Don Johnson ‘bullied’ Chace Crawford into signing on to ‘Blood and Oil’

Playing a teenager on one of the most popular young adult dramas of the era on “Gossip Girl” might make anyone hesitant to dive back into the TV world, but Chace Crawford eventually found the right project in “Blood and Oil,” a new drama about frackingboomtowns in North Dakota.

“It’s nice to play an adult, to play a real boy,” said Crawford, speaking at the Television Critics Association press tour today. “I wanted to do something completely different.”

It’s safe to say that fracking is pretty far from the elite world private schools inManhattan, but Crawford had a little help deciding to sign on: Co-star Don Johnson joking says he “bullied” him into it.

“I called him and questioned his intelligence if he didn’t take the role,” admitted Johnson. The call had the desired effect: “I had the biggest grin on my face,” said Crawford of receiving a call from the famed “Miami Vice” star. “I had to wrap my head around getting in TV again.”

But all turned out well in the end: “Shooting the pilot exceeded my expectations. It turned out phenomenal,” Crawford said.