40 Cameos by Celebrities Who Couldn’t Act Their Way Out of a Paper Bag (But Somehow Pulled It Off)

Movie moments that’ll have you screaming, ‘Hey! I know that guy!’
40 Cameos by Celebrities Who Couldn’t Act Their Way Out of a Paper Bag (But Somehow Pulled It Off)

When it’s a perfectly placed cameo, the celebrity doesn’t even need to be a good actor. The classic “stand-and-deliver” method is more than enough to get the job done. But some of them went above and beyond, and straight up nailed it. These writers and directors teed them up perfectly, and they didn’t disappoint. 

We obviously enjoyed these cameos greatly, but we're dying to know how you felt about them.

Hunter S. Thompson

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hunter S.Thompson author of Hell's Angeli Fear WANDLOATHING in LAS VEGAS A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream Decaman CRACKED.COM Hunter S. Thompson plays his natural street freak self: Johnny Depp as Thompson sees himself in a crowd during an acid trip.

Jack Kirby

The Incredible Hulk 12 THE INCREDIBLE HULK YOU STRAPBRIT AGRA IS ME MAN OF ELL OR MONSTER SANTAST AS YOU LIKE OR... IT! IS HE ROTAR CRACKED.COM Jack Kirby, co-creator of The Hulk, pops in as a police sketch artist. Не beat Stan Lee to the cameo game by ten years!

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett, the Margaritaville singer, briefly appears in Jurassic World. Y NAT As dinosaurs run wild through the resort and people flee, Buffett tries to save two margaritas. Jurassic World producer Frank Marshall often gives Buffett, his longtime friend and collaborator, cameo roles in his movies-t this was Buffett's third cameo in a Marshall movie. CRACKED.COM

Hook

40 Cameos by Celebrities Who Couldn’t Act Their Way Out of a Paper Bag (But Somehow Pulled It Off)

Get Out

Jordan Peele's partner longtime writing Keegan-Michael Key has a Get Out cameo. Top NCAA prospects. He's one of the search results Rose gets for - 5 x POG- - I - - - - - - - - 50 - CRACKED.COM O W + - U J O F G - 5 de C P

Glenn Close

HOOK Glenn Close CRACKED.COM She plays the nervous pirate who was forced into the Boo Box and introduced a generation to claustrophobia.

Robin Williams

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Robin Williams CRACKED.COM Williams plays an audio engineer who does voices to scam people over the phone, and later give himself an alibi.

Cate Blanchett

HOT FUZZ Cate Blanchett CRACKED.COM Edgar Wright thought it would be funny to get an Oscar winner in there but not see her face. And it was!

Peter Jackson

The stabby Santa in Hot Fuzz is a famous director. You might remember Simon Pegg getting knifed by an angry Kris Kringle at the beginning of Hot Fuzz. What you might not realize is that the assailant also directed The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson took no credit for his brief but memorable appearance. And the blade was forged in the fires of Mt. Doom! Probably. CRACKED COM

George Harrison

There was a Beatle in Monty Python's Life of Brian. George Harrison not only donated $3 million to get this movie made, but also founded a company to produce it. And what did he get in return? 15 seconds of screen time as a random dude who breaks the fourth wall with a Liverpudlian allo, then disappears. If only they had given him a bigger role; just imagine how famous he might have been. CRACKED COM

Steven Spielberg

The Blues Brothers featured a whole lot of cameos from musicians... .. and Steven Spielberg. The legendary director shows up as the county tax assessor Jake and Elwood must pay to keep the orphanage from being shut down. Which was pretty much the only payment he received for his contribution. 12 It was probably either that or more aliens/dinosaurs/sharks. CRACKED.COM

Mike Judge

The voice of Beavis and Butt-Head was in the South Park movie. One of the most memorable moments in Bigger, Longer & Uncut is when Kenny shows his face and speaks without the muffle for the first time. And it just so happens that it was Mike Judge who voiced him. For three whole lines that were sped up to hide his identity. T KE ERIA T Unfortunately, the rumors of an upcoming Boomhauer movie with puppets are unfounded. CRACKED COM

Tim Burton

There's a big-deal director playing dead in Hoffa. Danny DeVito and Tim Burton have worked together more times than most people realize. In DeVito's Jimmy Hoffa biopic, Burton had perhaps the most on-brand role of his career. Не appears momentarily as a dead body in a coffin during a funeral. Presumably, Johnny Depp was hiding nearby behind some curtains. CRACKED.COM

Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II CRACKED.COM 30 years before he was, extremely sadly, the crown jewel of the president's New Year's Eve celebration, Ice entertained another nearly-maskless mob of cultural relics when he led the infamous Ninja Rap.

David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 CRACKED.COM After he drunkenly berated his daughter, and after creating a reality show with the explicit goal of forcing his daughters to be famous, and despite slowly turning into the 8-foot surfboard version of himself from the SpongeBob movie, they gave him a bit part where he briefly plays Ego --Starlord's awful father.

Bill Murray

You probably missed Bill Murray in Dumb and Dumber To. His character is hard not to notice, but since he never removes the mask, few have realized he's Harry's meth-cooking roommate, Ice Pick. Which turned out to be the least dumb decision in that film, in retrospect. CRACKED.COM

Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow went full frontal in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. The Lonely Island's second movie crams in a bunch of different celebrity guest stars, but only one showed us their junk instead of their face: Judd Apatow. You'll know the scene when you see it, believe us. Perhaps it was a special treat for anyone who's complained about having to look at his face. CRACKED COM

Adele

America Ferrera made the world safe for ADELE UGLY BETTY CRACKED.COM We made Adele famous, joked Ferrera after the singer's appearance on Ugly Betty. Adele had already won the Grammy for Best New Artist by the time she made her cameo, so check yourself, America.

Alice Cooper

Eric feared Donna would dump him for ALICE COOPER THAT 70S SHOW CRACKED.COM It wasn't completely out of the question, but she would have had to find a way to get past the snake.

Jennifer Lopez

Oh no, you di-int, JENNIFER LOPEZ WILL AND GRACE CRACKED.COM What's more improbable? 1. Jennifer Lopez performing at Karen's wedding? 2. Jack getting a gig as JLo's back-up dancer? 3. Lopez making a return engagement playing two characters during the show's revival? (Hint: All three happened.)

Demi Lovato

This isn't the Disney Channel, DEMI LOVATO GREY'S ANATOMY GRACKED.COM If you ever wanted to see the former tween star stab herself in the heart with a hypodermic needle, have we got the episode for you! Spoiler alert: She's not crazy, she just has a hole in her ear.

Dave Grohl

Animal had a score to settle with DAVE GROHL THE MUPPETS CRACKED.COM Grohl: I've been waiting for this for years. Animal: Now we see who best. The epic percussion battle ends with both drum kits reduced to wreckage. Defeated, both Grohl and Animal sigh, you win.

Snoop Dogg

No one loves the Llanview ladies like snoop DOGG ONE LIFE TO LIVE CRACKED.COM Snoop has made multiple appearances on the soap. I've been a fan of One Life to Live since I was a baby because my momma always had it on. It's cool to come back and hang with the people in Llanview and rock out with them.

Bob Dylan

Dharma auditioned to drum for BOB DYLAN PG L DHARMA AND GREG CRACKED.COM One of the shows writers was pals with the Voice of a Generation, leading to the unlikely cameo. Did Dharma get the gig as Dylan's new percussionist? The answer, my friends, is no way in hell, no matter which way the wind blew.

David Bowie

Always meet your heroes when they're DAVID BOWIE EXTRAS CRACKED.COM Gervais wrote the Extras scene about meeting your hero and him not being what you thought. And then he did the show and gave us exactly what Bowie was. Later he was doing a benefit in New York and he started in with, 'Chubby little loser... Please welcome Ricky Gervais.

Britney Spears

Oops, she cameoed again BRITNEY SPEARS HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER CRACKED.COM As receptionist Abby, she fell in love with a clueless Ted. She ends up spending the night with Barney, who never calls her back. Brit then makes it her mission to warn women about Barney the womanizer. The guest gig went so well that HIMYM brought Spears back for an encore.

Eminem

Vinnie was asking to get his ass kicked by EMINEM ENTOURAGE CRACKED.COM Vinnie is drunk at Eminem's private hotel party, itching for a fight. When the rapper's security goes to throw him out, Vinnie shouts, What, are you too mainstream now to fight your own fights, Marshall? Let the ass whupping commence!

Prince

Did U happen 2 с the 1 with PRINCE NEW GIRL CRACKED.COM I got a cold email from his manager, says Zoe Deschanel. Hello, I am manager to legendary artist Prince. Не is loving the show New Girl. Не would like 2 В on the show.' I'm like, this has to be a prank! Cast and crew weren't sure His Royal Badness would actually show up, but he was awesome.

Stevie Wonder

The kids were jammin' on the one with STEVIE WONDER THE COSBY SHOW GRAGKED.COM This episode is the single most influential moment in the history of hip-hop, says Questlove. It was the first time that 99 percent of us who went on to be hip-hop producers saw what a sampler was. It's not an exaggeration to say that this was the incident that truly sucked me into hip-hop.

Anthrax

Behold the hard-core comedy of ANTHRAX MARRIED WITH CHILDREN CRACKED.COM The band got David Faustino in trouble by keeping him out all night at a Metallica concert. The trashed actor wasn't in great shape for filming the next day. It was one of the greatest weeks of my life, says drummer Charlie Benante.

MLB All-Stars

MLB ALL-STARS THE SIMPSONS CITY CHAMPS CRACKED.COM Mr. Burns assembles a pantheon of all-time baseball greats for the company softball team. See Ken Griffey Jr. develop gigantism on an episode deservedly enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bill Buckner

BILL BUCKNER CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM CRACKED.COM Buckner will live in sports infamy for allowing a ball to go through his legs in Game 6 of the '86 Series. Curb redeems Buckner when he passes a burning building and lays out to snag a baby tossed from an apartment window. Larry applauds: Nice catch!

Chase Utley

CHASE UTLEY ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA UTLEY 20 CRACKED.COM Mac writes a letter to hero Chase Utley: 'I would love to meet you someday. I know I can't throw as fast as you, but I think you would be impressed with my speed. I love your hair. You run fast.' Years later, Utley threw the first pitch to actor Rob McElhenney before an actual game.

Detlef Schrempf

DETLEF SCHREMPF PARKS AND REC CRACKED.COM Producer Mike Schur's first choice for a basketball cameo was Larry Bird. But is there any funnier name in NBA history than Detlef Schrempf? The three-time All-Star practically became a recurring character, appearing in three seasons.

Kobe Bryant

KOBE BRYANT MODERN FAMILY CRACKED.COM Bryant's brief cameo on Modern Family is notable in that he never appears in the same frame as the show's cast. Which begs the question: Were they even in the same arena?

LeBron James

LEBRON JAMES ENTOURAGE SIET QS GRACKED.COM James piles on as Matt Damon shames Vincent into a charitable donation. The scene was apparently filmed during Lebron's mathlete phase.

Tom Brady

TOM BRADY FAMILY GUY 54 28 12 68 GRACKED.COM Seth MacFarlane must be a Brady fan - - he cast the QB in Ted 2 in addition to numerous mentions on Family Guy. Brady guest-starred during Season 4, inviting Peter to join the Patriots after he plows through a crowd on his way to the bathroom.

Barry Bonds

BARRY BONDS BEVERLY HILLS 90210 CRACKED.COM Barry plays Barry, who shows up on the golf course to talk trash Steve Sanders and his dad. You missed those opportunities to watch me trounce your old man here! Shots fired.

Wade Boggs

WADE BOGGS CHEERS CRACKED.COM A rival bar owner sends Boggs to Cheers as a good-will gesture, but the gang thinks he's a fake and chases him into the streets. I got pantsed in 'Bar Wars,' the number-one rated episode of Cheers all time. I'm very proud of that.

Keith Hernandez

KEITH HERNANDEZ SEINFELD CRACKED.COM Elaine Benes is seduced by the greatest athlete pickup line of all time: I'm Keith Hernandez.

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