The cameo part has risen to prominence somewhat over the course of the last half century in film-making. These brief yet noticeable roles often come at us unexpectedly, forcing a quick Google search or even a frantic rewind to confirm what we think we have just seen…
10. Brad Pitt – True Romance (1993)
This movie, beautifully constructed by the perhaps lesser known Scott brother Tony, already has plenty of things to write home about. The inclusion of the then up and coming Brad Pitt as a long haired, barely intelligible stoner house mate however, is the perfect comical compliment to a plot which otherwise carries a lot of serious weight. Despite his number of scenes exceeding the typical amount- I still maintain this to be a cameo, mostly due to his character ‘Floyd’ contributing little to the overall plot- and being there mostly for the amusement of the viewer. A sane man may have included a certain Mr Walkens role in this movie above Brads- however he’s further down the list.
9. Billy Idol – The Wedding Singer (1998)
It hurts me to say this, but I can barely bring myself to look at Adam Sandler these days. I don’t know whether I’ve just grown up or his movies are actually getting more and more terrible. The Wedding Singer was admittedly a late discovery of mine (I spent a lot of time immersed in Happy Gilmore); however it has quickly risen as my favourite of his. With Steve Buscemi (whose appearance is a cameo too I guess…), Drew Barrymore and of course Adam- there are fewer who could add to the movies hopelessly romantic charm. Oh wait, except Billy Idol… obviously. The English punk appears as himself towards the movies climax, helping out Sandler with his final act of woo towards the gorgeous Drew on a flight to Vegas. Rock n’ Roll.
8. Chuck Norris – Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Whimsical yet well-structured comedy starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and that guy Justin Long who despite being about 35 gets cast as a 17-year-old in everything- Dodgeball is one of the classic early new-era comedies. Set in a suburban American location, the story follows the struggles of a particular gym against not only money troubles- but another, more upmarket (and outrageous) gym. The members decide to create a Dodgeball team in an attempt to raise necessary funds, with it all panning out in the obligatory hilarious fashion. Chuck Norris appears at the end of the film as one of the judges in the ‘big final’ scene. I don’t think he even says anything, but come on- it’s Chuck Norris.
7. David Bowie – Zoolander (2001)
Much in the same vein as Dodgeball, Zoolander is a comedy of similar tastes and cast members. Ben Stiller once again appears as a central character with a huge ego, however instead of being a gym owner- he’s a male model. Producing some of the finest early Stiller-in-a-leading-role moments, as well as completely smearing the work of models and pretty much the fashion industry as a whole- Zoolander is also remembered due to its inclusion of a particularly huge rock-star. The Thin White Duke appears as a judge just like Chuck, except this time at a ‘walk-off’ between rival models (Stiller and co-star Owen Wilson). Pretty funny stuff.
6. Stan Lee – Mallrats (1995)
An obvious influence on the works of Kevin Smith, comic book mogul Stan Lee appears briefly as himself in early feature ‘Mallrats’. As well as resurrecting early ‘Clerks’ heroes Jay and Silent Bob, the movie features an impressive cast inclusive of Jason Lee, Jeremy London and Ben Affleck. As is common with Smiths films, the plot follows the misfortunes of a male protagonist (or two) and their love life(s). The comedy unfolds with a pretty hilarious ‘blind date’ type deal, with many witty put-downs and a bit of romantic advice from Mr Lee. Stan that is, not Jason.
5. Drew Barrymore – Scream (1996)
Perhaps the most iconic scene from this movie; or even the franchise as an entirety- the first (and best) Scream opens with the classic ‘what’s your favourite scary movie’ phone call. Everyone knows it, but what many people (or maybe it was just me) fail to realize is that the unfortunate recipient of the call is portrayed by Drew Barrymore. Originally in line to take up the role as main character Sidney Prescott, Barrymore’s schedule would not allow the time- so instead she agreed to take the smaller role of first victim Casey Becker.
4. Charlton Heston – Waynes World 2 (1992)
The second part in Mike Myers early triumph ‘Wayne’s World’ still holds its place as an extremely important comedy, even after almost 20 years since its release. The cast list is impressive on its own, even without the long list of cameo appearances which dwarfs it completely. The likes of Jay Leno, Tim Meadows and Steven Tyler all make appearances in the flick- however the standout cameo moment comes from the unmistakable Charlton Heston. After stopping to ask for directions from a gas station attendant- a disgruntled Wayne (Myers) stops to ask the camera if the actor playing the attendant is the best they (the movies producers) can do, having been unimpressed by his performance. Heston then takes centre stage for the most emotive dialogue in the entire movie, bringing Wayne to tears.
3. Tom Cruise – Tropic Thunder (2008)
Not really known for his ability to be gut-achingly funny, Mr Tom Cruise shocked the world in 08’ when he appeared as part of Ben Stiller’s all-star funny-man cast in the action packed ‘Tropic Thunder’. Appearing alongside Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and Steve Coogan- Cruise takes up the role of an overweight, over hairy talent agent under the impression that his top actor has been poached by a rival agency, when in reality he has been poached by a group of guerrilla militants. In a plot so jammed up with comics being varyingly hilarious, Cruise does well to step away from his usually more serious nature and shines through as being on-par with his co-stars.
2. Christopher Walken – Pulp Fiction (1994)
Regularly championed as being one of the greatest movies ever released, Tarantino’s sophomore masterpiece features an all-star cast including John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis- however the scene that sticks with me most is the one and only featuring the raw capabilities of Christopher Walken. Filling the role of a Vietnam veteran telling a young Butch (Willis’s character) a story highlighting the importance of a particular family heirloom, Walken is flawless in every aspect of his performance.
1. Martin Scorsese – Taxi Driver (1976)
In a movie full of erratic characters and dark subplots, director Martin Scorsese makes an appearance as one of Travis Bickles (Robert DeNiro) many strange fares. A bearded Scorsese in his 30’s takes the role of an unsettling man seeking revenge on his cheating wife, via way of a 44. Magnum, in a brief yet intense scene. After having a wary and silent Bickle pull up outside an apartment block, Scorsese goes on to explain what they are doing there- and more specifically what he intends to do about it. I won’t go into detail at risk of ruining it for those who haven’t seen it/causing mass offence to many people- however the clip can, unsurprisingly, be tracked down on YouTube.
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