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 o ... f 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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| Organization | Category | Movie |
|---|
Nash Bridges
as Nash Bridges
Episodes: 122
First Aired: Mar 29, 1996
Miami Vice
as Sonny Crockett
Episodes: 111
First Aired: Sep 16, 1984
Kenan
as Rick
Episodes: 19
First Aired: Feb 16, 2021
Sarge
as Deloy Coopersmith
Episodes: 14
First Aired: Sep 21, 1971
From Here to Eternity
as Jefferson 'Jeff' Davis Prewitt
Episodes: 12
First Aired: Mar 10, 1980
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
as Earl McGraw
Episodes: 10
First Aired: Mar 11, 2014
Blood & Oil
as Hap Briggs
Episodes: 10
First Aired: Sep 27, 2015
Just Legal
as Grant Cooper
Episodes: 9
First Aired: Sep 19, 2005
Doctor Odyssey
as Captain Robert Massey
Episodes: 9
First Aired: Sep 26, 2024
Watchmen
as Judd Crawford
Episodes: 9
First Aired: Oct 20, 2019
Sick Note
as Kenny West
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Nov 07, 2017
Eastbound & Down
as Eduardo Sanchez
Episodes: 5
First Aired: Feb 15, 2009
Beulah Land
as Bonard Davis
Episodes: 3
First Aired: Oct 07, 1980
The Long Hot Summer
as Ben Quick
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Oct 06, 1985
A Series of Unfortunate Events
as Sir
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jan 13, 2017
Judging Amy
as Defense Attorney
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 19, 1999
Tales of the Unexpected
as Reeve Baker
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 24, 1979
The Streets of San Francisco
as Off. Larry Wilson
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 23, 1972
Nashville 99
as Mike Watling
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 01, 1977
Eight Is Enough
as Doug
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 15, 1977
Police Story
as Lee Morgan
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 20, 1973
Matt Houston
as Terry Spence
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 26, 1982
Glenn Martin, DDS
as Grandpa Whitey (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 17, 2009
Big Hawaii
as Gandy
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 21, 1977
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
as Edgar
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 08, 1977
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
as Prince Humperdinck
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 29, 2020
TripTank
as Johnny Bahama (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 02, 2014
Barnaby Jones
as Wayne Lockwood
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 28, 1973
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Jul 16, 2009
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 08, 2003
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 02, 2001
Richard & Judy
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 26, 2001
MADtv
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 14, 1995
Late Night with Seth Meyers
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 25, 2014
Raw
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 11, 1993
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 11, 1975
Classic Albums
as Self (archive footage)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 14, 1997
Champs-Elysées
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 16, 1982
The Graham Norton Show
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 22, 2007
Conan
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 08, 2010
Golden Globe Awards
as Self (uncredited)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 20, 1944
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Winner
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 20, 1944
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 6 | 27 | 37 | 17 |
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| 2025 | 1 | 23 | 39 | 13 |
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| 2025 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 1 |
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Trending Rank
| Year | Month | Avg Rank | Max Rank |
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| 2024 | 6 | 524 | 136 |
| 2025 | 2 | 652 | 437 |
| 2025 | 7 | 514 | 493 |