Don Johnson

Acting

Personal Info

gender

Male

birthday

December 15, 1949 (76 yrs)

place of birth

Flat Creek, Missouri, USA

also known as

Donald Wayne Johnson · دان جانسون · دون جانسون

total credits

50 movies

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.

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Known For

Filmography

50 credits · sorted by popularity · swipe or use arrows

Django Unchained
8.2

Django Unchained

2012as Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
Knives Out
7.8

Knives Out

2019as Richard Drysdale
The Hot Spot
6.3

The Hot Spot

1990as Harry Madox
The Other Woman
6.4

The Other Woman

2014as Frank
Machete
6.3

Machete

2010as Von Jackson
Rebel Ridge
7.0

Rebel Ridge

2024as Chief Sandy Burnne
Brawl in Cell Block 99
7.0

Brawl in Cell Block 99

2017as Warden Tuggs
Tin Cup
6.1

Tin Cup

1996as David Simms
Vengeance: A Love Story
5.6

Vengeance: A Love Story

2017as Jay Kirkpatrick
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
6.3

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

1991as Robert Lee Anderson / The Marlboro Man
Dragged Across Concrete
6.6

Dragged Across Concrete

2019as Chief Lt. Calvert
Cold in July
6.5

Cold in July

2014as Jim Bob
When in Rome
5.9

When in Rome

2010as Beth's Dad
Book Club
6.2

Book Club

2018as Arthur
Live Aid
7.9

Live Aid

1985as Self
A Boy and His Dog
6.3

A Boy and His Dog

1975as Vic
Book Club: The Next Chapter
6.2

Book Club: The Next Chapter

2023as Arthur
The Collective
5.6

The Collective

2023as Liam
High Heat
5.6

High Heat

2022as Ray
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
5.9

A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

2011as Jerry Keppler (uncredited)
Dead Bang
6.4

Dead Bang

1989as Jerry Beck
G.I. Joe: The Movie
6.5

G.I. Joe: The Movie

1987as Lt. Falcon (voice)
Goodbye Lover
5.7

Goodbye Lover

1999as Ben Dunmore
Unit 234
6.3

Unit 234

2024as Jules
Alex of Venice
5.9

Alex of Venice

2015as Roger
Born Yesterday
5.3

Born Yesterday

1993as Paul Verrall
Vault
5.6

Vault

2019as Gerry
A Little White Lie
5.7

A Little White Lie

2023as T. Wasserman
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
10.0

NBC 75th Anniversary Special

2002as Self
Guilty as Sin
5.7

Guilty as Sin

1993as David Greenhill
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
4.3

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star

2011as Miles Deep
Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy
5.9

Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

2001as Self (archive footage)
Word of Honor
7.1

Word of Honor

2003as Benjamin Tyson
Paradise
6.2

Paradise

1991as Ben Reed
Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill
6.0

Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill

1979as Cowboy
In Pursuit of Honor
5.9

In Pursuit of Honor

1995as Sgt. John Libbey
The City
6.1

The City

1977as Sgt. Brian Scott
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
7.7

Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper

1984as Det. James “Sonny” Crockett
Heartbeat
7.0

Heartbeat

1987as Documentary Filmmaker
Seriously... Phil Collins
8.0

Seriously... Phil Collins

1990as Self
The Harrad Experiment
3.7

The Harrad Experiment

1973as Stanley Cole
Nash Bridges
5.6

Nash Bridges

2021as Nash Bridges
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
5.1

Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.

1981as Jacob Gorch
Moondance Alexander
6.0

Moondance Alexander

2007as Dante
Commitment to Life

Commitment to Life

2023as Self (archive footage)
Cease Fire
6.5

Cease Fire

1985as Tim Murphy
Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold
4.6

Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold

1978as Gunther
Blood of 1000 Virgins
5.4

Blood of 1000 Virgins

2013as Self (archive footage)
The Two-Five
9.0

The Two-Five

1978as Charlie Morgan
Elvis and the Beauty Queen
3.9

Elvis and the Beauty Queen

1981as Elvis Presley