Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: Donald Wayne Johnson , دان جانسون , دون جانسون

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Flat Creek, Missouri, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 51

TV Involvements: 22


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

WWE Raw
Average
7

WWE Raw

(1993) Self
Tales of the Unexpected
Average
7

Tales of the Unexpected

(1979) Reeve Baker
Miami Vice
Average
7

Miami Vice

(1984) Sonny Crockett
Judging Amy
Average
8

Judging Amy

(1999) Defense Attorney
Nash Bridges
Average
7

Nash Bridges

(1996) Nash Bridges
Police Story
Average
7

Police Story

(1973) Lee Morgan
Django Unchained
Average
8

Django Unchained

(2012) Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Average
6

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

(2014) Earl McGraw

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2023 Liam
Arthur
T. Wasserman
2022 Ray
2021 Nash Bridges
Rick
2020 Prince Humperdinck
2019 Richard Drysdale
Judd Crawford
Gerry
2018 Chief Lt. Calvert
Arthur
2017 Kenny West
Warden Tuggs
Jay Kirkpatrick
Sir
2015 Hap Briggs
Roger
2014 Jim Bob
Frank
Earl McGraw
Self
2013 Self (archive footage)
2012 Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
2011 Miles Deep
Jerry Keppler
Self (archive footage)
2010 Self
Von Jackson
Beth's Dad
2009 Grandpa Whitey (voice)
Eduardo Sanchez
2008 Nico
Admiral Burnett
Sante Patene
2007 Dante
Self - Guest
2005 Grant Cooper
Self
2004 Self
2003 Benjamin Tyson
Self
Self
2002 Self
2001 Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
1999 Defense Attorney
Ben Dunmore
1997 self
Self (archive footage)
1996 David Simms
Nash Bridges
1995 Self
Sgt. John Libbey
1993 David Greenhill
Paul Verrall
Self
1991 Ben Reed
Robert Lee Anderson / The Marlboro Man
1990 Harry Madox
1989 Jerry Beck
1988 Self
Wiley Boon
Self
1987 Lt. Falcon (voice)
Documentary Filmmaker
1985 Tim Murphy
Ben Quick
Self
1984 Sonny Crockett
Det. James “Sonny” Crockett
1982 Terry Spence
Carl
Self
1981 Bob Howard
Jacob Gorch
Elvis Presley
1980 Officer Andy Brady
Bonard Davis
Jefferson 'Jeff' Davis Prewitt
1979 Judson Fletcher
Reeve Baker
Cowboy
1978 Daniel Easton
Gunther
Charlie Morgan
Mike Sloan
1977 Edgar
Gandy
Johnny Wilson
Mike Watling
Doug
Sgt. Brian Scott
1976 Quirt
1975 Harley McKay
Vic
1973 Stanley Cole
Lee Morgan
1972 Off. Larry Wilson
1971 Deloy Coopersmith
Frank
Matthew
1970 Stanley Sweetheart
1962 Self
N/A
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Year Role Movie/Tv
2021 Executive Producer
1993 Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Year Role Movie/Tv

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
1995 Director
1984 Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Year Role Movie/Tv
1987 Writer
Year Role Movie/Tv

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