In 1986, Don Johnson, the star of Miami Vice, surprisingly turned down the lead role in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables. It seemed like a guaranteed hit and an easy payday, but Johnson had his reasons. He was already known for playing cops and robbers on the hugely expensive Miami Vice and didn’t want to be typecast or seen as an actor who could only play one kind of role.
During its five-year run on NBC (from fall 1984 to summer 1989), Miami Vice rapidly gained a large following and made Don Johnson a highly sought-after actor. He grew tired of playing a police officer, so he willingly turned down the opportunity to star opposite Al Capone in The Untouchables. In a recent interview, Johnson revealed his reasons for declining the role, which ultimately launched Kevin Costner’s career. The Untouchables allowed Costner to move into directing, producing, and writing, proving that appearances and roles can significantly shape a person’s path.
The Transformation from Struggling Actor to Overnight Sensation
National Broadcasting Company
Don Johnson became a star seemingly overnight in 1984. Before this, he was a relatively unknown actor, with his most notable role being in the 1975 cult classic, A Boy and His Dog. But with the debut of a popular, music-video-driven TV drama, his career exploded. Johnson quickly became famous for playing Sonny Crockett, an undercover detective known for his fast cars and fashionable Italian clothes – a style that caught on before Italian designers were widely popular.
Johnson’s relaxed and comfortable style, born out of necessity in Florida’s heat, quickly became famous and was copied by many men. Women saw him as a heartthrob, and he even inspired love songs from Italian pop stars. Surprisingly, all the attention bothered him greatly; he didn’t enjoy being adored.
Style Pioneer or Fashion Victim?
By 1986, Johnson worried that becoming too successful would make him arrogant and ruin his dedication to work. He realized he didn’t want to be known only as the stylish detective who chased down criminals. This meant he was ready to move on from playing tough cops in fast cars. So, when director Brian De Palma offered him the starring role in a new movie called The Untouchables (based on an old TV show from the 1950s), Johnson didn’t hesitate.
He didn’t want to play the Eliot Ness role, believing it wouldn’t challenge him as an actor. He was tired of playing handsome police officers and found the script overly dramatic. He discussed his reasons on the WTF podcast with Marc Maron in March 2025.
I quickly learned I needed to distance myself from the character I was playing. I had to make sure Don Johnson wasn’t just seen as Sonny Crockett. To avoid being typecast, I started choosing roles that were completely different from what I’d just finished.
The initial script Brian De Palma presented felt uninspired and lacked any real complexity, appearing at first like a simple costume drama. He was unaware Robert De Niro would be starring in The Untouchables; had he known, he would have eagerly joined the project, which ultimately became one of the decade’s most captivating crime films. Meanwhile, Kevin Costner, still a relatively unknown actor with few credits – having recently lost a significant role in The Big Chill during post-production – received an unexpected phone call.
With stars like Sean Connery and Robert De Niro already attached, Johnson’s idea wasn’t so far-fetched. In fact, the initial script was offered to several big names – Michael Douglas, Gene Hackman, Harrison Ford, and Mickey Rourke – but none of them were interested. Costner was incredibly fortunate. He ended up taking on a project that others had passed on, and it launched a very successful period in his career.
There Is Life After Vice
Despite his early success, the actor followed up with a small, and largely unnoticed, romantic comedy about a man going through a midlife crisis, hoping to prove his range. Unfortunately, the film failed to connect with audiences, costing him a potential leading role in the 1988 film Sweet Hearts Dance, which starred Jeff Daniels and Susan Sarandon. He then appeared mostly in lighthearted comedies, including a film with Kevin Costner called Tin Cup.
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Surprisingly, to escape being known for one type of role, Johnson went back to playing a detective driving a sports car in 1996. He starred as Inspector Nash Bridges in a show with the same name, returning to television on Friday nights. Afterwards, he appeared in films like Django Unchained and Knives Out, establishing himself as a versatile character actor in both television and movies.
He didn’t seem to regret changing careers. Interviews suggest he was fully committed to pursuing music and powerboat racing at the time. More recently, he appeared in ABC’s Doctor Odyssey, but the show was cancelled after its first season.
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2026-01-26 23:04