14 Movie Cameos People Were Probably Very Excited About at the Time That Are Now Pretty Problematic

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14 Movie Cameos People Were Probably Very Excited About at the Time That Are Now Pretty Problematic

Everyone loves a cameo — a brief, often unexpected appearance in a movie from someone who either seems like they’re too famous to show up for such a small part, or someone who only those in the know will recognize. So you either have an A-lister showing up for a fleeting moment, which is fun as it creates the impression that the movie industry is all about friends helping friends and doing projects for a laugh, rather than a reasonably soulless corporate machine. Or you have a quick appearance from someone adjacent to it all — the director, say, or another Hollywood bigwig — which works as an in-joke to those that notice it and passes everyone else by harmlessly.

They’re fun! However, sometimes subsequent events and revelations make revisiting a pre-downfall movie an odd experience. A cameo that was funny or impressive at the time can, with the knowledge the person involved is actually a massive piece of shit, be rather jarring.

Donald Trump

Whatever your politics, Donald Trump's cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is an odd thing to see now, jolting you back to the era where you couldn't turn the TV on without that guy - about whom, again, people have varied opinions - shouting at you like a dickhead. (Again, views on him differ, etc.) CRACKED

Mario Batali

Wes Anderson's stop-motion movie Fantastic Mr. Fox is a beautifully made piece of work. Another piece of work? Disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali, who voices a rabbit in it. He's not in it much, just enough to make you go, Is that... Mario Batali? What happened to that guy? Oh yeah, he's dreadful. CRACKED

Marilyn Manson

Given the hideous accusations of abuse leveled at Marilyn Manson, it's quite unsettling seeing him show up briefly in Jawbreaker, starring Rose McGowan (who brought a lot of the accusations against Weinstein to light). CRACKED

Harvey Weinstein

Appalling bastard Harvey Weinstein was for a long time one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. Не shows up voicing an animated version of himself in My Scene Goes Hollywood: The Movie, a Barbie spin-off for young girls that he shouldn't be anywhere fucking near. CRACKED

Phil Spector

Easy Rider is something of a celebration of living outside the law, but it's more about the freedom of the open road than, like, murdering people. Makes Phil Spector's brief appearance - decades before he murdered Lana Clarkson, but several years into being a real asshole to his wife - slightly uncomfortable. CRACKED

O.J. Simpson

It is mad that O.J. Simpson is in Roots. Really takes you out of it when The Juice shows up. CRACKED

Jared Fogle

It makes sense that Jared Fogle shows up in Super Size Me - he was the world's most famous fast-food enthusiast - but now he's arguably better known for being a horrendous pedophile. Actually, Morgan Spurlock also turned out to be quite the scumbag. Maybe don't watch Super Size Me. CRACKED

Matt Lauer

Matt Lauer's appearance as himself in the Will Ferrell comedy Land of the Lost hits differently now that we know what a slimy asshole the guy is - the man's a total loser. Matt Lauer, not Will Ferrell. Will Ferrell seems awesome. CRACKED

Lance Armstrong

The message of Lance Armstrong's cameo in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story was more than slightly undermined when it was revealed that, rather than the heroic champion the world thought he was, he was on industrial amounts of performance-enhancing drugs. CRACKED

Elon Musk

While not a criminal like some of the monsters on this list, it's hard to see Elon Musk in Iron Man 2 without being reminded what a mess he's made of Twitter. CRACKED

Lou Pearlman

Pop impresario Lou Pearlman co-wrote Longshot, featuring cameos from a bunch of his acts - 'N Sync, Britney Spears, O-Town, etc. - as well as himself. Не was a predatory fucker, responsible for a huge Ponzi scheme and a lot of creepiness toward the youngsters he worked with. He's dead now. CRACKED

Ron Jeremy

ON STRIKE NO Ron Jeremy briefly appears in Crank: High Voltage as a unionizing porn star upset at low wages. Rather than the pleasant laugh of familiarity it might have once elicited, revelations about what a monstrous bastard he is means it's just kind of gross. CRACKED

Rudy Giuliani

PD NFD When Rudy Giuliani made a cameo in the Adam Sandler movie Anger Management, he was a fairly beloved figure thanks to his actions following 9/11. Now, though, he's the lunatic with the spray-on hair who did a press conference outside a dildo store. CRACKED

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey shows up as himself, playing the Hollywood version of Dr. Evil in Austin Powers in Goldmember. It got a huge laugh in theaters, but now that everyone knows what a turd he is, it just feels rather unpleasant. CRACKED
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