Ben Stiller was a scene stealer when he appeared in the 1980s crime thriller series

As the son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, one of the greatest comedy duos of the 20th century, it’s probably tempting for people who can’t spot real talent to dismiss Ben Stiller as an unwelcome child. But it was always so much more than that. The 22-year-old Stiller made an impression on media-savvy people in 1987 when he made small but memorable appearances in “Empire of the Sun” by Steven Spielberg. “American Playhouse” broadcast of John Goyer’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece “The House of Blue Leaves” and a hilarious, high-energy performance in a Season 4 episode of “Miami Vice.”

When the episode in question, “Amen…Send the Money,” aired on NBC on October 2, 1987, “Miami Vice” was struggling in the Nielsen ratings. The writing, performances and direction were still far superior to most shows on network television. The main character actors were still booking roles on the show – in fact, the aforementioned episode featured strong portrayals of rival and corrupt televangelists from Brian Dennehy and James Tolkan (best known as the zombie-hating Deputy Director Strickland from Back to the Future). But the widely imitated costumes of Don Johnson (Sonny Crockett) and Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo Tubbs) have lost their luminous luster. Again, the writing was still great, but the show was sold on its style, and the majority of the show’s viewers were tired of the eye candy.

It helped when the series played to its strengths and found a boldly talented actor who could step up and try to break Crockett and Tubbs’ all-seeing facade. Ben Stiller went all out on his episode of “Miami Vice” (a show without We won’t have the Golden Girls.“).

As motor-mouthed con man Fast Eddie Felcher (I was old enough to get a nasty kick from that last name in 1987), Stiller dominates his big scene By trying to snow Crockett and Tubbs. Unfortunately for Eddie, the investigators are aware of his criminal past; They know he executed a brazen land fraud scheme by selling mobile lots in Gulfstream. He’s spent 18 months in prison for his sins, but now that he’s involved in the illegal business of robbing religious fanatics, Detective Eddie’s character can provide value in a satellite feud between Dennehy and the twisted Tolkan holy men.

Stiller was amazing in the scene, which likely helped him find his way to “Saturday Night Live” and, a year later, to the brilliant “The Ben Stiller Show.” As far as films go, I don’t think Stiller really found his groove until his lead performance in David O. Russell’s Flirting with Disaster. Two years later, he starred in There’s Something About Mary, at which point he cemented his status as an A-list movie star. I think Stiller is a great actor, but I might prefer him in supporting roles where he can launch into a scene and then step back once his amazing work is done. It didn’t have to be a comedy bit, as he proved Brat Pack drama “Fresh Horses”.