The very talented Leonard Cohen certainly had more than one trick up his sleeve. The late poet/literary laureate’s vast career encompassed writing poetry and books, music and acting – which brings us to this rare and precious artefact. 

Cohen often liked to switch things up throughout his six-decade career, but this 1986 cameo appearance in the prime-time extravaganza, Miami Vice might one of his wilder choices. Cohen appeared in Season two, Episode 17: French Twist, as Francois Zolan – a detective working with Interpol to hunt down a fugitive, who may or may not have something to do with the random alligator that appears in the scene. Cohen appears in a suave cut suit as he delivers his lines in French. 

Watch the priceless cameo below. 

Apparently, it was Cohen’s son, a Miami Vice fan who influenced his surprising decision to appear on the show. However, Cohen once told Q Magazine that, unfortunately, his acting method wasn’t exactly what the production team were looking for, saying: “In truth, I had a much bigger part. I went down there and did my first scene and the assistant director rang me up and said, ‘You were really great, truly wonderful’.” 

“And I said, ‘OK, thanks a lot.’ Then the casting director from New York called me up and said, ‘You were fantastic, truly wonderful!’ And I said, ‘You mean I’m fired.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, we’re cutting all your other scenes and giving them to another guy.'”

Imagine being the guy who replaced Leonard Cohen on Miami Vice. 

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