A Cameo appearance or a cameo is a brief appearance or voice part of a well known person in a work of the performing arts. You are probably wondering why I am telling you a definition of a cameo appearance and if you pay close attention to the title of the Top 10 then you will probably know that this week we will be talking about movie cameo appearances. Usually a great cameo role is when the actor’s star power immediately takes over the moment in the movie. Some films you might not know might have a huge actor doing a cameo appearance in the film. It’s a blink and you miss it moment. Then there are cameos that become a huge role in the film that they eventually take over the film. While the Muppet Movies and most of Kevin Smith’s movies have so many cameos that we could literally make a list for both of them, these entries on the list are special because they were either iconic or out of nowhere. Now I know the elephant in the room is going to be brought up but Stan Lee will not be included in this list, I mean after all I made a list for him already for cameo roles. Plus this list would be 60 percent Stan Lee. Let me know in the comments what your favorite movie cameo was and let’s countdown the Top 10 Movie Cameos of All Time.
Top 10 Movie Cameos of All Time 10. Hulk Hogan (Gremlins 2: The New Batch) – Before Hulk Hogan went full Hollywood in the 90’s, the former WWF Heavyweight Champion put on a classic cameo appearance in the Gremlins sequel. Gremlins 2: The New Batch had a lot of cameo appearances including Julie Sweeny and iconic film critic Leonard Martin but the most iconic cameo in the film comes from Hulk Hogan. Now Gremlins 2 is a very comedic movie and this scene in particular breaks the fourth wall. The scene where the cameo takes place has the Gremlins taking over a movie theater and playing some very provocative films. Yes you read that right in a film about the Gremlins the Gremlins themselves stop the movie we are watching at that present moment and put on a 4th wall break that take us out of the film for a couple minutes. The manager of the movie theater only could think of one way to stop the Gremlins and no it’s not by sunlight or killing them. Just simply getting Hulk Hogan to do the dirty work and he just happens to be watching a film in the theater. This cameo appearance is iconic as Hulk Hogan legit puts on a full promo on the Gremlins to put back on the scheduled film (Gremlins 2) and they finally listen after Hogan destroys a large popcorn, a large soda and rips his shirt off his body. The funniest moment is the man legit came into the theater not only fully clothed in his ring gear but with the WWF World Championship. The scene finishes with Hogan breaking the 4th wall himself and telling us the viewers to enjoy the rest of the movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCk5XnxI46U
9. Cate Blanchett (Hot Fuzz) – Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz is honestly a great buddy cop comedy action film that I recommend many people check out. Anyway before I get lost in the Cornetto Trilogy films, let’s talk about our entry on the list. Hot Fuzz has some very interesting cameos from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson playing a criminal dressed as Santa Claus to Steve Coogan playing an Inspector from the Metropolitan London Police. However a clever blink and you miss it cameo that many people will not notice is Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett. In this scene we see a forensic scientist team checking out a house that contained a murder. They are all wearing white lab suits with face masks and goggles. So it’s not shocking at all for us to not notice that under one of these face masked, white lab suit wearing scientist is Cate Blanchett. It’s also shocking to see her in this role considering she was coming off another huge Oscar nominated role in Notes of a Scandal. There have been many cameos like this one where you hear the actor talking and you feel like you know the voice but you just can’t see their face and this one in particular is a very incredible cameo that makes you want to watch the movie again and pay attention to the scene. It’s a very clever place to put in such a huge name for a cameo role and in the end it worked out quite nicely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkfBh3gYT4
8. Mike Tyson (The Hangover) – Fun fact, Mike Tyson at first turned this cameo appearance down but changed his mind when he found out who the director was. Todd Phillips might not be a hugest named director in the world but thankfully he directed Old School because Mike Tyson said yes to the role because he liked that film. Now let’s take you back to the schedule program and talk about this cameo appearance. The cameo appearance came out of nowhere as after all the fucked up shit the characters dealt with so far in the movie even they didn’t expect to be face to face with the boxing legend. In the scene the gang goes back to the hotel after a long day of searching for their friend Doug and hears the Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight” and they wonder if they left the radio on. They then bump into a strange man and wonder where he came from until they are all interrupted by Mike Tyson who then goes to the gang and sings the song badly before putting a beautiful punch to Alan. Tyson stole the scene and this scene in particular is one of the more iconic scenes in not only the film but the entire franchise. Tyson did so well that the director asked him to return for the sequel and Tyson accepted and returned for another cameo appearance in the end of the sequel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9NtxDYU8G4
7. Matt Damon (EuroTrip) – Matt Damon is no stranger to making random cameo appearances in films. From playing himself in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, playing an actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok to playing a local hillbilly in Deadpool 2, Matt Damon is a movie cameo professional. Now while EuroTrip is not the most well known film, this cameo appearance by Matt Damon is well known thanks to the song he performs in the film. “Scotty Doesn’t Know” has become a cult classic scene where we see Donny, the lead singer of the band Lustra, says he wrote the song for his new love monkey aka Scotty’s ex girlfriend Fiona. Oh not only do we get that big reveal but another big reveal happens in the song as the song is about the affair Fiona had with Scotty as she and Donny were hooking up while her and Scotty were together. Now believe it or not Matt Damon is Donny and it’s a pretty random cameo appearance from Matt Damon and out of nowhere but it is done perfectly well in the film. It comes complete with multiple ear piercings, a tattoo on the right side of his neck and Damon’s head was fully shaved for the role. This cameo appearance might be Damon’s best cameo appearance in his long list of cameo appearances but this appearance by far is pretty iconic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhbOb6fYvLc
6. Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street) – When it was announced that an 80’s T.V show was getting a movie reboot there was a lot of people questioning who would star in the film and if we were going to see anyone from the original cast in the film. Now in most reboots we usually see a former star of said movie/show being rebooted make a cameo appearance or have a role in the film. Johnny Depp got his start on 21 Jump Street as it was his first big role after his first movie role in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Throughout the film it looked like Depp was in no way a part of this movie; that was until the finale of the film where we had ourselves a big reveal. Two of the gang members of the motorcycle gang were none other than Peter DeLuise’s Doug Penhall and Johnny Depp’s Tom Hanson. The reveal was pretty spectacular and made the scene even more incredible and tense. Unfortunately a minute after they are revealed to be DEA agents they both were in a shootout with the motorcycle gang and killed. While his time on screen wasn’t big, it was surprising to see Johnny Depp and even Peter DeLuise in the film playing their original characters from the original 21 Jump Street. Not only that but you couldn’t even tell Johnny Depp was undercover as it wasn’t until you heard the gang member’s voice that you began to realize who was under the prosthetic make up. Bravo Johnny Depp and the make up team to making us not realize this amazing movie cameo until the final reveal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5avUnlxJFGo
5. Emma Watson (This Is The End) – This Is The End had so many big cameos from Channing Tatum playing a masked sex slave to all five members of The Backstreet Boys. However one cameo appearance ranked higher than any cameo appearance in this comedy film. Now of all the names in this movie like James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, pretty much most of the actors who are in Even Goldberg films, you would never expect Harry Potter’s Emma Watson to not only make a cameo role in the film but put on a performance that would steal the entire film. Now while she did appear in multiple scenes in the beginning of the film, it is her return in the middle of the movie that many people talk about. In this scene we see Emma Watson return from the apocalypse to James Franco’s house and she says what she believes is going on. From there she goes to take a nap in the bedroom when the group of comedians still alive in the house talks about an elephant in the room aka making a possible sexual assault vibe. It be better not to say what they actually said but the Emma heard and misunderstood what the comedians were talking about and she came at them with an axe telling them to back the fuck up and even hit Seth Rogen with the bottom of the axe. As I said before the film is full of cameo appearances but it is seeing Hermione in a film with actors like Seth Rogen and James Franco that makes this cameo appearance even funnier and amazing. Emma Watson has yet to be in another Evan Goldberg/Seth Rogen film but if she was then best believe she will put on a great comedic performance just like she did here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ogE4Gw9akc
4. Neil Patrick Harris (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle) – Not only did this cameo appearance bring Neil Patrick Harris back into the spotlight but it rejuvenated his career as soon after this cameo appearance, NPH would be a main star in the highly beloved sitcom How I Met Your Mother, star in multiple films and Broadway shows and even host the Tony Awards multiple time. Now while NPH played himself in the film, he was more playing a fictional version of himself; a version that was very horny and tripped on a lot of drugs. This appearance was so successful that NPH would later return for the next two films (Harold and Kumar Go to Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas). And yes he very much so played this fictional version of himself in these other two films. Usually a small role in a film that steals the spotlight will help bring back your career in Hollywood but NPH did this with a small cameo appearance that stole the entire film and later other two films. Harold and Kumar wouldn’t be the same without the cameo appearance from NPH. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPWwORb6PW8
3. Bob Barker (Happy Gilmore) – You can’t watch an Adam Sandler film without there being a big cameo appearance from any celebrity. From his goofy buddies like Rob Schneider and Steve Buscemi to having some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry like Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol, Sandler is always able to bring in big name celebs to make a cameo appearance and star in his films. Well back in 1996 Sandler somehow managed to get The Price Is Right host Bob Barker to make a cameo appearance in his film, Happy Gilmore. In the scene Happy arrives for a Pro-Am Celebrity Golf Tournament in which he learns that his partner is Bob Barker and throughout the day a fan was heckling Happy and making him play poorly and at the same time Happy’s poor playing angered Bob Barker. Bob and Happy get into a confrontation and then out of nowhere a fist fight begins between the two. Bob Barker is throwing punches like he was Muhammad Ali until Happy hits him with a headbutt. The fight looks like it is over until Barker grabs Happy’s neck and rises up like The Undertaker and beats the living shit out of him. This scene was very comedic and what a great cameo appearance from the former Price is Right host. It feels weird to have Bob Barker in pretty much a boxing match with a young Adam Sandler but that is the beauty of this scene because it is hilarious to see the older wiser Bob Barker kick the shit out of the younger Adam Sandler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CajdyoaSM0
2. Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder) – Now in some cases a cameo appearance can be a featured character in the film but you just don’t know who it is. For Tropic Thunder there were many cameo appearances as the film is pretty much a parody of Hollywood and at the same time a film about a film being made based on a book created by a Vietnam War vet. So after trying to explain all of this and getting myself lost I think it’s safe to say that the make up team did a great job in hiding the fact that Tom Cruise plays Les Grossman in the film. Now you would never expect Tom Cruise, probably one of the most noticeable Hollywood actors in the world, to be playing this asshole, foul mouthed executive and like I said the make up team did a great job in hiding Tom Cruise in this character. Not only that but Tom Cruise put on such a great performance that you couldn’t even believe it when you saw his name in the end credits. Tom Cruise is mostly known for doing big action movies or even starring in big Hollywood roles but doing a comedy film that’s parodying Hollywood in a way, I mean it would be a missed opportunity not to be in the film but of all actors to be in the film and make a cameo appearance you would never guess Tom Cruise and that’s why this cameo is so legendary. Cruise would even get a Golden Globe nomination for this cameo appearance. Talk about one hell of a legendary cameo appearance /performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-CA_vHYCt0
1. Bill Murray (Zombieland) – Zombie movies tend to have some blink and you miss it cameos. Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin put on zombie make up and was walking around the streets of London in Shaun of the Dead. Hell even the Walking dead have had some interesting cameos including makeup artist/director Greg Nicotero and even Johnny Depp, well his head of course. But zombie films are a perfect place to put some big time stars under the makeup and put on a scary performance. Well in this zombie film we got Bill Murray instead pretending to be a zombie. Tallahassee says it best in this film, “BILL FUCKING MURRAY”, the Bill Murray puts on an outstanding cameo appearance/performance for Zombieland. The cameo appearance was legendary and no one expected him to show up in the comedy zombie film. The actor plays himself dressed as a zombie so he can fit in with the zombie apocalypse but also to survive. The cameo appearance was so huge that Bill Murray would even make an appearance in the end credits in the sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap. Now why is this cameo appearance legendary you may ask? Well when you come into the movie pretty much around over the hour mark, steal the movie with just your presence, smoke weed with two of the stars of the film and then re-create a scene from Ghostbusters and soon after get shot from the main star of the film and then you act very dramatic; look I can go on and on about this appearance but this iconic movie cameo is that legendary. It stole the entire film in just 5 minutes and with pretty much one scene. I can’t think of one cameo appearance that steals the entire film and is more iconic than this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xTJJ2632lE
Honorable Mentions:
Glenn Close (Hook) – Believe it or not in this scene Hook is interrogating one of his men about Peter Pan and that man is actually Glenn Close. She shockingly puts on such an amazing dramatic performance for only being in the film for less than a minute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCx-M8dcDhk
Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe) – 2019 was such a huge year for Keanu. John Wick 3 was a massive success, he voiced Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4 and he made a cameo appearance in a massively successful Netflix original movie. Seriously did anyone expect Keanu to be in this movie or more importantly for it to be one of the most iconic movie moments in 2019? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex403ii_Bhs
Daniel Craig (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) – Some people may not know about this but one of the stormtroopers in the movie is played by James Bond. The scene where Rey finally uses her Jedi powers is where we watch Daniel Craig put on a much hidden performance. It was nothing big and fancy but it was a very clever way to have the Oscar nominated actor in the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq7MaKlvE5o
Comments