A Rather Comprehensive List of Famous Guest Stars Who Appeared on ‘Miami Vice’

Bruce Willis playing arms dealer extraordinaire Tony Amato in Miami Vice’s first season.
Four months later, he was trading barbs with Cybill Shepherd as P.I. David Addison in Moonlighting pic.twitter.com/w9NClkIizv

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Photographer Daniel Holland has Tweeted out a rather comprehensive list of famous actors and musicians who once guest-starred on the 1980s NBC series Miami Vice.

Season 4 is when Julia Roberts made an appearance as Polly Wheeler, an art gallery manager/drug dealer’s assistant with a penchant for bad boys. And Sonny is just her type. pic.twitter.com/sZ0XOAoMjl

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Here we have Ben Stiller playing a small-time con named Fast Eddie Felcher in season 4 episode 2.
Miami Vice was his third acting gig. pic.twitter.com/KIoVxwwqgr

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

In season 3 Steve Buscemi was the middleman for a Bolivian drug lord who sort of got his ass kicked by Willie Nelson. (Yes that Willie Nelson) pic.twitter.com/Ti1oposV39

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Nelson plays a semi-bad guy who takes the law into his own hands before biting the dust at the end of the show. pic.twitter.com/7cW8MZAji9

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Benicio del Toro at around 20 had a bit part on Miami Vice in 1987 as Pito, an ex-con-turned-thespian with a local theater group, Mi Vida Loca. pic.twitter.com/E24kJSxfNg

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

In its 3rd season, “When Irish Eyes Are Crying,” Detective Gina Calabrese (Saundra Santiago) falls for an Irish philanthropist—played by Liam Neeson—who turns out to be a former IRA member and current terrorist. pic.twitter.com/tVnjUxRl65

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Stanley Tucci with hair (ish) appeared in season 3 of Miami Vice as crime lord Frank Mosca.
He’d appeared previously on the show as the adoptive father of a smuggled baby and that went so well they asked him back to be a bad guy. pic.twitter.com/hmMXv4n7kw

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Back when he was still going by Larry, Laurence Fishburne played a prison guard sizing up Tubbs, who was sent to the clink undercover in order to bust up an in-house drug operation.

Turns out that Larry is one of the guys behind it!! ? pic.twitter.com/RTTBVN44a3

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

If there’s one thing an undercover cop should never do, it’s fall in love with a prostitute. Which is exactly what Bill Paxton, as Vic Romano, does. Much to the dismay of a pimp named Silk, played by Wesley Snipes pic.twitter.com/DgiXT0fYyj

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Miami Vice wasn’t above using the same actor twice in different roles (see Stanley Tucci further up the thread)

This worked out to the benefit of Ving Rhames who plays a hapless man held hostage, and then went on to play a hardened criminal with a BRILLIANT flat-top. pic.twitter.com/xvRtzbe3Mm

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

In 1987 Ian McShane appeared Season 3’s “Knock, Knock… Who’s There?” with an amazing Latino accent.
He later played a General/dictator who plans on leaving his country, betraying the drug dealers who funded his rise to power.
Crockett & Tubbs are tasked to keep him alive! pic.twitter.com/JMX0AO6lxj

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

This is where it starts to get REALLY surreal.
Leonard Cohen appears Season 2, (“French Twist”)
Initially the plan was for Cohen to portray the main villain but his role was cut to two phone conversations totalling a minute and a half.

Cohen as a villain? Yes please! pic.twitter.com/4abzhM1q9e

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Pam Grier had a reoccurring role (rightfully so) as Valerie Gordon, a NYPD Detective and on-again, off-again love interest for Tubbs in the episodes ” Rites of Passage”, ” The Prodigal Son “, and ” Too Much, Too Late “.
She also kicked ass a lot. pic.twitter.com/VPW5jRA8zL

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

In season 4 @theharryshearer makes an appearance. The squad is on the trail of a stolen canister containing priceless semen of a prized bull called Gargantua. A dangerous Cuban spy is also after the canister, but why?…. pic.twitter.com/nb1CLsdusq

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Frank Zappa was known for many things but acting wasn’t really one of them. That’s why it was such a surprise to see him on Miami Vice. Here he plays an intimidatingly persistent character hell-bent on recovering a large sum of money. pic.twitter.com/1t41j61VoM

— Daniel Holland? (@DannyDutch) August 4, 2021

Here’s Cohen playing his role as a bad guy on a Season 2 episode of the series.