Don Johnson on That Threesome and All His Suitors

Note: This story contains spoilers for the Nov. 14 episode of “Doctor Odyssey”

Don Johnson’s character on “Doctor Odyssey” is “a more modern kind of captain,” the actor told TheWrap ahead of Thursday night’s episode “Gay Week” episode, which means he’s unfazed when his once out-of-control younger brother (guest star John Stamos) reveals he’s part of a throuple.

“It’s a choice to be accepting and loving,” Johnson said on a Zoom call Thursday morning. “And I sort of took the adjustment that I’ve been through a lot with him already, in terms of his alcoholism and so on. And I know he’s gay, and this is a little bit surprising, but I am the brother who has no judgment.”

Johnson also answered the question of whether he knows about last week’s threesome with Avery (Phillipa Soo), Max (Josh Jackson) and Tristan (Sean Teale). “The captain knows everything. Nothing on that ship escapes the cap,” he said with a wink.

The actor, who is also a producer on the series, also discussed the captain’s own love life, which has already seen him romancing guest star Shania Twain and getting hit on by Gina Gershon and countless other female passengers.

TheWrap: Captain Robert is a pretty adaptable guy, as it turns out.

Don Johnson: I see the captain as a, shall we say, a more modern kind of captain. And the Odyssey lends itself to a variety of different things. And I think the Captain has to be Switzerland.

Does the Captain know about the Max-Avery-Tristan hookup in the previous episode? Because when he says he wants them all to be in “lock-step synch…” 

[Grins] The captain knows everything. Nothing on that ship escapes the cap.

Would he say something if he disapproved?

The ship is called the Odyssey, and it’s called that because it’s all about hedonism. I take fun very seriously. And I don’t think it’s the captain’s place to tell anybody what to do. 

Were you surprised there wasn’t a bigger reaction online to the threesome?

Well, I don’t think people are all that shocked, right? I think people are a lot more adventurous than maybe they want to admit.

I love it. Well, you’re right at home in the Ryan Murphy universe, where acceptance seems to be one of the underlying themes of the show.

I’m joyful that you said that, because that was the way that I designed the captain. I designed him as a more enlightened… when you’re in the people business, and that’s what he’s in, the running of the ship is almost incidental. It’s how he manages complete strangers, his crew, his people. This is his kingdom, not that he’s the king, but he is the father figure, the authoritarian. But I didn’t want to play him as an authoritarian. I wanted him to command respect, not demand it.

Can you talk about building that brotherly and a little bit fatherly relationship with Stamos’ character?

He clearly loves his brother and I think his brother loves him. What’s so interesting about some families is that the children and siblings are on completely different journeys, doing completely different things. They are different people. I’ve learned that because I have so many children. [Smiles] I took that as they just had different paths as people. And I’m 10 years his senior, or whatever we’re trying to get away with. [Laughs]

Age is relative on TV, right?

Listen, in my mind, I’m still 16 and unruly. [Laughs]

In the terminology of this episode, are you a daddy or a silver fox? 

Apparently I’m a silver fox. And Josh is the Daddy. I mean, I’m pretty erudite and culturally present, but when it got to “house down boots,” it was like, “Okay, I kind of feel like I know what that means, but I’m not gonna ask.”

This is your first time you’re working with Ryan Murphy. Was this more or less how you expected it would be?

He told me what his intentions were, and I’d read the pilot script, but I was overwhelmed when I actually saw the sets. I saw the possibility that this is a dream and anything can happen. And I love that premise. 

Are there more love interests coming up for the captain? And will we see Shania Twain again?

Well, I can’t divulge these things. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she came back.

I’ve noticed that a lot of women hit on the captain. Gina Gershon’s character was really into him.

I’ve still got it! [Laughs].

Do you have dream guest stars in mind, or friends of yours you’d like to see on the series?

Ryan Murphy made me an executive producer on this show. And I told him, “Okay, but I’m not doing the work.” [Laughs] They are so good at it, so I only step in when I see material that is out of character with what we’ve established. But I think I’ve done that maybe twice.

First of all, he is a genius when it comes to this world of legacy TV, and TV in general, and streaming. And he’s a remarkable storyteller, and he understands what entertainment is. And  listen, you can’t argue with the numbers. We went up 25% last week. We’re in a good place, right now. It’s nice, right?”

New episodes of “Doctor Odyssey” air Thursdays on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu