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David Johansen

David Johansen

Actor, also composer · Died February 28, 2025, aged 75 · Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA

David Roger Johansen (January 9, 1950 – February 28, 2025) was an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter. David has appeared in several films including Car 54, Where Are You? and Scrooged with Bill Murray.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 9, 1950
Died
February 28, 2025 (aged 75)
From
Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also composer
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 30% in 30 days

What are David Johansen's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 13th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
29%
Self
25%
Bonds
18%
Morality
17%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Ideas
3%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 4 of 6 analyzed roles.

Trickster
4 of 6
Hero
1 of 6
Ally
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
7
Tense
5
Absurd
6
Contemplative
6
Thrilling
5
Other
14

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Johansen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Johansen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Centaurworld(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · as Beartaur (voice)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Above the Shadows(2019)

    as Ron

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Vince Giordano: There's a Future in the Past(2016)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Very Murray Christmas(2015)

    as The Bartender

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Glass Chin(2014)

    as Stanley Loori

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • New York Dolls: Lookin' Fine on Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • New York Rock at the BBC (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Actor

  • Teen Titans(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Ding Dong Daddy Dowd (voice)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Crooked Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Charlie

  • God Is On Their Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as God

  • Campfire Stories(2001)

    as Ranger Bill

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Deadline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Benny

  • 200 Cigarettes(1999)

    as Tiki Bartender

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Tic Code(1998)

    as Marvin

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Nick and Jane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Carter

  • The Deli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as The Cabbie

  • Oz(1997)

    Show 3 episodes · as Eli Zabitz

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Cats Don't Dance(1997)

    as Bus Driver (voice)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Weinerville Chanukah Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Gonsah K'nocker (as Buster Poindexter)

  • Burnzy's Last Call(1995)

    as Andre

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Car 54, Where Are You?(1994)

    as Officer Gunther Toody

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Naked in New York(1993)

    as Orangutang

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Nanny(1993)

    Composer · as Thanatos

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel(1991)

    as Auggie

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Freejack(1992)

    as Brad Carter

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Darkside: The Movie(1990)

    as Halston (segment ‘Cat From Hell’)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Let It Ride(1989)

    as Looney

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Ventures: 30 Years of Rock 'n' Roll (30th Anniversary Super Session) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Actor

  • Scrooged(1988)

    as Ghost of Christmas Past

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Married to the Mob(1988)

    as 'The Priest'

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Candy Mountain(1987)

    Composer · as Keith Burns

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Equalizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Garnet

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Singer at Party

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 4 episodes · as Buster Poindexter · as Self - Musical Guest

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 34 titles from 1975 to 2021; peak year 1988.

Biggest box office

Scrooged (1988)

$60M worldwide

Highest rated

New York Doll (2005)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Freejack (1992)

Film career

19752021

Peak 1988 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting34 of 34: 32 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdMusic2 of 34: 0 only music, 2 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s7 · 7 acting · 1 crew1990s14 · 14 acting · 1 crew2000s6 · acting2010s5 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 9% of 11 roles
8893

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do David Johansen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 24 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)

83rd percentile spread · 77% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Oz (1997)

Midcredits 96th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 56/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 33. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is David Johansen's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does David Johansen work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Johansen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arthur Kane shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors