At 74, Don Johnson Poses Next To 21-Year-Old Son Who Fans Say Is Just As ‘Handsome’ As Him

Oct 04, 2023

Don Johnson is best known for playing James "Sonny" Crockett on the hit television show "Miami Vice" during the 1980s. He even won a Golden Globe Award for the role. Don also played the lead role of Nash Bridges in the TV series of the same name. The show aired during the 1990s and gained Don significant attention. He also has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Don's career is still doing well today as he had a recurring role on the HBO comedy series "Eastbound and Down." In 2019, Don was part of the ensemble cast in the murder-mystery film "Knives Out," which opened to a huge box office and critical success. He also appeared in 2023’s “Book Club: The Next Chapter.” It's clear that Don has longevity as an actor as he has continued to make many successful films following his breakthrough to fame several decades ago.

As a household name in the 1980s and 1990s, Don was recognized as a heartthrob. However, his life behind the scenes wasn't always as glamorous. Despite having such a successful career, the actor has faced many trials in his life, which at times drew his attention away from his family, such as legal issues, drug addiction, and failed marriages.

Behind the glamour of the entertainment world, Don persisted and began focusing on his family life. He is the father of five children, some of whom have even gone on to become actors themselves. Read on to find out more about Don's blended family and his grown son, who created a buzz on social media after a picture of him was shared.

Don was born in Flat Creek, Missouri, on Dec.15, 1949. His father was a farmer named Wayne Fred Johnson, and his mother was Nell Wilson, a beautician. His family relocated to Wichita, Kansas, when he was 6 years old. Don has spoken openly about growing up poor and in a challenging household.

Don spoke about wanting to provide a better life for his children than he had experienced in his own childhood. Speaking to The Guardian about his childhood, he said: 

"I had a horrible childhood, horrible. I had the quinella: abuse and parents who divorced when I was 12-years-old and I was the oldest. I really was unhappy, and I left home at 16." 

Leaving home so young must have been very hard on Don. He graduated from Wichita South High School, where he was involved in the theater program. He briefly attended the University of Kansas as a theater major but left to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco instead. Don's first major role was in the Los Angeles stage production of "Fortune and Men's Eyes," playing the role of Smitty, which gained him positive attention and led to several roles in the 1970s until he landed his biggest break. 

Don starred in "Miami Vice" in 1984. The show went on for five seasons, ending in 1990. The popular series is about two undercover detectives working in Miami. The show drew in popularity with its inclusion of stylized visuals and contemporary pop and rock music. 

Rolling Stone said about Don's role:

"No one had more swagger in the Reagan era than Don Johnson. As Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett, the undercover detective and professional stubble-cultivator who lived on a houseboat with his pet alligator Elvis, he embodied masculine cool in the era of coke binges and Lamborghinis."

After "Miami Vice," Don went on to star in another police drama, "Nash Bridges." He played the title role opposite Cheech Marin. The show was on the air from 1996 to 2001 on CBS. In the show, Don portrays an inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, who is later promoted to captain. The show launched Don further into fame and solidified him as a household name.

Following the success of "Nash Bridges," Don went on to be featured in a long list of films and television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2010, he had a supporting role in the film "Machete" starring Danny Trejo, in which he acted alongside his previous co-star Marin and opposite acting giant Robert DeNiro.

According to an interview with Esquire, "Machete" gained Don the attention of Quentin Tarantino, who enjoyed his performance and wanted him for his 2012 production, "Django Unchained." 

Don spoke with The Guardian about his acting in general. Speaking about himself as an actor, Don said, "I always felt confident about my skills and my ability. I had to overcome some physical attributes that, on the surface, you would think would be an asset, because I happened to be a very attractive young man." Many women would agree with his last statement.

He elaborated on this idea that his good looks were sometimes a hindrance:

"I was sort of androgynous at a time when androgynous was not necessarily the thing. I was young, skinny as a rail and had long hair and my features… I was kind of a pretty boy. That's not the way I felt about myself, but it was the thing I had to overcome to be taken seriously."

However, while Don's career has been filled with success, his personal life faced some challenges.

Don has been married five times to four different women. His first two marriages have remained pretty under the radar as they were annulled within just a few days.

In 1972, Don met fellow actress Melanie Griffith, the daughter of the movie icon Tippi Hedren. Griffith and Don moved in together when Griffith was only 15 years old, and the pair got engaged when she turned 18. They were married in January 1976 but divorced by the end of the year. However, they reunited in 1989 and married again before divorcing again in 1996. They also had one daughter together named Dakota Johnson.

Prior to his reconciliation with Griffith, Don dated Patti D'Arbanville and had one son with her named Jesse Johnson. In April 1999, just a few years after he divorced Griffith, Don got married for the fifth time to Kelley Phleger. Together, they have three children: Grace, Jasper and Deacon Johnson.

Having been married multiple times and dated several women, one would have forgiven Don if he felt he was never going to settle down with a woman for many years. The actor was used to the noisy and vices-filled Miami nightlife and was having so much fun with different women. However, once he met Phleger, she made a lasting impression on him. 

Before meeting Phleger, Don was out of ideas as he had looked for happiness in the wrong places. However, all that changed when he attended the then-Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown's birthday party. Phleger, a socialite, attended the same party and caught Don's attention so much that he knew he wanted to marry her. 

Don grew closer to Phleger over the next few months. He eventually proposed, and the lovebirds tied the knot on April 29, 1999.

In a chat with Independent.ie, Don opened up about why he married Phleger. He revealed: 

"I had a rare moment of clarity and asked this woman to marry me, and I still think that she's under a spell. And so I beg of you not to snap your fingers, because God knows what will happen if she ever comes to."

According to Closer Weekly, Don has been a "doting, involved dad" with his three youngest children. Grace is now a model signed with IMG Models, and is also working as an actress. 

While Don's bond with all his kids is hard to deny, he seemingly has a closer relationship with Grace. The supermodel never shies away from flaunting her elegant figure and has posted several snaps doing so. 

On March 1, 2023, the beautiful diva proudly displayed her hourglass figure in a photo that showed her lying down on the beach and donning a black two-piece bikini. She captioned the post, "Mid heat rash." 

Don also takes his time to gush about his lovely daughter. On Dec. 28, 2022, he celebrated her 23rd birthday by sharing a cute throwback picture of her as a little girl putting on her shoe. He captioned the post: 

"Puttin' on her party shoes! Happy birthday to my Gracie Girl 🎂 love you so much, Dad ❤️."

Jasper, who is still just a teenager, has yet to enter the entertainment industry but has shown that he's an avid sports fan and athlete. Don frequently shares videos of him attending Jasper's sporting events. Similarly, Deacon is also just a teenager and hasn't shared much of his life with the public. However, Don has uploaded pictures and videos of his youngest son attending sporting events together.

Don’s oldest two children have worked hard to make names for themselves and have been thriving in the acting industry. Jesse, Don’s son, has carved his own niche in the entertainment world with appearances in television shows popular among various age groups, such as "Grey’s Anatomy," "From Dusk till Dawn: The Series" and "NCIS." Although some of the projects he's been involved in have received negative reviews, Jesse has also received some praise from critics for his performances as an actor.

Dakota is undoubtedly the most famous of the Johnson bunch. She has worked as a model, producer and actress. Dakota made her film debut at the age of 10 with a small role in "Crazy in Alabama." As she grew older, she went on to find more supporting roles and even appeared in "21 Jump Street." However, Dakota is most famous for her role as Anastasia Steele in the "Fifty Shades" film series. Her work in the films even earned her a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination in 2016.

Speaking with Access in 2019, Don talked about how grateful he is for his big, eccentric family. 

"We are a very artistic and hot-blooded and volatile and fun and challenging family," he said. 

The family even has a fun holiday tradition that involves pranking one another in a light-hearted manner. 

“I love being with my kids and I have a lot of them, so I kind of just make the rounds. I'm a very simple guy, I like to walk, I like nature and all of that stuff, and I love hanging out with my beautiful wife,” he told People. 

He also told Closer in 2019, “I don’t have any vices… except my children.”

It's clear that this family loves and supports each other in all of their professional and personal endeavors and that Don adores his children.

Fans recently turned their attention to Don’s son, Jasper, who stayed away from the public eye while growing up. Unlike his elder siblings, the 21-year-old has not shown much interest in following in his father’s footsteps in show business. Instead, he is an excellent basketball player. 

Although the schools he attended are unknown as he lives a private life, he played for the West Coast Elite Under Armour team and his team, Santa Barbara High. He also played collegiate basketball. Meanwhile, Don is a proud father who often posts about his son’s games on social media. 

The father-son duo have also been spotted at games together. According to Closer Weekly, the two attend professional sporting events together. Besides his love for sports, Jasper has also expressed interest in pursuing a career in business.

Jasper became the cynosure of eyes on Sept. 12, 2023, when his mom, Phleger, posted a picture of the family. Don, Phleger, Grace and Jasper all wore wedding attires in the adorable image that had fans crooning over them. 

“💕We went to the BEST Texas Wedding and now they have a baby girl 💕 Happy everything to them 💕,” the mom of three and socialite captioned the photo. Fans couldn’t resist commenting on how beautiful the family looked. Many were, however, drawn to Jasper’s looks and commented on how handsome he was. 

“Wow lovely picture. I must say the gentleman are very handsome,” one user gushed. 

A second fan commented, “Jasper is very elegant 😍.”

A third agreed with the earlier sentiments and wrote, “Kelley, you gave such a beautiful family! You and Grace look so gorgeous and DJ and Jasper are so handsome. Sending hugs to all. ❤️.”

Another fan was shocked at the young man’s height and commented, “Boys are so tall nowadays lovely photo x.”

Were you surprised to learn about Don Johnson’s large family and Jasper’s looks and talents? If so, let us know, then pass this along to friends and family to reminisce about the “Miami Vice” days!