David Johansen


Actor, Singer

About

Also Known As
Buster Poindexter, David Doll
Born
January 09, 1950

Biography

Although David Johansen is known first and foremost as frontman of the legendary New York Dolls, one of the biggest influences on the nascent 1970s punk explosion, he has long maintained a side career as an actor. Indeed, Johansen spent the majority of the 1980s and early '90s inhabiting the role of suave lounge lizard Buster Poindexter, a character Johansen developed during a club resid...

Family & Companions

Cyrindra Foxe
Wife
Has one son.
Cyrindra Foxe
Wife
Model. Divorced; later married rock musician Steven Tyler.

Biography

Although David Johansen is known first and foremost as frontman of the legendary New York Dolls, one of the biggest influences on the nascent 1970s punk explosion, he has long maintained a side career as an actor. Indeed, Johansen spent the majority of the 1980s and early '90s inhabiting the role of suave lounge lizard Buster Poindexter, a character Johansen developed during a club residency in his native New York City. Improbably, Poindexter proved more popular than the influential but meager-selling New York Dolls ever were, appearing regularly on "Saturday Night Live" and other television shows; his soca-flavored 1987 hit, "Hot Hot Hot," was the sole Top 40 hit Johansen ever scored. Around the same time that Poindexter started percolating into the mainstream, Johansen began appearing in films and TV shows under his own name. Guest shots on popular series like "Miami Vice" and "The Equalizer" coincided with meatier roles in films like Robert Frank's "Candy Mountain," Jonathan Demme's "Married To The Mob," and the Bill Murray family hit "Scrooged," in which he played the Ghost of Christmas Past as a sardonic Manhattan cab driver. Johansen's sole starring role was as Officer Gunther Toody in a 1994 big-screen take on the 1960s sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You? " alongside John C. McGinley and Fran Drescher.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Glass Chin (2014)
The Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music (2007)
New York Doll (2005)
Himself
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2004)
Himself
Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
Himself
200 Cigarettes (1999)
The Tic Code (1998)
Marvin
Cats Don't Dance (1997)
Voice
Burnzy's Last Call (1997)
Nick and Jane (1996)
Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
Mr. Nanny (1993)
Desire & Hell at Sunset Motel (1992)
Freejack (1991)
Brad Hines
Tales From The Darkside: The Movie (1990)
Let It Ride (1989)
Scrooged (1988)
Light Years (1988)
Voice
Married To The Mob (1988)
Candy Mountain (1987)
The Blank Generation (1978)

Music (Feature Film)

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2018)
Song Performer
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Song Performer
Glass Chin (2014)
Song
The Three Stooges (2012)
Song
Kick-Ass (2010)
Song
Get Him to the Greek (2010)
Song
Adventureland (2009)
Song
Four Christmases (2008)
Song Performer
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
Song Performer
Anamorph (2008)
Song Performer
Auto Focus (2002)
Song Performer
My Favorite Martian (1999)
Song Performer
Heart (1999)
Song
The Bachelor (1999)
Song Performer
Burnzy's Last Call (1997)
Music
The Deli (1997)
Song
Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
Song Performer
Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
Song
Mr. Nanny (1993)
Song Performer
Mr. Nanny (1993)
Music
Mr. Nanny (1993)
Song
The Dream Team (1989)
Song Performer
Scrooged (1988)
Song Performer
Casual Sex? (1988)
Song Performer
Candy Mountain (1987)
Music
China Girl (1987)
Song Performer
Stripper (1986)
Music
My Science Project (1985)
Song Performer
Fear City (1985)
Song Performer
Fear City (1985)
Song
Times Square (1980)
Song Performer
Times Square (1980)
Song

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

New York Doll (2005)
Other
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2004)
Other
Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
Other

Cast (Special)

Unauthorized Biography: Milo -- Death of a Supermodel (1997)
The Music of Kurt Weill: September Songs (1995)
Weinerville Chanukah Special (1995)
Stand Up (1995)
The Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade (1990)
The 2nd International Rock Awards (1990)
Presenter
Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening (1989)
Grammy Living Legends (1989)
Performer
Supermodel of the World (1989)
The Songwriters Hall of Fame 20th Anniversary... The Magic of Music (1989)
Performer
The 30th Annual Grammy Awards (1988)
Performer
CBS' HAPPY NEW YEAR AMERICA (1987)

Music (Special)

The Music of Kurt Weill: September Songs (1995)
Song Performer
The Walt Disney World Happy Easter Parade (1990)
Song Performer
The Songwriters Hall of Fame 20th Anniversary... The Magic of Music (1989)
Song Performer
Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening (1989)
Song Performer
Grammy Living Legends (1989)
Song Performer
CBS' HAPPY NEW YEAR AMERICA (1987)
Song Performer

Life Events

Companions

Cyrindra Foxe
Wife
Has one son.
Cyrindra Foxe
Wife
Model. Divorced; later married rock musician Steven Tyler.

Bibliography