Sonny Crockett
| James Crockett | |
|---|---|
| Miami Vice character | |
 Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett |
|
| First appearance | Brother's Keeper/Pilot |
| Portrayed by | Don Johnson (series) Colin Farrell (film) |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Sonny |
| Aliases | Sonny Burnett |
| Occupation | Metro-Dade Police (series) Miami-Dade Police (film) |
| Title | Detective |
| Family | Jack Crockett (brother, series) |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline (ex-wife, series) Caitlin Davies (killed in series) |
| Children | Billy Crockett (with Caroline) |
| Relatives | Jake Crockett (cousin, series) |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
Detective James "Sonny" Crockett is a fictional character from the Miami Vice television series and film of the same name. The character is portrayed by Don Johnson in the television series, and Colin Farrell in the movie version of the show. He was introduced in the Miami Vice pilot in 1984 and appeared in all 111 episodes and in the motion picture. The character has also appeared in numerous video games as well as in various popular culture references.
Contents |
Appearances [edit]
Television [edit]
James Crockett (born circa 1950), more commonly known as Sonny Crockett, is a former University of Florida Gators football star,[1] he sustained an injury which put an end to his sports career. He was subsequently drafted by the US Army, and served in the 1st Cavalry Division and in the Special Forces. he served two tours in Vietnam – or as he calls it, the "Southeast Asia Conference". He first appears in the pilot episode of Miami Vice (1984) as an undercover vice cop on the trail of a Colombian drug lord. While undercover he meets Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), an NYPD undercover officer, who too is on the trail of a drug dealer and cop killer, Calderone (Miguel Pinero). Unbeknownst to them, Calderone and the Colombian are the same person that they are looking for. Crockett and Tubbs both go undercover as Sonny Burnett and Rico Cooper respectively, to try to get close to Calderone. They are successful and in the end capture him. Just as they go to see him in jail, Calderone made his $2 million bail and is on his way out of the country. Crockett promises Tubbs, that they will get him, but as reconciliation asks him if he is interested in a career in Southern Law Enforcement. There begins their new partnership as Vice Cops for the Metro-Dade Police Department (now Miami-Dade Police Department).
The name "Sonny Crockett" had previously been used for a criminal played by actor Dennis Burkley on Hill Street Blues in 1983, where creator Anthony Yerkovich was a writer. Coincidentally, Gregory Sierra who later played Crockett's boss on "Vice" appeared in the same episodes.
Film [edit]
For the 2006 film adaptation of Miami Vice, James "Sonny" Crockett was completely reinvented and thus had no relation to the television series character. He had no backstory, like in the series where he was married and later divorced, the film version of Sonny Crockett only has a backstory for his undercover alias, Sonny Burnett.[2] The television version of Crockett carried a lot of baggage onto the set such as divorces, dead partners, and Vietnam, and so the new Crockett, by contrast, could travel light and sleek, with no back stories to burden the picture with exposition.[2][3]
Characterization [edit]
For the 2006 film, Colin Farrell stated, "If I was to think about the early Crockett, I would have been in trouble because I would have been arguing over the suits that I wanted to wear and no socks with my slip-ons, and all that kind of stuff". Furthermore, Farrell didn't look to Johnson's portrayal for much inspiration.[4]
Reception [edit]
Awards and Recognitions [edit]
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Nominated | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Don Johnson[5] |
| 1986 | Winner | Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama | Don Johnson[6] |
| 1987 | Nominated | Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama | Don Johnson[6] |
Impact on popular culture [edit]
In 2006, inline with the release of the feature film, a Det. James "Sonny" Crockett action figure was released. It included a figure of Crockett and a plastic alligator.[7] In 2006, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is released, and includes a character based on Crockett, who interacts with Lance Vance, voiced by Philip Michael Thomas, and Phil Collins himself,[8] who performs a full length in-game version of "In the Air Tonight".
The vice-principal in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide wears exactly the same clothes that Crockett wears throughout the series.
In Back to the Future: The Game, Sonny Crockett is one of the pseudonyms that the player can choose for Marty McFly.
Sonny's backstory of college football prowess and being a Vietnam War veteran were transferred onto the character Bobby Bridges on Don Johnson's other cop show Nash Bridges.
In the TV comedy series 30 Rock, Kenneth Parcell has a pet parakeet called Sonny Crockett,[9] but the fact he'd owned it for 60 years[10] suggests it wasn't named for the character.
In the game Left for Dead 2, the character Nick wears the same exact clothes as Sonny Crockett and even talks like him.
In the video game Far Cry 3 the character Willis Huntley looks and dresses exactly like Sonny Crockett.
References [edit]
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (1985-06-28). "Critics' Choice; Broadcast TV". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ^ a b Scott, A.O. (2006-07-28). "'Miami Vice': Operatic Passions, Yet Cool in the Heat". New York Times (www.nytimes.com). Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ^ Travers, Peter (2006-07-20). "Miami Vice: Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (2006-07-26). "'Miami Vice' makes series of changes". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
- ^ "Advanced Primetime Awards Search". Academy of Television Arts and Science. www.emmys.tv. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
- ^ a b "Miami Vice". Hollywood Foreign Press Association/Golden Globes. www.hfpa.org. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
- ^ "Mezco Toyz Miami Vice Detective James "Sonny" Crockett Action Figure". Superherotoys.com. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- ^ Paphides, Pete (2008-04-25). "Phil Collins casually serves notice of his retirement". Times Online (London). Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- ^ Season 2, Episode 5. http://www.tv.com/30-rock/greenzo/episode/1138275/trivia.html
- ^ 30 Rock episode "Cutbacks"
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