Sonny Crockett: Don Johnson


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From the book "The Making Of Miami Vice" by MacGregor and MacGregor (I recently purchased)US magazine headed a recent interview with him as THE HOTTEST MAN INAMERICA. On the editor's page of The Ladies' Home Journal, entitled, "What turnsDon on?" Myrna Blythe provided her readers with the recipe for Don's favorite dessert,a pistachio soufflé. Pepsi Cola allegedly paid Johnson upwards of a cool million for aone-minute commercial. And pal, that's just the beginning.On this pleasant south Florida morning, he exits his motor home dressed in one ofCrockett's white suits and pastel T-shirts, with Ron Russell, his 240-pound bodyguard,close to his side. His hair falls just so across his forehead, his slacks bag just so in thelegs, and of course there are fans hollering at the fence. But Johnson, who appears to bedisgruntled, mutters something unpleasant about the fans. Then, as he passes two kidswho're visiting the set, the crankiness vanishes in a flash and he grins at the boys. "Hi,guys. How's it goin'?"Johnson, who can be hot tempered and irascible on the set, has a soft spot for kids.About the only autographs he'll sign these days are for youngsters. Adults are handed acard thanking them for their support and instructing them to get in touch with his fanclub if they'd like an autographed picture. "Can you imagine what would happen ifDon started signing autographs for anyone who asked?" remarks Scott Partridge, headof security for VICE. "He'd never get anything done."As Johnson and Ron Russell approach the area in front of the hangar where thescene is to be shot, Jim Johnston, the director, confers briefly with him and Thomas.Russell remains close by, watchful. This particular scenario, in fact, is repeatedthroughout the day as the scene is shot and re-shot and Johnson alternately confers withJohnston, the guest stars and Thomas. Johnson routinely takes an active part in assistingdirectors in scenes in which he appears. That, says Aaron Lipstadt, director of severalepisodes of VICE, can be both an advantage and occasionally a hindrance."I think Don is very concerned that every aspect of the show is good, that hischaracter comes off well and consistent. He's got a lot of good ideas as a director and Ithink he wants input into the show. In general, that's commendable. Some actors justcollect their money and don't care what the product is like."He pauses a moment, weighing his words. "But it can certainly be frustrating,because he does question everything and wants to be involved in a lot of areas.Everyday there are situations where you have to say you don't want to do a particular thing.However, but I think it's a mistake for someone to come in with the attitude, 'I'm thedirector and what I say goes and I don't care what you say.' When working withanyonean actor, cinematographer, wardrobe designeryou want them to beinvolved, to contribute. If all you want to be is right, then you shouldn't be in thisbusiness. You should be painting pictures or something."At the moment, things aren't going right. Johnson, in the middle of a take, throws uphis arms and shakes his head. Everyone breaks up for another conference. "Sure Dongets pissed off on the set," says Bobby Foxworth, who doubles for him. "But it's becausehe wants things to go right. When things don't go right, he's concerned. That's natural."Adds Scott Partridge: "He's a businessman. When they tell him he's going on in fiveminutes, he wants it to start and he'll say so."As early as 1970, when he made his film debut in The Magic Garden of StanleySweetheart, which bombed, his appeal was commented on by reviewers. SaturdayReview thought he "communicated a good deal of likeable charm," while KathleenCarroll of the New York Daily News liked his "wonderfully impish grin." Admittedly itwasn't much on which to build a career, and after Sweetheart bombed, MGM droppedJohnson's option.Next came Zacariah, a "rock Western" which used contemporary music to augmentthe story. Then in 1973, when Johnson was twenty-two, there was The HarradExperiment, where he met Melanie Griffith, the daughter of Tippi Hedren. She wasfourteen at the time. Their affair lasted four rocky years, with passion blinking off andon like a faulty light bulb. For Johnson, there were brief affairs with other women,including the ex-Miss World Marjorie Wallace. Finally, in 1976, Griffith and Johnsondecided to give their relationship one more try: they announced their engagement. Theywere married in Las Vegas and divorced several months later.Throughout the seventies, Johnson acted in a number of films, few of themmemorable: Elvis and the Beauty Queen, Revenge of the Stepford Wives, and A Boy and HisDog, which eventually became a cult classic even though reviews were poor. He alsoacted in Return to Macon County with Nick Nolte, where he portrayed a hard livin' goodole boy. By the late Seventies, he was living in the Hollywood Hills and locked into alifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse."It was a lifestyle everyone in Los Angeles was affecting at the time," he explained ina Rolling Stone interview. "Everyone. I remember a period in Hollywood where youwould go to a meeting for major projects, walk in, sit down and the director with whomyou were having the meeting would hand you a coke vial and ask if you wanted adrink.... That kind of thing was encouraged."Rob Cohen, who has directed several VICE episodes, remembers Johnson from thisperiod. "He was in Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill. I remember him as anotherpretty face on the set. We didn't talk much. He was heavy into his drinking in thosedays."Then he gave it up. Drugs and alcohol became vices of the past as a different kind ofVICE was approaching. Johnson notes that even after the show had been on the air ayear and people knew about his history with drug and alcohol abuse, NBC andUniversal continued to send him bottles of champagne if the show was in the Top Ten."I finally sent a memo to everyone saying, "Please, if you're going to send me somethingnice, make it a basket of fruit or chocolates."In 1981, Johnson fell in love with Patti D'Arbanville, an actress he'd met in 1969,when Patti was posing in a nude layout for Andy Warhol. This romance provided theimpetus that eventually forced him to turn his life around. He ran into her in an LArestaurant and in typically impetuous fashion, Johnson left his current woman at thetimeTanya Tuckerand Patti moved in that night."We stayed in bed for about eight days. The houseboy kept bringing food and water.Our relationship is another one of those fated things. We were bound to be together,just like Jesse was sent to save both our lives. It was in the cards."Jesse, conceived three months after he and D'Arbanville began living together, isJohnson's son, and perhaps part of the reason why he is so open to kids in general.Fatherhood, he says, put things in perspective. "Boom, you find out what it's all about:propagation. You come here, do your time, have children and then live again throughyour children. It's the most poetic thing life has to offer. It's such a joy."D'Arbanville and Johnson lived together for a number of years, eschewing marriagebecause they both had bad track records: he claims three marriages to her two. But hecredits her and Jesse with his decision on September 11, 1983 to attend a drug andalcohol program that enabled him to quit drinking and using drugs. "I was miserable. Iknew my life wasn't working, knew a long time before I quit that if I didn't get a grip onthings, I'd have no career, no future." So he began attending the program twice a weekfor forty-five days. "And I still go to meetings, because alcohol is a progressive disease."In an interview in People, he describes the precise moment he made the decision. "Iwalked into the breakfast room one morning and the sun was shining and the birdswere singing and Patti was feeding the baby. I came staggering in and sat down andlooked at them and she looked at me and I knew if I didn't do something she was goingto leave."A day shy of the two-year anniversary of that decision, Johnson, D'Arbanville andPhilip Michael Thomas were guests at the White House for a dinner for the primeminister of Denmark. Johnson even wore socks.Two seasons into VICE, the strain of carrying on a long distance relationship took itstoll on Johnson and D'Arbanville's affair.She was still living in their home in Santa Monica and they were seeing each other a couple of times a month. She didn't want tomove to Miami because her career was in LA and if he moved to LA, it would meangiving up the show. The dilemma led to their breakup. But according to Johnson, theseparation was amicable."Patti and I are the best of friends, and our main concern is for the happiness andwelfare of our son," he told Christopher Connelly in an interview in US magazine."When you agree on that, it makes all the rest of it easy. Patti's my best friend. Ourrelationship is stronger now than it's ever been, but on a whole new level, a whole newphase."Part of that new phase includes a record album that Johnson is putting together withvarious musicians. He'll write some of the material, as well as sing. "I think that withmusic, you can reach people in a way that you can't reach them through film ortelevision or books or anything else. Music is the universal language, it's limitless."He realizes the project will make him more emotionally vulnerable than he is asSonny Crockett, and admits it frightens him. "But that's what it's about, isn't it? Cuttingloose, letting it go and showing everybody it's okay to feel."And feeling is something Crockett does very well. "When Crockett is in conflict, Donis the most attractive man on film," says Rob Cohen. "It's that internal landscape that heseems to be examining, that sense of loneliness and isolation that comes from leadingyour life in disguise all the time and never being able to put down any emotional roots.But when Crockett's a know-it-all, Don's just another pretty face who happens to be in acop show. Part of what made VICE different is the neurosis Michael Mann allowed toseep through into the characters, which gives it the richness of a feature film."Mann puts it more succinctly. "For whatever reason, maybe because his experiencescoincide with Crockett's, Don is Crockett. He's immersed in that role."When the pilot was being filmed, Don joked with a reporter that he doesn't wear theexpensive European designer clothing that Crockett does. But later during the firstseason he was ordering extras of the suits for his own wardrobe. The distinctionbetween Johnson and Crockett was growing fuzzy.He admits that a certain part of him is like Crockett. They have the same sense ofhumor, even though Crockett's is, due to the nature of his work, glib and caustic. "He'scapable of being selfish, impetuous, impulsiveand wrong," he observed recently. "Ilike the character."And, like Sonny Crockett, Don Johnson has a soft spot for kids. Charlie Guanci,property master for VICE, tells a story that characterizes his feelings. Guanci, who is inremission from bone cancer, heard about a young boy with cancer who wanted to meetDon Johnson before he died. The Make a Wish Foundation, which tries to grant lastwishes to terminally ill children, had contacted someone on the show in the hopes thatsomething might be done. Guanci decided to go to Don about it. "I knew Don liked kidsand I knew his mom had died from cancer. When I asked him about it, he said sure."They boy visited the set and met Johnson and as Guanci puts it, "That made me feelreal good. You've never seen a kid so happy."Johnson has also shown concern for people within his adopted community. In April1986, seven FBI agents were wounded in a shootout on Miami streets. Seventeen-yearoldSuzanne McNeil considered herself fortunate because her father, Gordon McNeill,was one of five agents who survived his injuries. A table in the family home wascovered with flowers, baskets of fruit and gifts from well-wishers. One gift card wassigned by Don Johnson.Most of the post-production people in Los Angeles have only met Johnson once ortwice. But at Christmas, he sent everyone involved in the show ponchos with MIAMIVICE inscribed across the back. "I thought it was real nice," says Karen Blythe, who issecretary for co-producer Dick Brams. "I mean, I've only met the guy once, but it's greathe shows his appreciation for the work everyone in post production does."Doug Ibold, one of the film editors, notes that his gift from Johnson also containedan autographed picture that said:To Doug,Cut to the closeup.Your pal, Don JohnsonIbold's assistant, Kevin Krasny, also received a signed photo. His said:To Kevin,Find the closeup for Doug."He's got a good sense of humor," Ibold says. "And he shows his appreciation."But at the moment, humor seems a universe away. It's another day on the set, thistime in the OCB offices at the Ivan Tor studios in North Miami.It can be argued that money, power, and fame, make it all worthwhile. But thenthere are the drawbacks. For instance, when Johnson split with D'Arbanville, the storywas plastered across the front page of the National Enquirer. MIAMI VICE STARDUMPS HIS LONGTIME GAL PAL, screamed the headline.Or consider this: At a party associated with the Super Bowl game in New Orleans,Johnson sent his makeup artist over to an attractive woman to ask her to dinner. Sheturned him down and when he asked her in person, he was rejected again. She turnedout to be Walter Mon-dale's daughter and the next day the incident was published inthe people column of the Miami Herald.Or this: at 1:15 A.M. one night, Johnson was zipping along Interstate 95 in Miami ateighty-two miles per hour and got stopped by a cop who asked to see his driver'slicense."Hi, I'm Don Johnson. I'm with MIAMI VICE."The cop, unimpressed, wrote the ticket anyway, and Johnson told him he had "anattitude problem." Later, Johnson spoke to Nelson Oramas, one of the police technicaladvisors about the ticket. After a call to headquarters, it was cancelled. A reporter foundout about it, however, and the story made page one news in the Miami Herald. By thattime, Johnson had agreed to pay the $102.50.The irony is that a similar incident happened to Michael Mann in Miami. However,in his case, the cop told him the story that resulted in "Smuggler's Blues." He also"forgot" to write the ticket, and the story became a catchy lead in a lengthy article onMIAMI VICE in Rolling Stone.Privacy and celebrity status don't mix well, but Johnsonstruggles to preserve as much privacy as he can. He doesn't allow photos taken onthe set by visitors. "He's a public figure. That makes him open to all kinds of crazystuff," says security director Partridge. "If he's playfully putting a hammer lock onsomeone, and a picture is taken, the Enquirer might run it saying, 'Don Johnsonstrangles fan."When his real estate broker gabbed to the press about Johnson's plans to build ahouse on Star Island on MiamiBeach, he filed a $2 million lawsuit charging his real estate broker with violating anoral agreement not to disclose publicly any information about the property sale. Thesuit made more headlines.An evening out also can present difficulties. "I've been with Don when he's beenbothered quite a bit," says VICE actor Michael Talbott. "The bad thing about it is thatpeople don't respect his time off. They ask for autographs when he's eating dinner. Butit's a part of dealing with success."Marty Schwartz, first assistant director with VICE and a friend of Johnson's, onoccasion goes out with him to a restaurant or nightclub. "It's a little tricky. We go in andout pretty quickly. It's not really possible to hang around a place very long." Andalways, a bodyguard is present. Instead of going out, Johnson spent many Saturdayevenings during the second season with friends from the cast and crew. He invitedthem to watch current movies in a Miami condominium.It's his way of relaxing, but even watching a movie is a form of work. Besides acting,Don Johnson is interested in directing. As a star, the doorway to directing is wide open.His first directing experience was "Back in the World," a second season episode, whichwas well received.Although his rise to fame came rapidly, there's no doubt Johnson earned his chance.As Dee Miller, VICE's former casting director in Miami, puts it: "Don is an extremelygifted man. I don't think I've ever observed anyone with a greater understanding of theproduction end of things than he has. He seems to feel a deep responsibility to hisprofession."But his fans aren't ready for Don to vanish behind a camera. And Don Johnson isn'tabout to give up acting.

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This book is a must-read for any vice fan, it captured a point in time where Miami Vice was most popular. I occasionally re-read it just for the fun of it...

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From the book "The Making Of Miami Vice" by MacGregor and MacGregor (I recently purchased)US magazine headed a recent interview with him as THE HOTTEST MAN INAMERICA. On the editor's page of The Ladies' Home Journal' date=' entitled, "What turnsDon on?" Myrna Blythe provided her readers with the recipe for Don's favorite dessert,a pistachio soufflé. Pepsi Cola allegedly paid Johnson upwards of a cool million for aone-minute commercial. And pal, that's just the beginning.On this pleasant south Florida morning, he exits his motor home dressed in one ofCrockett's white suits and pastel T-shirts, with Ron Russell, his 240-pound bodyguard,close to his side. His hair falls just so across his forehead, his slacks bag just so in thelegs, and of course there are fans hollering at the fence. But Johnson, who appears to bedisgruntled, mutters something unpleasant about the fans. Then, as he passes two kidswho're visiting the set, the crankiness vanishes in a flash and he grins at the boys. "Hi,guys. How's it goin'?"Johnson, who can be hot tempered and irascible on the set, has a soft spot for kids.About the only autographs he'll sign these days are for youngsters. Adults are handed acard thanking them for their support and instructing them to get in touch with his fanclub if they'd like an autographed picture. "Can you imagine what would happen ifDon started signing autographs for anyone who asked?" remarks Scott Partridge, headof security for VICE. "He'd never get anything done."As Johnson and Ron Russell approach the area in front of the hangar where thescene is to be shot, Jim Johnston, the director, confers briefly with him and Thomas.Russell remains close by, watchful. This particular scenario, in fact, is repeatedthroughout the day as the scene is shot and re-shot and Johnson alternately confers withJohnston, the guest stars and Thomas. Johnson routinely takes an active part in assistingdirectors in scenes in which he appears. That, says Aaron Lipstadt, director of severalepisodes of VICE, can be both an advantage and occasionally a hindrance."I think Don is very concerned that every aspect of the show is good, that hischaracter comes off well and consistent. He's got a lot of good ideas as a director and Ithink he wants input into the show. In general, that's commendable. Some actors justcollect their money and don't care what the product is like."He pauses a moment, weighing his words. "But it can certainly be frustrating,because he does question everything and wants to be involved in a lot of areas.Everyday there are situations where you have to say you don't want to do a particular thing.However, but I think it's a mistake for someone to come in with the attitude, 'I'm thedirector and what I say goes and I don't care what you say.' When working withanyonean actor, cinematographer, wardrobe designeryou want them to beinvolved, to contribute. If all you want to be is right, then you shouldn't be in thisbusiness. You should be painting pictures or something."At the moment, things aren't going right. Johnson, in the middle of a take, throws uphis arms and shakes his head. Everyone breaks up for another conference. "Sure Dongets pissed off on the set," says Bobby Foxworth, who doubles for him. "But it's becausehe wants things to go right. When things don't go right, he's concerned. That's natural."Adds Scott Partridge: "He's a businessman. When they tell him he's going on in fiveminutes, he wants it to start and he'll say so."As early as 1970, when he made his film debut in The Magic Garden of StanleySweetheart, which bombed, his appeal was commented on by reviewers. SaturdayReview thought he "communicated a good deal of likeable charm," while KathleenCarroll of the New York Daily News liked his "wonderfully impish grin." Admittedly itwasn't much on which to build a career, and after Sweetheart bombed, MGM droppedJohnson's option.Next came Zacariah, a "rock Western" which used contemporary music to augmentthe story. Then in 1973, when Johnson was twenty-two, there was The HarradExperiment, where he met Melanie Griffith, the daughter of Tippi Hedren. She wasfourteen at the time. Their affair lasted four rocky years, with passion blinking off andon like a faulty light bulb. For Johnson, there were brief affairs with other women,including the ex-Miss World Marjorie Wallace. Finally, in 1976, Griffith and Johnsondecided to give their relationship one more try: they announced their engagement. Theywere married in Las Vegas and divorced several months later.Throughout the seventies, Johnson acted in a number of films, few of themmemorable: Elvis and the Beauty Queen, Revenge of the Stepford Wives, and A Boy and HisDog, which eventually became a cult classic even though reviews were poor. He alsoacted in Return to Macon County with Nick Nolte, where he portrayed a hard livin' goodole boy. By the late Seventies, he was living in the Hollywood Hills and locked into alifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse."It was a lifestyle everyone in Los Angeles was affecting at the time," he explained ina Rolling Stone interview. "Everyone. I remember a period in Hollywood where youwould go to a meeting for major projects, walk in, sit down and the director with whomyou were having the meeting would hand you a coke vial and ask if you wanted adrink.... That kind of thing was encouraged."Rob Cohen, who has directed several VICE episodes, remembers Johnson from thisperiod. "He was in Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill. I remember him as anotherpretty face on the set. We didn't talk much. He was heavy into his drinking in thosedays."Then he gave it up. Drugs and alcohol became vices of the past as a different kind ofVICE was approaching. Johnson notes that even after the show had been on the air ayear and people knew about his history with drug and alcohol abuse, NBC andUniversal continued to send him bottles of champagne if the show was in the Top Ten."I finally sent a memo to everyone saying, "Please, if you're going to send me somethingnice, make it a basket of fruit or chocolates."In 1981, Johnson fell in love with Patti D'Arbanville, an actress he'd met in 1969,when Patti was posing in a nude layout for Andy Warhol. This romance provided theimpetus that eventually forced him to turn his life around. He ran into her in an LArestaurant and in typically impetuous fashion, Johnson left his current woman at thetimeTanya Tuckerand Patti moved in that night."We stayed in bed for about eight days. The houseboy kept bringing food and water.Our relationship is another one of those fated things. We were bound to be together,just like Jesse was sent to save both our lives. It was in the cards."Jesse, conceived three months after he and D'Arbanville began living together, isJohnson's son, and perhaps part of the reason why he is so open to kids in general.Fatherhood, he says, put things in perspective. "Boom, you find out what it's all about:propagation. You come here, do your time, have children and then live again throughyour children. It's the most poetic thing life has to offer. It's such a joy."D'Arbanville and Johnson lived together for a number of years, eschewing marriagebecause they both had bad track records: he claims three marriages to her two. But hecredits her and Jesse with his decision on September 11, 1983 to attend a drug andalcohol program that enabled him to quit drinking and using drugs. "I was miserable. Iknew my life wasn't working, knew a long time before I quit that if I didn't get a grip onthings, I'd have no career, no future." So he began attending the program twice a weekfor forty-five days. "And I still go to meetings, because alcohol is a progressive disease."In an interview in People, he describes the precise moment he made the decision. "Iwalked into the breakfast room one morning and the sun was shining and the birdswere singing and Patti was feeding the baby. I came staggering in and sat down andlooked at them and she looked at me and I knew if I didn't do something she was goingto leave."A day shy of the two-year anniversary of that decision, Johnson, D'Arbanville andPhilip Michael Thomas were guests at the White House for a dinner for the primeminister of Denmark. Johnson even wore socks.Two seasons into VICE, the strain of carrying on a long distance relationship took itstoll on Johnson and D'Arbanville's affair.She was still living in their home in Santa Monica and they were seeing each other a couple of times a month. She didn't want tomove to Miami because her career was in LA and if he moved to LA, it would meangiving up the show. The dilemma led to their breakup. But according to Johnson, theseparation was amicable."Patti and I are the best of friends, and our main concern is for the happiness andwelfare of our son," he told Christopher Connelly in an interview in US magazine."When you agree on that, it makes all the rest of it easy. Patti's my best friend. Ourrelationship is stronger now than it's ever been, but on a whole new level, a whole newphase."Part of that new phase includes a record album that Johnson is putting together withvarious musicians. He'll write some of the material, as well as sing. "I think that withmusic, you can reach people in a way that you can't reach them through film ortelevision or books or anything else. Music is the universal language, it's limitless."He realizes the project will make him more emotionally vulnerable than he is asSonny Crockett, and admits it frightens him. "But that's what it's about, isn't it? Cuttingloose, letting it go and showing everybody it's okay to feel."And feeling is something Crockett does very well. "When Crockett is in conflict, Donis the most attractive man on film," says Rob Cohen. "It's that internal landscape that heseems to be examining, that sense of loneliness and isolation that comes from leadingyour life in disguise all the time and never being able to put down any emotional roots.But when Crockett's a know-it-all, Don's just another pretty face who happens to be in acop show. Part of what made VICE different is the neurosis Michael Mann allowed toseep through into the characters, which gives it the richness of a feature film."Mann puts it more succinctly. "For whatever reason, maybe because his experiencescoincide with Crockett's, Don is Crockett. He's immersed in that role."When the pilot was being filmed, Don joked with a reporter that he doesn't wear theexpensive European designer clothing that Crockett does. But later during the firstseason he was ordering extras of the suits for his own wardrobe. The distinctionbetween Johnson and Crockett was growing fuzzy.He admits that a certain part of him is like Crockett. They have the same sense ofhumor, even though Crockett's is, due to the nature of his work, glib and caustic. "He'scapable of being selfish, impetuous, impulsiveand wrong," he observed recently. "Ilike the character."And, like Sonny Crockett, Don Johnson has a soft spot for kids. Charlie Guanci,property master for VICE, tells a story that characterizes his feelings. Guanci, who is inremission from bone cancer, heard about a young boy with cancer who wanted to meetDon Johnson before he died. The Make a Wish Foundation, which tries to grant lastwishes to terminally ill children, had contacted someone on the show in the hopes thatsomething might be done. Guanci decided to go to Don about it. "I knew Don liked kidsand I knew his mom had died from cancer. When I asked him about it, he said sure."They boy visited the set and met Johnson and as Guanci puts it, "That made me feelreal good. You've never seen a kid so happy."Johnson has also shown concern for people within his adopted community. In April1986, seven FBI agents were wounded in a shootout on Miami streets. Seventeen-yearoldSuzanne McNeil considered herself fortunate because her father, Gordon McNeill,was one of five agents who survived his injuries. A table in the family home wascovered with flowers, baskets of fruit and gifts from well-wishers. One gift card wassigned by Don Johnson.Most of the post-production people in Los Angeles have only met Johnson once ortwice. But at Christmas, he sent everyone involved in the show ponchos with MIAMIVICE inscribed across the back. "I thought it was real nice," says Karen Blythe, who issecretary for co-producer Dick Brams. "I mean, I've only met the guy once, but it's greathe shows his appreciation for the work everyone in post production does."Doug Ibold, one of the film editors, notes that his gift from Johnson also containedan autographed picture that said:To Doug,Cut to the closeup.Your pal, Don JohnsonIbold's assistant, Kevin Krasny, also received a signed photo. His said:To Kevin,Find the closeup for Doug."He's got a good sense of humor," Ibold says. "And he shows his appreciation."But at the moment, humor seems a universe away. It's another day on the set, thistime in the OCB offices at the Ivan Tor studios in North Miami.It can be argued that money, power, and fame, make it all worthwhile. But thenthere are the drawbacks. For instance, when Johnson split with D'Arbanville, the storywas plastered across the front page of the National Enquirer. MIAMI VICE STARDUMPS HIS LONGTIME GAL PAL, screamed the headline.Or consider this: At a party associated with the Super Bowl game in New Orleans,Johnson sent his makeup artist over to an attractive woman to ask her to dinner. Sheturned him down and when he asked her in person, he was rejected again. She turnedout to be Walter Mon-dale's daughter and the next day the incident was published inthe people column of the Miami Herald.Or this: at 1:15 A.M. one night, Johnson was zipping along Interstate 95 in Miami ateighty-two miles per hour and got stopped by a cop who asked to see his driver'slicense."Hi, I'm Don Johnson. I'm with MIAMI VICE."The cop, unimpressed, wrote the ticket anyway, and Johnson told him he had "anattitude problem." Later, Johnson spoke to Nelson Oramas, one of the police technicaladvisors about the ticket. After a call to headquarters, it was cancelled. A reporter foundout about it, however, and the story made page one news in the Miami Herald. By thattime, Johnson had agreed to pay the $102.50.The irony is that a similar incident happened to Michael Mann in Miami. However,in his case, the cop told him the story that resulted in "Smuggler's Blues." He also"forgot" to write the ticket, and the story became a catchy lead in a lengthy article onMIAMI VICE in Rolling Stone.Privacy and celebrity status don't mix well, but Johnsonstruggles to preserve as much privacy as he can. He doesn't allow photos taken onthe set by visitors. "He's a public figure. That makes him open to all kinds of crazystuff," says security director Partridge. "If he's playfully putting a hammer lock onsomeone, and a picture is taken, the Enquirer might run it saying, 'Don Johnsonstrangles fan."When his real estate broker gabbed to the press about Johnson's plans to build ahouse on Star Island on MiamiBeach, he filed a $2 million lawsuit charging his real estate broker with violating anoral agreement not to disclose publicly any information about the property sale. Thesuit made more headlines.An evening out also can present difficulties. "I've been with Don when he's beenbothered quite a bit," says VICE actor Michael Talbott. "The bad thing about it is thatpeople don't respect his time off. They ask for autographs when he's eating dinner. Butit's a part of dealing with success."Marty Schwartz, first assistant director with VICE and a friend of Johnson's, onoccasion goes out with him to a restaurant or nightclub. "It's a little tricky. We go in andout pretty quickly. It's not really possible to hang around a place very long." Andalways, a bodyguard is present. Instead of going out, Johnson spent many Saturdayevenings during the second season with friends from the cast and crew. He invitedthem to watch current movies in a Miami condominium.It's his way of relaxing, but even watching a movie is a form of work. Besides acting,Don Johnson is interested in directing. As a star, the doorway to directing is wide open.His first directing experience was "Back in the World," a second season episode, whichwas well received.Although his rise to fame came rapidly, there's no doubt Johnson earned his chance.As Dee Miller, VICE's former casting director in Miami, puts it: "Don is an extremelygifted man. I don't think I've ever observed anyone with a greater understanding of theproduction end of things than he has. He seems to feel a deep responsibility to hisprofession."But his fans aren't ready for Don to vanish behind a camera. And Don Johnson isn'tabout to give up acting.[/quote']Love this information - thankyou
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This book is a must-read for any vice fan, it captured a point in time where Miami Vice was most popular. I occasionally re-read it just for the fun of it...

It sounds like something I might want to add to my library.
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Very true his fans don't want him to vanish and want to see more and more of him for sure and I hope he knows in a small way we support him in his career and his family life also.Really Don is a real sweetheart but also think he can be a BADASS to and that's very attractive and nothing wrong with that you have to be sometimes and have attitude who cares.People can't deal with that then hell with them.We all have different characters and so does Don.Make it this point Don Johnson is Sonny Crockett that will never change and don't care who tries to play that character there is one person for that job and that is Don plain and simple but that is my honest opinion.I do understand he needs his privacy and its hard being a hollywood star and gets bad with the paparazzi.But were not all crazy fans some of us are a bit deeper than that and I know he can be scared of that but I hope not so much that he shuts himself off to all of us who really love and care about him.That was the reason I liked vice and Crockett/Burnett because the emotional part that you could see so clearly the way Don immersed himself into that character made him feel when he needed to and not feel sometimes and there was some bad times for Crockett and of course Burnett would come out and protect him on the job and off too. I see that very clearly.Some of you maybe don't notice that but I see Burnett his protector from the bad guys and bad women sometimes but Crockett's heart gets him in trouble does that to us all I am afraid.Burnett is always there to pick up the pieces back to work and the rest.This article hit me in so many ways and had to respond to it.Thank You for sharing it with us and hope people appreciate Don much more and look at him in a different light a real hard ass but a angel too.

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Very true his fans don't want him to vanish and want to see more and more of him for sure and I hope he knows in a small way we support him in his career and his family life also.Really Don is a real sweetheart but also think he can be a BADASS to and that's very attractive and nothing wrong with that you have to be sometimes and have attitude who cares.People can't deal with that then hell with them.We all have different characters and so does Don.Make it this point Don Johnson is Sonny Crockett that will never change and don't care who tries to play that character there is one person for that job and that is Don plain and simple but that is my honest opinion.I do understand he needs his privacy and its hard being a hollywood star and gets bad with the paparazzi.But were not all crazy fans some of us are a bit deeper than that and I know he can be scared of that but I hope not so much that he shuts himself off to all of us who really love and care about him.That was the reason I liked vice and Crockett/Burnett because the emotional part that you could see so clearly the way Don immersed himself into that character made him feel when he needed to and not feel sometimes and there was some bad times for Crockett and of course Burnett would come out and protect him on the job and off too. I see that very clearly.Some of you maybe don't notice that but I see Burnett his protector from the bad guys and bad women sometimes but Crockett's heart gets him in trouble does that to us all I am afraid.Burnett is always there to pick up the pieces back to work and the rest.This article hit me in so many ways and had to respond to it.Thank You for sharing it with us and hope people appreciate Don much more and look at him in a different light a real hard ass but a angel too.

Yes very true good points alleycat :dance2::funky:
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