The Miami Vice Character You Didn’t Realize Bill Russell Played

Throughout its time on the air, “Miami Vice” had quite a few famous guest stars. In fact, there are probably more than a few famous actors you forgot showed up on “Miami Vice.” Bill Russell was just one of the many talented individuals to make an appearance on the series. 

In Season 2, Episode 18 (“The Fix”) of the NBC series, Russell played Judge Roger Ferguson, a character who comes from a poor neighborhood, got a basketball scholarship, and eventually went All-Pro before taking on the gavel and robe to serve justice. Unfortunately, the judge has a bad reputation among cops because of his tendency to deliver weak sentences for violent criminals. 

In fact, the judge finds himself at odds with James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) when he sets an outrageously low bail for a recent arrestee of the iconic duo. Unsurprisingly, Sonny and Rico quickly realize that something isn’t right. When they investigate the matter, they discover that the judge has a severe gambling problem, escalating to the point where he is forced to ask his son, a basketball star on the rise, to throw a game so he can settle his debts. 

Although Russell is more likely to be remembered for his work outside of Hollywood, remembering this brief role is just one piece of honoring the late basketball star’s long life.