Don Johnson on ‘The Talk’ says ‘Nash Bridges’ movie could re-launch series, ‘Knives Out’ a Hitchcock whodunnit wrapped in dark comedy
Rian Johnson’s new comedy-thriller ‘Knives Out’ is a modern take on the classic whodunnit. With an ensemble cast, featuring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell and Christopher Plummer, the film is all set to woo viewers.
On Tuesday’s episode of CBS' Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show ‘The Talk’, actor Don Johnson, most famous for his role of James ‘Sonny’ Crockett in the 1980s television series ‘Miami Vice’ spoke to co-hosts Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood, rapper Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba and Marie Osmond about the new film, the revival of old TV series and his short role in ‘Watchmen’.
Johnson, who plays the role of Chief Judd Crawford in the HBO series ‘Watchmen’, spoke about his character being killed on the first episode itself. He said, “The guy who created the show, his name is Damon Lindelof. And I gave him his first job on television, writing on ‘Nash Bridges’. So he went to do ‘The Leftovers’, write on ‘Lost’ -- he’s become a big star in his own right. So, I hadn’t heard from him in a while and I get this two-page letter, gushing about how great I am,” mimicking being praised.
He added, “So, like any actor who is being gushed over like that, I said, ‘What time do you want me in?’”. Lindelof, after that, explained to Johnson what the project was about -- the adaptation of a 1985 graphic novel of cult status. But he then told Johnson, “I just have to tell you one thing -- I’m gonna have to kill you.”
Johnson also spoke about a ‘Nash Bridges’ film that is in the making 18 years after the crime drama ended following a six-season run. “It’s a two-hour movie for television and they are looking at it as kind of a way to launch it again as a series,” he said. “Good lord, I don’t know how I feel about that… The Cheech (Marin) will be back. I think in this adaptation of ‘Nash Bridges’, he’s going to be actually selling weed,” he added, taking a dig at the actor and comic’s long-time pro-marijuana activism.
On being asked about rumors surrounding the revival of ‘Miami Vice’, Johnson said, “You know, this started as a conversation on the last day of shooting in 89 or 90. They started talking about a remake then and they’ve been talking about it ever since. So, I have no idea but hopefully, if we’re all still on the right side of the grass…” Finally, talking about his new film ‘Knives Out’, Johnson said, “It’s a sort of a Hitchcock thriller wrapped in a whodunnit, wrapped in a dark comedy.”
“When Rian Johnson, the director called me to talk about the part, we didn’t talk about the part. We talked about everything else in the world but the movie and then he said, ‘Okay, well great. I’ll see you in Boston’,” the actor said. “That’s about the easiest audition I ever got.”
“The interesting thing about this is that this is a movie that you can enjoy with the whole family,” said Johnson, adding that he had the good fortune of working with a cast as good as this.
'The Talk' airs Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. PT.