Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer, director, singer, and songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice, winning a Golden Globe for his work in the role. He also had the eponymous lead role in the 1990s cop series Nash Bridges. He has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Johnson was the American Power Boat Association's 1988 World Champion of the Offshore World Cup.
Donnie Wayne Johnson was born December 15, 1949, in Flat Creek, Missouri, to Nell (née Wilson), a beautician, and Wayne Fred Johnson, who was a farmer. At the time of his birth, Johnson's mother and father were 17 and 19 years old, respectively. Johnson was raised in poverty in Wichita, Kansas, where his parents relocated when he was six years old.
He graduated from Wichita South High School, where he was involved in the high school's theater 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." After graduating from high school in 1967, he enrolled at the University of Kansas as a theater major, but dropped out after one year. He subsequently relocated to San Francisco, California to attend the American Conservatory Theater.