Don Johnson’s 10 Most Badass Roles, Ranked

Don Johnson is known best for his work on Miami Vice, but there’s other shows where he had badass roles. Here the actor’s 10 best.

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Don Johnson has had some ups and downs throughout his career, but modern audiences have come to realize his talent and legacy through appreciation from talented filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and S. Craig Zahler. The veteran actor has been in show business for more than fifty years, and had already been working hard for over a decade before landing his iconic role on the hit NBC TV show Miami Vice.

To honor this performer’s storied career, the following list will highlight his ten most badass roles. Be sure to note that just because the character is a badass, doesn’t mean they are a good person.

10 Hap Bigs

Hap Bigs of Blood & Oil is an honest to goodness, dirty no good oil tycoon. Throughout the course of the short lived television program, he does whatever is necessary to protect his business. Johnson was around sixty-five when the show aired, and he still had dashing good looks, yet he went for a more villainous role instead of trying to be a protagonist.

Perhaps it is more fun for an actor to be cruel and cunning every once and a while. The character is dastardly, but Johnson plays the role with an enviable gusto.

9 Grant Cooper

Just Legal barely has an existence on the internet, an impressive feat for a show less than twenty years old. Despite its only six episode run and quick cancellation, those that watched it understood that it was special. Johnson’s Grant Cooper is a burned out attorney who takes a fresh seventeen year old lawyer under his wing.

Its potent mix of humor and serious legal proceedings mirrored other programs like The Practice and Boston Legal. The set up may seem unbelievable, but the premise was inspired by the executive producer’s older brother, who indeed was the youngest person in California to pass the BAR exam. The show came not long after Nash Bridges’ cancellation, so it was unfortunate when it came and went with little fanfare.

8 Vic

A Boy and His Dog is still valuable today for a look at how Hollywood depicted apocalyptic wastelands before Mad Max captured the definitive aesthetic.

Vic wanders the barren wastes looking for food and women before stumbling upon an underground society. The character has no moral compass, but does what he must to survive in the harsh wasteland. He’s also accompanied by a dog who can telepathically communicate with Vic. The end of the world is always dark, but the movie deals with morbid themes in a tongue and cheek manner.

7 Sheriff Earl Mcgraw

Don Johnson plays a small, but important role in From Dusk ‘Till Dawn: The Series. While he bites it in the first episode, his character comes up from time to time throughout the show’s run. He really makes it on the list for his final stand in the pilot.

During a robbery, an injured clerk throws a pistol over the counter and the injured Sheriff, played by Johnson, grabs it in midair and fires upon the criminals. He ultimately fails, but he takes his death with dignity, putting on and adjusting his hat before meeting his maker.

6 Warden Tuggs

Warden Tuggs from Brawl in Cell Block 99 is cruel and unforgiving. He punishes prisoners in unseemly ways. He forces the main character to wear a special belt which causes immense pain at the push of a button.

Treating someone inhumanely is never cool or badass, but special props go to Johnson for how excellently he pulls off the part. S. Craig Zahler is clearly a fan of the actor, and the Warden’s actions close out the movie. The two would collaborate once more in the director’s next film, Dragged Across Concrete, though Johnson’s role is significantly smaller.

5 Matthew

Zachariah is an acquired taste, but a must-see for any fans of psychedelia. The 1971 acid western was one of Johnson’s first roles. In it, he plays the titular character’s best friend, Matthew.

By the last act, Matthew shows up again, donned in a black cowboy outfit, and the actor looks absolutely stunning in the getup. Its surreal nature may draw some comparisons to El Topo, but it distinguishes itself from that cult classic with musical performances and a more lighthearted tone.

4 Elvis Presley

How many people get to say they played the King in a movie? Not many, but Don Johnson is one of lucky few who can truthfully make that claim.

Elvis and the Beauty Queen, which recounts the legendary singer’s relationship with Linda Thompson, isn’t as renowned or remembered as the 1979 biopic directed by John Carpenter, but it’s still a treat to see the legendary actor play Elvis during a more humble time in his career. Most of it will definitely be quaint to modern viewers, but it’s worth seeing as a curiosity.

3 Nash Bridges

Johnson has one more successful show under his belt other than Miami Vice. Nash Bridges isn’t as dark as the Michael Mann show from the ’80s, though its lighthearted nature didn’t stop more serious subplots from coming up.

He was also accompanied by Cheech Marin as his partner. Fans will be pleased to know that a revival is in the works, starting with a two hour television movie. If the special is successful, a new series could potentially air sometime in the future.

2 Jim Bob

Revealing any details about Cold In July’s plot would be a disservice to those who haven’t seen it, but just know that Don Johnson plays one badass private investigator. The movie starts with the protagonist killing a home intruder, which sets off a series of events that send him down a web of lies, violence, and vengeance.

Don Johnson comes into play shortly after, and the actor clearly gives it his all in the graphic and disturbing picture.

1 Sonny Crockett

This is the role that made him an icon of fashion and the screen. Miami Vice wasn’t merely a product of the ’80s, it created the ’80s. Each week saw Crockett and his partner, Ricardo Tubbs, take on all manner of organized crime.

While they usually got the job done, the endings were rarely happy for anyone involved. Miami was a hotbed of drug trafficking and violence during the turbulent decade, and the program took advantage of this to make great, innovative television.

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