Miami Vice Guest Stars Part 3: Top 10 "Others"

Since I want to finish strong with the long, long list of actors who have been Miami Vice guest stars, after reviewing musicians in Part One and actresses in Part Two, I thought I'd take a look at a group I've creatively named "Others." Not primarily actors or musicians, they're a diverse lot: a model, a comedian, an NBA legend, a corporate titan. I picked them as much for the oddity of their appearing in a prime time TV drama as for their "celebrity." In fact many of them wouldn't even make the cut for "The Surreal Life" or its many spawn.

10. Michael Bay
Today, Michael Bay is a A-list director of movies that feature lots of explosions and dramatic slo-mo shots of lead characters walking toward camera: "Bad Boys,""The Rock,""Armageddon," etc. In fact, Mr. Bay is often accused of the same "style over substance" charges that have been leveled at Miami Vice. And no doubt his own style was influenced by his time on the Vice set while playing a goon (and that's how his credit reads, "Goon") in Season 2's "Free Verse." Joining Michael at the craft service table that week were Jeremy Piven's dad and the jet-setting celebrity you'll see at #5.

9. Roberto Duran
Known both for having "Hands of Stone" and for his infamous "no mas" surrender to Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran was one of the world's top boxers through the Seventies and Eighties. While you might assume that Roberto was in the two-part boxing themed "Down for the Count," he actually played convict "Jesus Maroto" in Season 2's "Payback."

8. Iman
Lately known as Mrs. David Bowie, former supermodel Iman was the oddly spelled "Dakotah" in the "Back in the World" episode from Season 2--notable for being Don Johnson's directorial debut (he'd go on to direct four episodes in all). Possibly due to an exercising of his director's perogative--or because he figured he could save on some child support payments--Patty D'Arbanville, the mother of his son Jesse, also made an appearance in that episode. As did ...

7. G. Gordon Liddy
Formerly a Watergate "plumber" and currently an irascible right-wing talk show host, Liddy made two appearances on Vice: "Back in the World" from Season 2, and "Stone's War" from Season 3. In both he played politician/drug dealer "Colonel Maynard," a blast from Sonny's Vietnam past. "Stone's War" is also notable for the introduction of another important Vice character: Sonny's white Ferrari Testarossa.

6. Leonard Cohen
Poet, novelist, and member of the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame for his work as a songwriter (he also was a "singer," though he did more of a melodic spoken word kind of thing), Leonard Cohen's on-screen credits as an actor are quite limited. But one of those is Interpol agent Francois Zolan in Season 2's "French Twist"--another doozy from the pun-happy Vice episode titlers.

5. Bianca Jagger
Former Mrs. Mick and Studio 54 denzien Bianca Jagger was "Carmen" or "La Muerta" in Season 2's "Free Verse." Assumedly she mostly went with "Carmen" since introducing herself as "La Muerta" would have blown her cover as a deadly assassin. In this case, she was out to kill a Latin American poet (played by the aformentioned Jeremy Piven's dad).

4. Don King
In a big stretch, boxing promoter and hairstyle icon Don King played boxing promoter "Don Cash" in Season 2's two-part "Down for the Count." Of course, you always get the sense that Don King is playing a character named "Don King" anyway.

3. Lee Iacocca
Addressing the dearth of Fortune 500 CEOs appearing in cop shows, former head of Chrysler Lee Iacocca had an uncredited role as Parks Commissioner in the finale to Season 2, "Sons and Lovers." This is the kind of completely random casting that I love about Vice.

2. Bill Russell
With 11 NBA Championships and five league MVP wins, Bill Russell is certainly the most accomplished athlete to appear on Vice. In the gambling-themed "The Fix" from Season 2, Russell plays "Judge Ferguson," a degenerate gambler being hounded by a bookie played by none other than a pre-Kramer Michael Richards. Former NBA All-Star Bernard King also appeared as Russell's son, a college basketball player.

Hey look, a video!


1. Chris Rock
You're probably saying, isn't Chris Rock an actor? Well, did you see "Beverly Hills Ninja" or "Pootie Tang?" If so, you'd feel more comfortable classifying him as a comedian. Any acting ability he has was on early display as techy file clerk "Carson" in the "Missing Hours" episode from Season 4. Not sure what went on in that episode, though apparently Trudy had an encounter with a UFO. In any show not named "The X Files," that's not a good sign.

And here's Mr. Rock in action, another reason to love (or hate) YouTube.


Other Guest-Starring, uh, Others: Tommy Chong, Peter Allen, John Matuszak, Danny Sullivan, Penn, Teller, Emo Phillips

Don't forget about Top 10 Guest Star Actresses and Top 10 Guest Star Musicians