Jury awards actor Don Johnson $23.2 million in 'Nash Bridges' lawsuit
Actor Don Johnson should receive $23.2 million in profits from the 1990s show "Nash Bridges," a Los Angeles jury found Wednesday.
Johnson, who played a San Francisco police inspector in the TV series, sued the production company, Rysher, saying he was owed half the profits from the show because he owned half of its copyright. The company contended in trial the show has yet to be profitable because it cost so much to make.
In their verdict, jurors recognized Johnson's ownership of half of the series and ordered the production company to cut the actor a check for profits they determined had accrued so far.
During the trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the now 60-year-old actor recounted for jurors his rise to stardom and said he was able to negotiate a favorable contract because of his success as the lead star of "Miami Vice."
An attorney for Rysher accused the actor of trying to change the terms of his contract because of his foundering career since his Nash Bridges days and questioned why Johnson had waited until almost a decade after the show's end to bring the lawsuit.
-- Victoria Kim
EDITOR'S PICKS:
i'd forgotten all about johnson
Posted by: ceaandtee | July 07, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Just the guy who needs an award of $23.2 million!
What's the jury thinking?
Posted by: John L Mendez | July 07, 2010 at 12:50 PM
Very cool. Good for him. He was the guy everyone loved to watch.
Posted by: thatblonde | July 07, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Go for it! These production companies and slime that runs them are total crooks.
Posted by: pasadena jag | July 07, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Floundering, not foundering.
Posted by: Dirk | July 07, 2010 at 01:00 PM
Who?
Posted by: Maddog | July 07, 2010 at 01:05 PM
Ask Don if I could borrow a few bucks. Thanks.
Posted by: Frank Stanton | July 07, 2010 at 01:31 PM
Wall Street is just practice for an accounting job in Hollywood where the real thieves do business.
Posted by: Joe | July 07, 2010 at 02:02 PM
Nice! The little guy finally wins!
BTW did anyone ever watch Nash Bridges? I lived in San Francisco and never saw one episode.
Aimlow Joe was here.
http://www.aimlow.com
Posted by: Aimlow Joe | July 07, 2010 at 02:29 PM
Congratulations to Don Johnson! I loved the television show Miami Vice and miss it a lot due to Don Johnson being the star, he was wonderful and made the show the great success that it was. Don Johnson deserves every penny owed him.
Posted by: Nana | July 07, 2010 at 02:41 PM
I never saw an episode of Nash Bridges, but damn he was on fire with pastel on Miami Vice. No one could ever end the sentence with "pal" like he did.
Posted by: Alex "Sonny" Reyes | July 07, 2010 at 02:51 PM
Funny how no production company in Hollywood ever seems to make a profit, at least when it comes to paying other parties. All it takes is a team of weaselly accountants.
Posted by: Dirk | July 07, 2010 at 03:13 PM
Now it will just take two or three more years to get through all the apeals and Don will be lucky to end up with half....
Posted by: Tom | July 07, 2010 at 03:38 PM
I just read that Harry Potter - which grossed $973 MILLION supposedly made NO money according to the studio.
Glad Johnson one - perhaps this is a harbinger of things to come.
Posted by: Honestrob | July 07, 2010 at 03:45 PM
Sorry, Dirk, "foundering" was correctly used here. The meanings of the two words are similar and either word could fit, dependent upon how the reader perceives the current state of Johnson's career.
Posted by: Erik | July 07, 2010 at 03:46 PM
Umm, Dirk? Foundering is correct. I have no idea what floundering would be...fishing for flounder? Here's a definition of floundering:
3. to become wrecked; fail utterly: The project foundered because public support was lacking.
Posted by: Richard | July 07, 2010 at 03:59 PM
Way to go Don!!! I remember J Garner had the same problem with Universal..He even punched one of the guys who robbed him..Gotta love it...p.s. i worked with you in a 'Police Story" way back when..Glad to see Actors finally kickin' suits butt!
Posted by: Andrew Masset | July 07, 2010 at 04:03 PM
Don Johnson's lawyers don't dispute that the show didn't make a profit as of yet. It's prob b/c it hasn't been released on DVD yet. So can't compare it to Harry Potter. Too bad juries of our peers usually involve people who can't read.
Posted by: Weston | July 07, 2010 at 04:27 PM
Actually, Weston, the first 3 seasons of Nash Bridges are available on dvd. I've been renting them through Netflix. I just hope they hurry up and release the rest of the seasons soon!
Posted by: Courtney | July 08, 2010 at 06:03 AM
Like someone already wrote, due to the appeals process, this is gonna drag on for some time and he might not collect all that $$$ anyway.
Posted by: Wise 'ol geezer | July 08, 2010 at 07:23 AM