Casting for Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice ’85 continues to heat up with new additions that make this throwback a must-see. According to Deadline, Michael Irby (Mayans M.C., Fast Five, Barry) will play Lt. Lou Rodriguez in the latest reboot of the fan favorite cop show. In addition to Irby, André Holland is also joining the star-studded cast, though the nature of his character remains a mystery.
A Classic Vice Legacy
When Miami Vice first exploded onto NBC screens, it wasn’t Edward James Olmos barking orders at Crockett and Tubbs. Long before Lt. Martin Castillo took over the Metro-Dade Vice Division, character actor Gregory Sierra held down the fort as Lou Rodriguez. But Sierra’s stint as the unit’s head honcho was short-lived; after just four episodes, he asked to be written off the show, preferring not to relocate his life to Miami. That exit cleared the floor for Olmos to make his legendary entrance as the stoic, brooding Lt. Castillo in Episode 6 of the inaugural season, forever changing the DNA of the classic crime drama.
A Heavy-Hitting Ensemble
Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan star in the film as Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, respectively, with Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, John Leguizamo, Danny Ramirez, and Walton Goggins leading the cast.
Returning to the Magic City
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but according to the studio’s description, the movie “will explore the glamour and corruption of mid-80’s Miami, inspired by the pilot episode and first season of the NBC television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking.”
The Cultural Impact of the 1984 Series
Miami Vice aired for five seasons on NBC from 1984 to 1989, totaling 111 episodes. It starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, alongside Edward James Olmos as Lieutenant Castillo. The show followed undercover vice detectives in Miami as they investigated drug trafficking, organized crime, and other criminal activity during the height of the 1980s drug trade.
It was a major hit, with the show having a more cinematic feel than audiences were used to on television. Toss in the hottest pop music chart-toppers and fantastic ’80s fashion, and it’s easy to see why Miami Vice has become such a beloved series.
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