Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born Donnie Wayne Johnson on December 15, 1949, in Flat Creek, Missouri, Don Johnson is currently 75 years old as of June 2025. He was raised in Wichita, Kansas, by his mother Nell (a beautician) and father Freddie Wayne Johnson (a farmer), alongside his three siblings and a half-sister. Johnson’s early years were marked by poverty, but he found solace and passion in acting and music.
Johnson’s breakthrough came with the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the hit NBC series Miami Vice (1984–1990), which made him a household name. He has since appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including Tin Cup, Django Unchained, Knives Out, Nash Bridges, and more. His official Wikipedia page provides a comprehensive overview of his life and accomplishments.
| Occupation | Voice Actors |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 15 December 1949 |
| Age | 75 Years |
| Birth Place | Flat Creek, Missouri, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm)
- Weight: Approximately 170 lbs (77 kg)
- Eye Color: Blue
Note: These physical measurements are based on publicly available information and may vary slightly across sources.
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches |
| Weight | 170 lbs |
| Body Measurements | |
| Eye Color | |
| Hair Color |
Dating & Relationship Status
Don Johnson has been married three times:
- Melanie Griffith (1976; divorced the same year)
- Melanie Griffith (remarried in 1989; divorced in 1994)
- Kelley Phleger (married since 1999)
His mother, Nell (née Wilson), was a beautician. His father, Fredie Wayne Johnson, was a farmer. At the time of his birth, Johnson's mother and father were 16 and 19 years old, respectively. Johnson was raised in Wichita, Kansas, where his parents relocated when he was five years old and where his father worked for Boeing Aircraft. He has described his childhood as "incredibly dysfunctional and abusive" as his parents were both frequently absent and stressed. His father subjected the children to corporal punishment. According to Johnson, he was 12 years old when he lost his virginity to his 16-year-old babysitter. Johnson's parents divorced when he was 12. He continued to live with his mother, younger sister and two younger brothers until he was 13, at which time he ended up in juvenile court and was sent to live with his father in Missouri.
In the early 1990s, Johnson played a variety of roles in well-produced films, including the role of drifter and car salesman Harry Maddox in Dennis Hopper's The Hot Spot (1990) opposite Jennifer Connelly and Virginia Madsen. He worked on two films with his wife Melanie Griffith, Paradise (1991) and Born Yesterday (1993). He appeared alongside Mickey Rourke in Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), and in Sidney Lumet's thriller Guilty as Sin (1993), opposite Rebecca De Mornay.
Johnson 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. Johnson portrayed the title role, an inspector (later promoted to captain) for the San Francisco Police Department. In Nash Bridges, Johnson was again paired with a flashy convertible car, a yellow 1971 Plymouth Barracuda.
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 in which the NBA player contemplates acting and appears alongside Johnson on Miami Vice.
"Till I Loved You", a duet with then-girlfriend Barbra Streisand, was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It was released on the Columbia Records studio album Till I Loved You on October 25, 1988. The song was re-released on the Streisand album Duets in 2002.
On April 29, 1999, Johnson married San Francisco socialite and Montessori nursery school teacher Kelley Phleger, former longtime girlfriend of Governor Gavin Newsom, 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 (born December 28, 1999), and two sons, Jasper Breckinridge (born June 6, 2002), and Deacon (born April 29, 2006).
| Parents | |
| Husband | Melanie Griffith (m. 1976-1976) (m. 1989-1996) Kelley Phleger (m. 1999) |
| Sibling | |
| Children |
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth (2025): $50 million
- Salary Highlights:
- Nash Bridges (1996–2001): $150,000 per episode
- Additional earnings from film roles, music, and production work
Johnson’s wealth is attributed to his long-running acting career, music endeavors—including two albums, Heartbeat (gold-certified) and Let It Roll—and his work as a producer and director.
Between seasons on Miami Vice, Johnson gained further renown through the TV miniseries The Long Hot Summer (1985), a remake of the 1958 film. During the time he was on Miami Vice, he had set up an hour-long music video/pay cable program with videocassette versions of the programs Johnson had hosted being handled by distributor CBS/Fox Video. The project was a tie-in to his first album Heartbeat, which was released by CBS/Epic Records in 1986.
Career, Business, and Investments
Acting Career:
Johnson’s career spans iconic roles in Miami Vice, Nash Bridges, Tin Cup, Django Unchained, Knives Out, and more. He remains active in the industry, with recent projects including Doctor Odyssey and Rebel Ridge.
Music Career:
He released two albums in the 1980s, with “Heartbeat” reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning gold certification.
In November 2002, German customs officers at the SwissGerman 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 unknown individual who could not be identified. Initially it was thought Johnson was involved in money laundering, but he was cleared of wrongdoing.
Social Network
Don Johnson maintains a low profile on social media. While he is not highly active on platforms like Instagram or Twitter, he occasionally makes public appearances and interviews. His presence is felt more through his work and industry events.
He moved back home to Wichita for his senior year of high school, working part-time as a butcher's apprentice and ladies' shoe salesman. He attended Wichita South High School, from which he graduated in 1967. When he was kicked off the school's football team, Johnson enrolled in a drama class to earn enough credits to graduate. Encouraged by his teacher, he played the lead role of Tony in West Side Story. He was also exposed to the plays of Molière, Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare. During his last semester, he auditioned for the summer repertory program at the University of Kansas and won a partial scholarship. He was subsequently awarded a full scholarship to attend as a drama major. There, Johnson, 18, dated his 29-year-old acting teacher. In his sophomore year, he left to San Francisco after passing an audition for the American Conservatory Theater.
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, Rysher settled the suit with a $19 million payment.
* Latham, Caroline. Miami Magic: Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, the Inside Story of the Stars of 'Miami Vice' [and of their other television and film work]. New York: Zebra Books, 1985. N.B.: The subtitle given, lacking on the t.p., is from the pbk. book's front cover. ISBN 0-8217-1800-2
Education
- High School: Wichita South High School (graduated 1967)
- College: University of Kansas (dropped out after one year as a theater major)
- Further Training: Studied at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco
