Don Johnson
After more than a decade of struggling roles, Don Johnson landed Detective Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice in 1984. The stylish NBC series made him an international star and a fashion icon of pastel suits and stubble. He won a Golden Globe in 1986 and parlayed the fame into a singing career and the later hit Nash Bridges.
Missouri to the Stage
Don Johnson was born December 15, 1949, in Flat Creek, Missouri, and grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He studied drama in San Francisco and made his film debut in 1970 after years of theater work.
Miami Vice Stardom
Cast as undercover detective Sonny Crockett in 1984, Johnson became an international star and style icon. The role won him a Golden Globe in 1986 and defined the look of 1980s television.
Beyond Vice
Johnson returned to the cop genre as the lead of Nash Bridges in 1996. He has since enjoyed a steady character-actor career, with notable roles in Machete, HBO's Watchmen, and Knives Out.
Career Timeline
- 1949Born in Flat Creek, Missouri
- 1970Film debut in The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart
- 1984Miami Vice premieres on NBC
- 1986Wins Golden Globe; releases album Heartbeat
- 1989Miami Vice ends its five-season run
- 1996Begins starring in Nash Bridges
- 2001Nash Bridges concludes
- 2010Plays Big Daddy in Machete
- 2017Stars in HBO's Watchmen
- 2019Appears in hit film Knives Out
Biggest Hits
- Johnson's Miami Vice wardrobe of pastel T-shirts under linen blazers became one of the 1980s' defining fashion trends.
- He recorded two albums during his Miami Vice fame; his single 'Heartbeat' reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
Portrait: Peter Kudlacz · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons