Philip Michael Thomas As Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs
Detective Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs was initially played on the show by Philip Michael Thomas and went on to be portrayed by actor Jamie Foxx in the show’s 2006 feature film. He was the partner of undercover detective James “Sonny” Crockett, and one of the show’s main characters. Tubbs was loved by most of the show’s fans and ended up becoming a fashion icon due to his slick style.
He began as a detective in the Armed Robbery Division of the New York Police Department alongside his brother Rafael, until the latter was tragically murdered by the drug lord, Esteban Calderone. Tubbs was known as a skeptical, cynical and highly realistic character, in contrast with the much more brash Crockett.
Edward James Olmos As Martin "Marty" Castillo
When Lieutenant Rodriguez was suddenly shot and killed on the fourth episode of Miami Vice, he was quickly replaced by Detective Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo. Castillo used to work for the Drug Enforcement Administration and tended to keep his thoughts to himself. He always wore the same clothes, slept in the office, and was very stoic in his mannerisms.
Martin’s most popular and iconic persuasion tool is called the "Castillo Staredown", where he shows anger or criticism towards actors on the show by giving them a piercing judgemental staredown. Edward James Olmos, the actor who played Martin, received a lot of praise for his performance on the show and even landed an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Edward James Olmos– After the show
Although he has appeared in many films and TV Shows over the years (and still does today), Edward James Olmos is best known for his role as Martin on Miami Vice. He's an avid supporter of the Latino community and founded Latino Public Broadcasting. He currently serves as chairman of the institution.
Some of the actor's most popular roles include the recent Blade Runner 2049, where he played briefly as Gaff, and his brief roles in the popular TV shows ‘Battlestar Galactica’ and ‘Dexter’, both of which landed him various award nominations.
Philip Michael Thomas – Now
Philip Michael Thomas retired from acting after failing to get his acting career together once Miami Vice had ended. He appeared in numerous made-for-TV movies and advertisements for telephone psychic services, which arguably degraded some of his iconic past performances.
The actor's most popular recent role was actually as Lance Vance, a character from Rockstar's popular video games, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. You’d be shocked to find out that Thomas actually has eleven children, five from his previous marriage and six others from various previous relationships.
Charlie Barnett As Nugart "Noogie" Lamont
Noogie or -- as he preferred to refer to himself -- The Noogman, was a hard-boiled ex-con who helped the Vice team as an informant. He worked mostly for Crockett and Tubbs, helping them solve various drug cases. The character was played by the late actor and comedian, Charlie Barnett, and appeared in six episodes of the show.
His last appearance was season four's seventh episode, titled "Missing Hours", which premiered on November 13, 1987. Nugart was a comic-relief character and helped keep the show a lot lighter in episodes where he appeared.