Don Johnson

Don Johnson

Born: December 15, 1949
Age: 74
Birthplace: Flat Creek, Missouri, United States
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Biography

Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer, director, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his role as James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice and as the eponymous lead role in the 1990s cop series Nash Bridges. Johnson is a Golden Globe-winning actor for his role in Miami Vice and a winner of the American Power Boat Association Offshore World Cup, and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Early life

Johnson was born on December 15, 1949 in Flat Creek, Missouri. His mother, Nell (née Wilson), was a beautician, and his father, Wayne Fred Johnson, was a farmer. At the time of his birth, they were 19 and 17, respectively. At age six, he moved from Missouri to Wichita, Kansas. A 1967 graduate of South High School, he was involved in the high school's theatre program. As a senior, he played the lead role of Tony in West Side Story. His biography noted that he had previously appeared in "Burnt Cork and Melody" and "The Hullabaloo." He also attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas.

Johnson has spoken about his draft-exempt status and his dislike for war.

Acting

Early years

Johnson studied drama at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. His first major role was in the 1969 Los Angeles stage production of Fortune and Men's Eyes, in which he played Smitty, the lead role. This exposure led to the quickly forgotten film The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart (1970, based on a novel by Robert Westbrook, son of columnist Sheilah Graham). He continued to work on stage, film and television without breaking out into stardom. His notable films from this period were Zachariah (1971), The Harrad Experiment (1973), Lollipop and Roses (1974), and A Boy and His Dog (1975). In 1976, Johnson was roommates with actor Sal Mineo when Mineo was murdered outside their West Hollywood, California apartment.

Miami Vice

From 1984-1989—after years of struggling to establish himself as a TV actor (in such fare as Revenge of the Stepford Wives), and a string of pilots, none of which became a TV series—Johnson landed a starring role as undercover police detective Sonny Crockett in the cop series, Miami Vice. The character typically wore thousand-dollar Versace and Hugo Boss suits over pastel cotton T-shirts, drove a Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona (really a replica kit on a 1981 Corvette chassis), followed by a Ferrari Testarossa and lived on a 40-foot (12 m) (later a 42 -ft) Endeavour yacht with his pet alligator, Elvis. Miami Vice was noted for its revolutionary use of music, cinematography, imagery, and its glitzy take on the police drama genre. In the show, his partner was Ricardo Tubbs, played by Philip Michael Thomas. Between seasons, Johnson gained further renown through several TV miniseries, such as the 1985 TV remake of The Long, Hot Summer.

Nash Bridges

Johnson later starred in the 1996-2001 drama Nash Bridges with Cheech Marin, Jeff Perry, Jaime P. Gomez and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. Johnson played the title role of Nash Bridges, an inspector (Later promoted to Captain) for the San Francisco Police Department. In Nash Bridges Johnson was again paired with a flashy convertible car, this time a Curious Yellow 1971 Plymouth Barracuda.

2000s

In the fall of 2005, he briefly starred in The WB courtroom television drama show Just Legal as a jaded lawyer with a very young and idealistic protégé/partner (Jay Baruchel); the show was canceled in October 2005 after just three episodes aired. In January 2007, Johnson began a run in the West End of London production of Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit.

Johnson also has a role in the Norwegian comedy Lange Flate Ballær 2 ("Long Flat Balls II"), directed by Johnson's friend Harald Zwart. Johnson did the movie as a favour to Zwart. The movie was launched March 14, 2008 in Norway, with Johnson making an appearance at the premiere. He next appeared in When in Rome with Danny DeVito, Anjelica Huston and Kristen Bell.

2010s

Johnson and Jon Heder co-hosted WWE's Raw on January 18, 2010.

Johnson had a supporting role in Robert Rodriguez's film, Machete. Johnson played Von Jackson, "a twisted border vigilante leading a small army." The film was released on September 3, 2010.

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 where the NBA player contemplates acting and appears alongside Johnson on Miami Vice.

In September 2011, Johnson had a cameo in the comedy A Good Old Fashioned Orgy with Jason Sudeikis.

Johnson had a supporting role in the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained, playing a southern plantation owner named Spencer 'Big Daddy' Bennett.

In 2015, Johnson began starring in the ABC prime time soap opera, Blood & Oil.

Music

Johnson released two albums of pop music in the 1980s, one in 1986 and the other in 1989. His single, "Heartbeat", reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was the title track from his first album, and was a collaboration with Robert Tepper. Johnson is also a good friend of Willie Nelson and Robert Tepper, and was briefly a part of the "Thailand Pack", alongside Tommy Morrison, and British TV funny man Les Dennis. Previously, Johnson worked with Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, co-writing the songs "Blind Love" and "Can't Take It with You" with Dickie Betts, which appeared on their 1979 album, Enlightened Rogues. B.B. King and Jules Taub co-wrote the song "Blind Love", the Allman's covered it. There is no writer's credit to confirm he co-wrote "Can't Take It with You". "Till I Loved You" was the title track (a Top 40 hit in the Billboard Hot 100) of a studio album released on October 25, 1988 on Columbia Records. The song was a duet with then girl-friend, Barbra Streisand. The song was re-released on the Streisand album "Duets" in 2002.

Personal life

Relationships and family

Johnson has had four wives in five marriages, three of which were brief. His first two marriages were annulled within a matter of days. The names of Johnson's first two wives have not been made public knowledge, though they were said to have been a dancer and a "rich bimbo." In the early 1970s, Johnson lived with groupie Pamela Des Barres. During the first half of 1972, he met Melanie Griffith, the 14-year-old daughter of his Harrad Experiment co-star Tippi Hedren. When Griffith was 15, she and Johnson began living together in a rented house in Laurel Canyon. On her 18th birthday they became engaged, and were married in January 1976; they filed for divorce that July. They reunited and conceived a daughter close to the start of 1989, Dakota Johnson (born October 4, 1989) and were married again from that year until 1996.

In 1980, he dated Sally Adams (then using the aka Sally Savalas), mother of actress Nicollette Sheridan. Cybill Shepherd has written of a liaison with Johnson in her autobiography.

Johnson lived with actress Patti D'Arbanville from 1981 to 1988. The couple has a son, Jesse Wayne Johnson (born December 7, 1982). A 1989 description of the couple's life in the 1980s said,

...n Jan. 17, 1981, ... D'Arbanville ... met Johnson at an L.A. restaurant. "I saw this gorgeous guy," she says, "and I ran after him. saying, 'Hey you.' It turned out to be Donny. I said, 'So, Donny, how many times have you been married?' He said, 'Three.' I said, 'Say hello to No. 4.'...." Johnson ditched his date, Tanya Tucker, and spent the night with Patti. "One month later," she says, "I was pregnant." The couple planned to marry that fall, but D'Arbanville changed her mind. "I didn't see the point," she says. "Besides, there were areas in which we didn't get along." Drinking was one of them. Shortly after becoming pregnant, Patti sobered up. "Donny didn't," she says " we grew further apart." ... Johnson eventually stopped drinking with D'Arbanville's help.... Miami Vice took Johnson to Florida in 1984, and the couple split a year later....

Johnson next had a relationship with Barbra Streisand, lasting into at least September 1988. In 1995-1996 Johnson was briefly engaged to Jodi Lyn O'Keefe who played his daughter on Nash Bridges.

On April 29, 1999, he married San Francisco socialite and Montessori nursery school teacher Kelley Phleger, then 30, at the Pacific Heights mansion of Ann and Gordon Getty. Actor Robert Wagner served as best man, and Mayor Willie Brown presided over the civil ceremony. Johnson and Phleger have three children together: a daughter, Atherton Grace Johnson (born December 28, 1999), and two sons, Jasper Breckinridge Johnson (born June 6, 2002), and Deacon Johnson (born April 29, 2006).

Legal problems

In November 2002, German customs officers at the Swiss-German border performed a routine search of Johnson's car. Bank statements evidencing US$8 billion in transactions were found in the trunk of his car. He was accompanied in his black Mercedes-Benz by three men: an investment adviser, a personal assistant, and a third of unknown identity. Initially it was thought Johnson was involved in money laundering, but he was cleared of wrongdoing.

In May 2008, Johnson came within hours of losing his Woody Creek, Colorado home to foreclosure; he paid off his $14.5 million debts less than 24 hours before a scheduled auction of the property.

In July 2010, a Los Angeles jury awarded Johnson $23.2 million in a lawsuit against production company Rysher Entertainment, from whom Johnson sought a share of profits commensurate with his ownership of half the copyright of Nash Bridges. Rysher announced it would appeal the verdict. In January 2013, after recalculating interest and avoiding an additional appeal, Rysher paid Johnson $19 million to end the lawsuit.

Reception

Awards and recognitions

Year Result Award Category TV/Film
1975 Winner Saturn Award Best Actor A Boy and His Dog
1985 Nominated Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Miami Vice
1986 Winner Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
1987 Nominated Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
1988 Won APBA Offshore World Cup Superboat class
1996 Awarded Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart Stanley Sweetheart
1971 Zachariah Matthew
1973 Harrad Experiment, TheThe Harrad Experiment Stanley Cole
1974 Lollipops, Roses and Talangka Franky
1975 A Boy and His Dog Vic
1975 Return to Macon County Harley McKay
1976 Law of the Land Quirt Television film
1977 The City Sergeant Brian Scott Television pilot film
1977 Cover Girls Johnny Wilson Television film
1978 Swan Lake Benno English version voice
1978 Pressure Point Television film
1978 Ski Lift to Death Mike Sloan Television film
1978 The Two-Five Charlie Morgan Television film
1978 Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold Gunther Television film
1978 First, You Cry Daniel Easton Television film
1979 Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill Cowboy Television film
1979 The Rebels Judson Fletcher Miniseries
1980 Beulah Land Bonard Davis Miniseries
1980 Revenge of the Stepford Wives Officer Andy Brady Television film
1981 Elvis and the Beauty Queen Elvis Presley Television film
1981 The Two Lives of Carol Letner Bob Howard Television film
1981 Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Jacob Gorch
1982 Melanie Carl
1982 Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Wazir's Son English version voice
1983 Six Pack Brewster Baker Television pilot film
1985 Cease Fire Tim Murphy
1985 The Long Hot Summer Ben Quick Television film
1987 G.I. Joe: The Movie Lieutenant Vincent R. Falcone/Lt. Falcon
1988 Sweet Hearts Dance Wiley Boon
1989 Dead Bang Jerry Beck
1990 The Hot Spot Harry Madox
1990 Seriously...Phil Collins Himself Television film
1991 Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man Robert Anderson/The Marlboro Man
1991 Paradise Ben Reed
1993 Born Yesterday Paul Verrall
1993 Guilty as Sin David Edgar Greenhill
1995 In Pursuit of Honor Sgt. John Libbey Television film
1996 Tin Cup David Simms
1998 Goodbye Lover Ben Dunmore
2003 Word of Honor Lt. Benjamin Tyson Television film
Co-executive producer
2007 Moondance Alexander Dante Longpre
2007 Bastardi Sante Patene
2008 Long Flat Balls II Admiral Burnett
2008 Torno a vivere da solo Nico
2010 When in Rome Mr. Martin Uncredited
2010 Machete Lt. Von Jackson
2010 Southern Discomfort Television pilot film
2011 A Mann's World Allan Mann Television pilot film
2011 Four Loko Vineyards Mr. Four Loko Online short film
2011 A Good Old Fashioned Orgy Jerry Keppler Uncredited
2011 Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Miles Deep
2012 Django Unchained Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett
2014 Cold in July Jim Bob Luke
2014 The Other Woman Frank Whitten
2015 Alex of Venice Roger

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1971 Serge Deloy Coopersmith 1 episode
1972 Young Dr. Kildare Ted Thatcher 1 episode
1972 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Ev Howard 1 episode
1973 Kung Fu Nashebo 1 episode
1974 The Rookies Al Devering 1 episode
1976 The Streets of San Francisco Officer Larry Wilson 1 episode
1976 Barnaby Jones Wayne Lockwood 1 episode
1977 Nashville 99 Mike Watling 1 episode
1977 Eight is Enough Doug 1 episode
1977 Big Hawaii Gandy 1 episode
1977 Police Story Lee Morgan 1 episode
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Edgar 1 episode
1978 The American Girls Everett Simms 1 episode
1980 From Here to Eternity Private Jefferson "Jeff" Davis Prewitt 13 episodes
1982 Matt Houston Terry Spence 1 episode
1984-1989 Miami Vice Detective James "Sonny" Crockett 111 Episodes
1985 Tales of the Unexpected Reeve Baker 1 episode
1988; 2015 Saturday Night Live Himself 2 episodes
1996-2001 Nash Bridges Inspector/Captain Nash Bridges 122 episodes
Executive producer
2005-2006 Just Legal Grant H. Cooper 8 episodes
2010 WWE Raw Himself 1 episode
2010-2011 Glenn Martin, DDS Grandpa Whitey 4 episodes
2010-2012 Eastbound & Down Eduardo Sanchez Powers 5 episodes
2014 From Dusk till Dawn: The Series Sheriff Earl McGraw 4 episodes
2015 Blood & Oil Hap Briggs

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
AUT
FIN
FRA
GER
NL
NOR
SWE
SWI
Heartbeat
  • Release date: November 11, 1986
  • Label: Epic Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
17 3 5 3 20 7 34 7
Let It Roll
  • Release date: September 20, 1989
  • Label: Epic Records
  • Formats: CD, cassette
23 17 15 2 19 35 6
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

Title Details
The Essential
  • Release date: January 20, 1997
  • Label: Sony Music Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, cassette

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
US
AUT
FIN
FRA
GER
NL
NOR
SWE
SWI
UK
1986 "Heartbeat" 5 3 4 6 10 5 16 6 46 Heartbeat
"Heartache Away" 56 22 31 25
1987 "Voice on a Hotline" 59
1989 "Tell It Like It Is" 13 6 2 6 6 84 Let It Roll
"Other People's Lives" 46 57 53
"A Better Place"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Featured singles

Year Single Artist Peak chart positions Album
US
AUS
FRA
GER
NL
UK
1988 "Till I Loved You" Barbra Streisand 25 34 22 26 4 16 Till I Loved You

Videography

  • 1987: Heartbeat -

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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