MIAMI NICE
After years of booze and drugs, five mariages and countless lovers, Don Johnson says he’s found Buddhism and is now...
BOOZE, drugs and women filled Don Johnson’s wild past... but not always in that order.
The star of cop shows Miami Vice and Nash Bridges rattled through multiple marriages and countless flings during three blurry decades in which, boy, did he party hard.
But despite women falling at his feet and wealth that provided a collection of 20 cars, boats, a jet and a sprawling ranch in Aspen, Colorado, Don came to realise one thing. “I was intensely unhappy,” he says.
Now, with his 70th birthday just a fortnight away, the actor – still outrageously youthful – reflects on those wild days and reveals how life’s hard lessons and the teachings of Buddha have helped him find an inner peace.
Don, who co-stars with Daniel Craig in murder mystery Knives Out, says: “We are all on a spiritual journey. Buddha says you don’t find the pearl of enlightenment on the beach. You have to break open a lot of oysters.
“I broke open a lot of oysters, broke a lot of nails and suffered a lot of bloody noses. That’s how I learned my lessons.”
The road to contentment has, however, been long and winding. He careered through four decidedly unspiritual marriages – two annulled within days and two to Melanie Griffith.
Record
There were romances with Cybill Shepherd, Patti D’arbanville and Barbra Streisand – and countless flings and one-night stands.
Don fathered two children along the way, including Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson, 30, his daughter with actress Melanie.
The booze and drugs were free-flowing, though he insists: “I never drank or did drugs while I was working. But, brother, when they said ‘wrap’ I would try to set the land speed record. I knew how to party too.”
The Johnson juggernaut only really slowed down in 1999 when he got married for the fifth time – to socialite Kelly Phleger, 50. They have three children and are still together.
Don says: “I gave up my vices. I jettisoned that stuff. Quit smoking. I got rid of the 20 cars – I didn’t need them to get me laid.”
With his love life stable, Johnson’s career would take off again after a post-nash Bridges lull. These days, off the back of acclaimed performances in Django Unchained and Book Club, he is in great demand.
As well as Knives Out he stars in the new superhero TV series Watchmen, based on the classic graphic novel.
And he even finds unexpected spirituality here, saying: “Superheroes are a metaphor for something unrealised in ourselves. We need to be something else to be satisfied and content, when we are actually enough, and plenty.
“As actors we start out feeling that way and wanting to fill that void.
“Through training, spirituality and education you come to know that you are enough, and you don’t need anything extra.”
These wise words are in stark contrast to the get high, get drunk and get laid mantra of the young Don Johnson.
Raised in poverty in Wichita, Kansas, he was 22 when he first hooked up with 14-year-old Melanie Griffith – apparently without objection from her mother, actress Tippi Hedren.
“I did feel a little strange picking her up after school,” he admits.
They split after four years, but a year later ran off to tie the knot for the first time.
Plagued by substance abuse, they lasted barely six months.
Johnson had a son, Jesse, with actress Patti D’arbanville, 68, but admits: “I had pretty much killed my career letting my body get out of shape from drugs and alcohol. When I’d go for roles they would say, ‘I think he’s had it.’”
Don belatedly cleaned up his act and was 35 when cast as Sonny Crockett alongside Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice.
Pride
But he partied hard once more and admits returning to his old vices. “We had a lot of fun,” he laughs.
Miami Vice ran from 1984 to
1989 – when Don and
Melanie remarried.
He is “bursting with pride” at the success of daughter he won’t watch her Fifty Sha admitting: “There are some imag that you don’t need in your head
These days Don is not alway leading man but it doesn’t worry
“I like characters that are flaw “I don’t mind if the parts are sm only as small as you let your mind are. If it’s an interesting chara interesting part I am game.”
In Knives Out he plays what trophy husband. A lovable dou loved bonding with Daniel Crai that also includes Christopher Plu L a A C
“a m th ev be on
Dakota. But ades movies, ges as a father d.” s cast as the y him. wed,” he says. mall; they are d believe they acter and an
t he calls “a chebag”. He ig and a cast ummer, Jamie Lee Curtis
nd Captain America star Chris Evans. Don says: We spoke bout some of y love affairs hat I didn’t ven rememer. Good nes, apparently. It was fantastic, like being in summer camp again. I asked Daniel about Bond stunts and he asked me about Miami Vice. Stories about stunts and injuries. Superhero shop talk.
“We told the younger ones lies. Christopher Plummer talked about meeting Marilyn Monroe.
“Jamie Lee was cooking potato soup for us.”
It is great to hear Don on such fine form – and, with a Nash
Bridges TV movie on the horizon, grateful to have outlived his wild years.
“I’m happy to have survived it,” he says. “A lot of people don’t.”
Don turns 70 on
December 15. But is there a big party?
He says coyly: “I have a lot of kids,
They’ll figure out something.” feedback@
people.co.uk