Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, New York, Johnson served a 15-year prison sentence for a drug-related charge. His conviction occurred during the national war on drugs, and before New York State began to reform its notorious Rockefeller drug laws.
While incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Johnson discovered the prison’s theater program and was initially skeptical, saying “We are in a maximum-security facility and you want me to run around in tights talking about to be or not to be?” Johnson takes the leap though, and the film’s archival excerpts of his in-prison performances alongside his compelling narrative reveal how the dramatic arts impacted his ability to self-correct and express empathy.
He describes his mental and emotional transformation as liberating, concluding “I found my freedom behind those walls.”
Johnson has appeared in the following:
Sing Sing (2023), the feature film based on his actual RTA participation.
Star of the short film, Behind These Walls (2022) that is featured in Unlocked: The Power of Arts in Prison (2021)
The Producers musical comedy by Mel Brooks (2005).
