ACTOR

“You’ve got to know the rules before you can break ’em.
Otherwise, it’s no fun.”
—Sonny Crocket in Miami Vice

Don Johnson is one of the best-known actors of our generation, but many people don’t even realize the Miami Vice star grew up near a tiny town in southwest Missouri.

He has performed in nearly 50 movies and TV shows, and even released a pair of musical albums. He is constantly on the covers of magazines, especially during his edgy days on Miami Vice. And who would have thought that a guy from Flat Creek, Missouri, would start a fashion trend that took the world by storm.

The Early Years

Donnie Wayne Johnson was born on December 15th, 1949 and grew up in the small township of Flat Creek. That is a small cluster of homes near Galena in Stone County not far from Springfield.

His father worked on the family farm in the remote area, trying to make a living for the growing family. Both of his grandfathers were ministers, so it was natural that Don grew up performing in the church. His first taste of the spotlight came by age 5, when he sang solos in front of the congregation.

Don and his family packed up their bags when he was young and moved to Topeka so his father could take a job with an aircraft company. Seven years later, Don was back in Flat Creek after his parents divorced and his father moved back to take care of the farm.

Don left again as a teenager to graduate high school in Wichita in 1967. He enrolled in the theater department at the University of Kansas, but only stayed for two years to train at the San Francisco American Conservatory Theater.

Rise To Fame

Don began performing around San Francisco in a play called Your Own Thing. One night in 1968, the famed actor, Sal Mineo, attended one of the performances and was impressed with Johnson. He told Don that he was producing a play called Fortune and Men’s Eyes and wanted him to read for a part. Don nailed the audition and soon starred in the critically acclaimed show. His reviews were so strong that other producers and directors came calling.

His career was just beginning to explode when he found out about a casting call for a new show, tentatively called Dade County Fast Lane. He read for the part of Sonny Crockett but didn’t hear back from the producers. Johnson decided to take another role in a film, which was also shooting in Florida. After that movie wrapped up, the call finally came where producers asked him to read again for the part, this time with other potential co-stars. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Show Me Success:

Johnson read for the part of Sonny Crocket with several people, including Philip Michael Thomas. When the two did the audition together, producers knew they finally had the right chemistry and the two were paired up as co-stars for the show, which was now being called Miami Vice.

When the show debuted in 1984, it made the 35-year old Missourian an overnight mega-star. He was the hottest actor in Hollywood and he single-handedly changed the way American men dressed. His unique style of flashy linen blazers, pastel shirts, baggie pants, and no socks were a hit.

During his 5-year run with Miami Vice, Johnson also released a pair of albums as well. One of his songs, “Heartbeat,” went all the way to #5 on the Billboard charts. He also won a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination during this stretch in his career, so he was truly on top of the world.

When Miami Vice wrapped up production, he began looking for another challenge in the entertainment industry. He took another role, similar to Sonny Crocket, as the detective Nash Bridges in the show of the same name in 1994.

Nash Bridges lasted until 2001, so he began expanding his resume again. He had a short sting on Just Legal on The WB, followed by a starring role in Guys and Dolls at the West End of London in 2007. That was followed by movies roles like When In Rome and Machete, both released in 2010. As he got into his 60’s, he began to slow down a bit, but not much. He had a supporting role in Django Unchained in 2012, Cold in July in 2014, and Book Club in 2018.

In the meantime, he also expanded his empire and began his own production company. It seems that everything Johnson touched over the past four decades has been a hit, which proves that he is truly one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood.

Extra! Extra!

• Don’s role in A Boy and His Dog earned him the honor of “Best Actor of the Year” by the Academy of Science Fiction and Horror Films.
• He was kicked out of a business class during his senior year of high school, which forced him to take a drama class to graduate.
• Don opened an upscale restaurant in 1999 in San Francisco called Ana Mandara.
• He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.