How NCIS’ Mark Harmon Nearly Replaced Don Johnson In Miami Vice
Don Johnson was the co-lead of the iconic ’80’s series Miami Vice, but here’s why NCIS’ Mark Harmon was in the running to replace him during season 3.
Following a pay dispute on Miami Vice, Don Johnson came close to being replaced by NCIS’ Mark Harmon. NBC’s Miami Vice debuted in 1984 and followed vice cops Crockett (Don Johnson) and Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas). What sets the show apart from other police series of the era is its glossy, cinematic sheen and fashion, in addition to its MTV-style pacing and use of music. Miami Vice was simply unlike any other show on television at the time, which propelled it to become a major success.
Miami Vice episodes played out like mini-movies, and the chemistry between Johnson and Thomas made it gripping TV. It was also a showcase for an almost embarrassing number of future movie stars making guest appearances, including Bruce Wills, Helena Bonham Carter, Julia Roberts and Liam Neeson. Miami Vice ended after a five-season run in 1990, with producer Michael Mann later reviving the franchise for a movie adaptation in 2006. The Miami Vice movie cast Colin Farrell as Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Tubbs, but while the film was a box- office disappointment at the time, it’s since been reappraised as a cult favorite.
Miami Vice also had a huge impact on pop culture in general, being heavily referenced in the likes of the Bad Boys movies or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. When it came to casting, actors such as Nick Nolte or Mickey Rourke were first considered for Crockett, and the success of Miami Vice cemented the stardom of eventual lead Don Johnson (Blood & Oil). However, when filming of Miami Vice season 3 was gearing up in 1986, the actor felt his salary per episode – estimated to be around $35,000 – wasn’t in keeping with the series’ huge success. When his request for a higher salary was refused, Johnson walked off filming the planned season 3 opener “El Viejo.” Universal played hardball following this, threatening the actor with a breach of contract lawsuit and lining up Mark Harmon to replace him as Miami Vice’s lead.
According to insider reports at the time, both Harmon and Deep Rising star Treat Williams were being strongly considered to replace Don Johnson on Miami Vice, although the show would have cast them as new characters instead of replacements for Crockett. At the time, Mark Harmon (who quit NCIS in 2021) had just left hit medical drama St. Elsewhere and was even crowned People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” that same year. Universal’s lawsuit, according to a Washington Post article at the time, would also have prevented Johnson from seeking employment elsewhere until his contract on Miami Vice ran out in 1991.
The Don Johnson Miami Vice holdout was over quickly, as hours after the lawsuit was filed, the star and studio reached an agreement. Johnson’s pay was said to be bumped up to around $65,000 per episode, while neither Mark Harmon nor Treat Williams appeared on Miami Vice. While talk of a Miami Vice reboot surfaces occasionally – with Vin Diesel once set to produce a new series in 2017 – there has yet to be a revival.
