Edward James Olmos looks back on his Miami Vice days: ‘It was nuts’
Break out the pastels and Versace. It’s time to celebrate the iconic TV show that put the 305 on the map.
The 41st annual Annual Miami Vice Reunion (MV41) returns to town Sept. 9–14.
Nostalgic fans from around the world can attend events like screenings, meet and greets and dinners alongside some of the original cast members and crew from the legendary NBC cop drama that ran from 1984 to 1989.
Read more: ‘Miami Vice’ went off the air three decades ago. Here’s how it changed a city and TV
Alas, we doubt stars Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas — who played well dressed partners Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, respectively — will make a cameo.
But we do know that Edward James Olmos, their mysterious, taciturn boss at the Metro Dade Police Department’s OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) will be on hand.
A scan of the MV41 schedule shows that Olmos, who recently beat throat cancer, will be busy. On the morning of Sept. 11, the 78-year-old Angeleno will host a party aboard a yacht (limited to 15 VIPs), then the following night is a dinner at Yuca 105 on Washington Avenue.
“I am going to say hi to all the people who came out and just enjoyed the hell out of the show,” he told the Miami Herald by phone Friday.
Even after star turns in such classic movies as “Stand and Deliver,” “American Me” and “Selena,” Olmos still has a soft spot for Lt. Marty Castillo, a role which nabbed him both an Emmy and Golden Globe. When he got hired, after the original police chief was killed off, he said he decided to go the method acting route.
Even though he knew Johnson and Thomas before the gig (“great guys”), Olmos wanted them to really feel as if he were their superior.
“I never smiled, I refused to look at them when I talked. It was nuts,” Olmos recalled. “But it worked! It really brought the tension to the structure of the show. Off set, we were fine.”
Also part of his creative genius: he told producers not to buy him expensive clothes to authentically look the part of a public servant.
“I didn’t want the sharp, designer stuff that you would see on the runways,” he said. “I purposely said no. I wanted Castillo in plain, wash and wear suits from Woolworth’s. Unironed.”
While back in the area, Olmos plans to hit up some old haunts from back in the day like Joe’s Stone Crab and “little spots” on Calle Ocho. Unfortunately, his favorite deli, Rascal House, is gone now (”It was wonderful.”)
Before the trip, we had to ask Olmos his impressions of his old stomping grounds in present day, with flashy condos going up every minute, replacing “God’s waiting room.”
“We were ahead of our time,” he said. “South Beach became exactly what we predicted it to be.”
MV41 Reunion
For a full list of events and activities and tickets go to https://miamiviceevents.com
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 4:30 AM.
