The 10 Most Memorable Movie Cameos by Non-Actors
Sometimes the most memorable movie cameos come from the most unlikely sources: the game show hosts, the rock musicians, the famous authors. These are people, in other words, whom you wouldn't expect to be sharing screen space with your Martin Lawrences, your Adam Sandlers, your Skeet Ulriches. Nonetheless, against all common reason, there they are. Here are the 10 that made us say "The hell...?" followed by "Hold on, this is awesome."
#10.
Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore
The Cameo: Bob' classic brawl with eternal 9-year-old Adam Sandler instantly became a staple of drunken college party movie reenactments and spawned what would reign as the most overused catchphrase in comedy until Dave Chapelle put on a Rick James wig:
Why They Got It: If you're going to get beaten up by an old man, it might as well be the guy who devoted his life to keeping America safe from an unstoppable tidal wave of unneutered pets.
How it Went: Barker' scene in Gilmore became one of the movie' most memorable, and ensured that an ever-increasing number of college kids would pilgrimage to The Price is Right set in hopes of getting to take a swing at B-squared.
Most Memorable Moment: Ignoring the obligatory "The price is wrong, bitch," we've got to give it to the expression on Barker' face at 1:01 as he reaches up like a zombie from the grave to throttle Happy senseless. That, or the 1920s-style "fisticuffs" stance he employs in the opening bout.
#9.
Keith Richards in Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World'
End
The Cameo: Richards pops caps in fools, wails on pirate guitar and teaches his son Jack Sparrow a valuable lesson about the importance of adhering to a code of law. Of the three, only the latter required him to act.
Why They Got It: Since Depp basically modeled his character after Richards' stage persona, it was the studio' only way to avoid a lengthy and expensive copyright infringement lawsuit. This is the same reason Richards got his own sitcom, How Come I'm Not Dead Yet?, premiering this fall on the Disney Channel.
How it Went: Surprisingly well, considering that Richards had snorted a half-liter of cocaine that morning and had no idea he was filming a movie. The real mystery according to those who worked on the film is why he showed up on set already dressed in full pirate garb.
Most Memorable Moment: The very end, when Richards' attempt to smile at his son' victory sends his crazy hard-boiled egg eyes and chapped leather features twisting off in horrifying and previously unknown directions.
#8.
Stan Lee in Every Marvel Movie Ever Made
The Cameos: It must be nice to see an arts movement you helped begin enter a new golden age. It must also be nice to use your godfather-of -comics status to obnoxiously insert yourself into roughly 60 percent of all movies released in the summers of 2004 through 2007.
Why They Got It: "Oh, you want to make an X-Men movie? You mean that team of mutant heroes Kirby and I made up 40 years ago? That' cool. Oh hey, you know who should be in that? Me, motherfucking Stan Lee, that' who."
How it Went: In the clip below, Stan appears for a total of about 20 seconds, and yet saves two women (one a small child), from certain death. Talk about a likeable character!
Most Memorable Moment: Probably the one from The Hulk, because after a few seconds of thinking "Hey, it' Stan Lee," you think, "Holy shit, it' Lou Goddamned Ferrigno!"
#7.
Kurt Vonnegut in Back to School
The Cameo: The late, great author drops by to help the wealthy Thornton Mellon with his term paper so he can continue sleeping with his hot teacher, party when he should be studying, prove the crooked authorities wrong and generally reenact the plot of Billy Madison nine years before its release.
Why They Got It: The real question is how the producers of a shitty Rodney Dangerfield movie even got Kurt Vonnegut on the phone, let alone to show up on the set and appear in a scene for them. We're guessing it had something to do with the illustrious Mr. Vonnegut only having to say one line and the writing of a giant check. As his books have proven, he' not a stupid man.
How it Went: Vonnegut is so utterly convincing in the 4-second clip where he portrays himself that it' a wonder he hasn't appeared in more movies. Alas, another great author/actor (See Shatner' Tekwar novels as an example) goes sadly untapped.
Most Memorable Moment: Really the only moment-the one where he' there in the movie. Although we also enjoyed Rodney Dangerfield yelling, "Fuck you!" into a disconnected phone which we, the audience, are to imagine has Vonnegut on the other end.
#6.
Ridley Scott in Alien
The Cameo: When it came time to shoot the facehugger scene, Scott opted to stick his own hand up the creature' rubberized backside and make like Jim Henson.
Why They Got It: Well, he did direct the movie. Other than that, no one else on set really seemed to be able to make the thing writhe in that particular facehuggerly way.
How it Went: They had to shoot a lot of takes, but for some reason Scott didn't seem to mind hitting John Hurt in the face over and over with a spider/boxing glove. And in the end, we've got to admit it' the scariest game of "got your nose" ever captured on film.
Most Memorable Moment: We couldn't find the facehugger scene, so here' the other most memorable cameo from Alien: Nicole Richie as the penis-shaped thing that bursts from Kane' chest in a fountain of blood. At 3:07 you can see her skitter off in search of a bangin' nightclub:
Actually, if I could resist the urge to talk about his ego (and talk and talk and talk about his ego, all as a lead-in to talking about mine), I could probably be convincing as an M. Night Shyamalan fan. I would want far too much money though.
ReplyRobert De Niro in Stardust. Watch it. Your mind will explode.
Replywhy isnt Alfred Hitchock in this list?
ReplyI would like to add the following to this list:-
JFK, John Lennon and other famous real life persons in forrest gump
What about cameo of Andy Warhol in the original version of The Producers
ReplyI can't believe that you left out Sam Raimi's car. That car has been in every film he has directed from the evil dead movies right through Spiderman
ReplyThe problem with the Alien reference is that no one would know it was him if it wasn't for DVD extras. A lot of film makers working it effects movies do some of the working of puppets and whatnot. Or to lend their voices. Why not mention that all of the ghostly howling from the Evil Dead movies was Sam Rami?
ReplyI think Will Smith cameo in "Jersey Girl" deserves to be put here. This was really good one.
ReplySo you're saying Will Smith is a non-actor?
Is this really a swaim article?
ReplyVery poor article.
ReplyA lot of these videos need re-linking...
ReplyAlso, having reached the end of the article, I'm rather disappointed in the Tom Cruise joke. It's always funny to hate on Cruise, but...
What's with all the Shyamalan hate? Why doesn't anyone remember the 5 decent-to-awesome movies he made before the happening? And more importantly, why doesn't anyone realize that the quirks in The Happening and The Last Airbender are pretty much the same quirks from those first five movies?
ReplyI wished he would of said "Come see my movies" on that commercial.
Twists have to be payed with credit cards? WHAT THE FUCK?
I don't like that he is treading on David Lynch in some ways too.
Tom Waits in Dracula
ReplyHow could you not have Marshall McLuhan in ANnie Hall?
ReplyI love that this whole article was a Tom Cruise joke xD
ReplyHA LOVED #1
ReplyWell, that's why they named the Stan Lee Cup after him
ReplyInsert Steve Wilkos.....lol 2 cameo's one film....Bless You Shrek!!!!
ReplyYou forgot Peter Jackson who made a cameo in all the movies of Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Reply Hide All See All 3 Repliesand king kong
He has appeared in almost all of his films, from his zero-budget student films in the '80s right through to "Kong". I think the only one he doesn't appear in in "Meet the Feebles", since he doesn't look quite like a puppet enough to pull it off.
Don't forget his 2 cameos in "Bad Taste" as Derick and Robert, in which Derick pounds a massive bayonet into Roberts foot, and Robert later kicks Derick's ass over a cliff.
Holy s**t, I almost want to see Back to School now.
ReplyWhere have all the S's gone after the apostrophes. I miss them.
ReplyI do too...
Thank god it wasn't just me. Bad form, cracked. How the hell does this kind of s**t get past an entire editing crew. The auto-correct on an iPhone with downs syndrome would catch something this obvious.