In 1987, a 22-year-old Ben Stiller made a memorable splash on NBC’s Miami Vice, stepping into the role of a fast-talking con man. The character, Fast Eddie Felcher, attempts to outmaneuver Crockett and Tubbs in a tense satellite-broadcast dispute, delivering a high-energy turn that cut through the show’s glossy surface.
Raised as the son of comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, the young actor had already begun carving out a wider path. His Miami Vice appearance helped reveal his broader range just as he was building toward later milestones in film and television, including a stint on Saturday Night Live and his own show a few years later. His early work in Empire of the Sun and John Guare’s stage piece The House of Blue Leaves added texture to a career that would soon bloom on screen.
The episode, which aired in October 1987, arrived as Miami Vice was navigating a changing television landscape. Stiller’s brisk, volatile turn stood out against the show’s signature sleekness, and the experience helped propel him toward a rapid ascent in entertainment — from scene-stealing guest work to leading roles in comedies like Flirting with Disaster and the blockbuster hit There’s Something About Mary.
The Miami Vice moment is frequently cited as a springboard that hinted at the future star’s range and timing, traits that would define his later work in both film and television.
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