie
Smitty
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962TV
Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944TV
Self (uncredited), Self - Nominee
Southern Discomfort
TV
Bob Dobson
Encore
Movie