- yesterday
Top 20 Movie Cameos That Actually Mattered
Wait for it... Some cameos aren’t just for laughs — they elevate the entire movie.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the film cameos that actually enhanced the story, left a lasting impression, or delivered a twist you didn’t see coming. ⚠️ Major spoilers ahead!
Our list includes unforgettable appearances in:
Happy Gilmore ⛳
Zoolander 👠
The Cabin in the Woods 🧟
…and more surprise moments that changed the game.
💬 Which celebrity cameo do YOU think truly made a movie better?
Drop your picks in the comments!
Wait for it... Some cameos aren’t just for laughs — they elevate the entire movie.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the film cameos that actually enhanced the story, left a lasting impression, or delivered a twist you didn’t see coming. ⚠️ Major spoilers ahead!
Our list includes unforgettable appearances in:
Happy Gilmore ⛳
Zoolander 👠
The Cabin in the Woods 🧟
…and more surprise moments that changed the game.
💬 Which celebrity cameo do YOU think truly made a movie better?
Drop your picks in the comments!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00It's the Price is right, Happy.
00:02Oh yeah, sorry.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best film cameos that
00:07actually enhance the movie.
00:09Major spoilers to come.
00:10You guys at Jump Street?
00:11Yeah, yeah.
00:12That's funny because we were actually Jump Street.
00:16Number 20.
00:17All of Them.
00:18Deadpool and Wolverine.
00:19I waited a long time for this team up.
00:22In Sean Levy's mega meta Deadpool and Wolverine, fan service reigns supreme, and to say that
00:27the film is cameo stuffed would be a wee bit of an understatement.
00:30After all, the movie doubles as a love letter to the Fox-era cast of super characters, and
00:34from Elektra, to Blade, to Johnny Storm, they all have their moments to shine.
00:42Now picture that.
00:44But everywhere.
00:45Heck, we even get cameos from superheroes that fail to get their films off the ground.
00:48Looking at you, Gambit.
00:49Look, I was a fan of Gambit since I was a kid, so there's a lot of things that I've been
00:52looking forward to getting to do.
00:54One might argue that there were too many.
00:55But when it comes to Deadpool, Excess is kind of the name of the game.
00:59Number 19.
01:00Paul Reubens.
01:01Batman Returns.
01:02Fans of Batman Returns may be surprised to learn that another Tim Burton collaborator
01:06had a brief cameo in the film.
01:08Paul Reubens, of Pee-wee's big adventure fame, plays the Penguin's father opposite
01:12fellow Pee-wee star, Diane Salinger.
01:14Reubens' character, Tucker Cobblepot, heartlessly dumps his malformed newborn son in the sewer,
01:19who is then adopted by a family of penguins.
01:25Reubens' brief cameo is not just a meta-reference.
01:31It is chillingly effective in setting up the Penguin's dark and tragic backstory.
01:35And that's not the end of Cobblepot.
01:37Reubens would go on to reprise the role in the crime drama series Gotham, albeit for a
01:41much more tragic end.
01:42You never told me.
01:44Told you what?
01:47That I had a son.
01:48Number 18.
01:50Huey Lewis.
01:51Back to the Future.
01:51Next, please.
01:53On a much lighter note, Huey Lewis' cameo in Back to the Future is a tuneful one.
01:57Director Robert Zemeckis asked singer Lewis to contribute two songs to the movie.
02:01One of them, The Power of Love, even hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100.
02:05Fantasy in your life, that's the power of love.
02:12But Lewis' involvement went beyond songwriting.
02:15He also appears in the movie as a judge in the Battle of the Band scene, panning Marty
02:19McFly's playing of his own song, as Tudor and Love.
02:22Fun and funny, but it also forces Marty to reflect on his rejection and makes him worry
02:26about ending up like his parents.
02:28He then meets up with Doc Brown, and the rest is cinema history, so thanks Huey Lewis.
02:32Are you telling me that you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?
02:37Number 17.
02:38Bruce Springsteen.
02:40High Fidelity.
02:41It was inevitable that a movie all about music would feature at least one musical artist.
02:452000's High Fidelity rolled out the big guns, however, by having Bruce Springsteen himself
02:50make an appearance as himself.
02:52Record store employee Rob Gordon is unlucky with women, so he reaches out to his old partners
02:56to find out why his current relationship failed.
02:59Fortunately, Bruce Springsteen appears in his dreams to deliver some tuneful wisdom.
03:03That's what you're looking for.
03:04You want to get ready to start again?
03:06That'd be good for you.
03:07Springsteen even references his own song, Bobby Jean, in encouraging Rob to see closure and
03:11move on from his past lovers.
03:12This sets Rob on an emotional journey to reconcile with Laura and commit to her fully.
03:17Is there anything Bruce Springsteen can't do?
03:19Thanks, boss.
03:20Number 16.
03:21Kurt Vonnegut.
03:22Back to School.
03:23Hi, I'm Kurt Vonnegut.
03:25I'm looking for Thornton Mellon.
03:26Literature lovers were thrilled to encounter a cameo from this famous author in the 80s comedy
03:31Back to School.
03:32Wealthy but largely uneducated businessman Thornton Mellon decides to return to school and encourage
03:37his own unmotivated son Jason to continue in his studies.
03:40It isn't long before Thornton falls for English literature professor Dr. Diane Turner and
03:44decides to impress her with a paper on Kurt Vonnegut.
03:47And who better to write it than Vonnegut himself?
03:49Hilariously enough, this backfires as Diane sees through the deception.
03:54What's more, she believes the one who really wrote the paper doesn't know the first thing
03:58about Kurt Vonnegut.
03:59Lesson learned?
04:00Do not rely on authors to understand their own works.
04:02Next time I'll call Robert Ludlam.
04:04Number 15, David Hasselhoff, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
04:08How will we ever get back to Bikini Bottom now?
04:11I can take you there.
04:13Admittedly, this cameo is one of the most random ones you'll ever see.
04:16Parents watching this with their kids might have been tempted to ask, what do David Hasselhoff
04:20and SpongeBob SquarePants have to do with each other?
04:22In the movie's climax, SpongeBob and Patrick are stranded at the beach when David Hasselhoff
04:27appears and offers to give them a ride.
04:28They literally ride on his back while Hasselhoff glides across the water like a speedboat.
04:33Hitman Dennis tries to knock them off, but gets knocked down himself when Hasselhoff passes
04:37underneath another boat.
04:39All in all, it's a fun if random cameo turned into a chase scene.
04:42David Hasselhoff, everybody!
04:44You done good, Hasselhoff.
04:46Number 14, Orson Welles, The Muppet Movie.
04:49Please, sir.
04:49My name is Kermit the Frog and we read your ad and, well, we've come to be rich and famous.
04:55Now, this cameo is nothing less than an honor.
04:58For Orson Welles, of course.
04:59Meshing together two legends is always a treat.
05:02Encouraged by a talent scout, Kermit the Frog embarks on a journey to LA, meeting all the
05:06other Muppets, as well as a slew of humans and guest stars along the way.
05:10Among the heavyweights is Orson Welles of Citizen Kane fame, a big fan of the Muppets.
05:15He plays Lou Lord, the cigar-chewing head of Worldwide Studios who meets with Kermit et al.
05:20A few words from Kermit, however, is all that Lord needs to make his decision.
05:24Welles' facial expressions and screen presence help elevate this brief cameo into an iconic one.
05:29It's Tracy.
05:32Prepare the standard rich and famous contract for Kermit the Frog and company.
05:38Number 13, Sigourney Weaver, The Cabin in the Woods.
05:41As long as they accept our sacrifice, they remain below.
05:46But the other rituals have all failed.
05:47This meta-sci-fi satire wouldn't be complete without cameos.
05:51In this film, American college students stay in a cabin in the woods, unaware that a group
05:55of lab scientists control the building remotely, releasing mind-altering drugs and manipulating
06:00events to decimate the group.
06:01The last survivors, Dana and Marty, soon discover the truth behind these grisly occurrences.
06:06Played by Sigourney Weaver, the director explains the deaths have all been part of an arcane ritual
06:11demanding the sacrifice of typical horror movie archetypes.
06:14But even Weaver's sci-fi gravitas can't prevent Dana and Marty from electing not to kill each
06:18other arbitrarily, and instead kill her.
06:20Gosh, they're both so enticing.
06:22Number 12, Gene Hackman, Young Frankenstein.
06:25A visitor is all I ask.
06:28A temporary companion to help me pass a few short hours in my lonely life.
06:32Speaking of horror film satire, this classic parody has its own very effective cameo.
06:40In the movie, Gene Wilder plays Frederick Frankenstein, sorry, Frankenstein, who travels to his family's
06:46estate in Transylvania.
06:47While there, he ends up creating the monster, who later escapes and crosses paths with a priest,
06:52played by Gene Hackman in a rare comic role.
06:55All the lonely priest wants is a companion, and he immediately bonds with the monster.
06:58As the priest is blind, he hilariously pours soup down the monster's lap and lights his
07:03thumb on fire.
07:04Unfortunately, the monster storms out after this, missing out on the chance to have espresso.
07:08Hackman's foray into comedy is definitely a scene-stealer.
07:11Where are you going?
07:13I was going to make espresso.
07:15Number 11, David Bowie, Zoolander.
07:18If nobody has any objections, I believe I might be of service.
07:23Of course the fabulous David Bowie would be in this movie.
07:26The plot follows male model Derek Zoolander, who is brainwashed into assassinating the
07:30prime minister by evil fashion mogul Mugatu.
07:33As Derek hits the runway in the walk-off against a preening Hansel, David Bowie himself volunteers
07:38to be the judge and lays out the rules.
07:40Makes sense to us.
07:41But walk-offs are very serious business, and Derek cannot keep up with a dexterous Hansel.
07:46Bowie immediately gives his harsh verdict, disqualified.
07:49Bowie's somber, straight-faced attitude towards the walk-off shenanigans makes his already funny
07:53scene comedy gold.
07:54Disqualified.
07:56Number 10, Billy Idol, The Wedding Singer.
07:59Who better to make an appearance in a musical rom-com than Billy Idol?
08:02The Wedding Singer follows Robbie Hart, the titular character who falls in love with a
08:06waitress named Julia.
08:07Unfortunately, Julia is set to marry her longtime fiancé, the boorish Glenn Guglia.
08:12After breaking up with his own fiancé, Robbie catches a plane to stop Julia's wedding
08:16to Glenn, regaling his tale of woe to Billy Idol and the other passengers.
08:19Glenn doesn't deserve her.
08:21All he cares about are possessions.
08:24Fancy cars.
08:25CD players.
08:27Even women are possessions to him.
08:29Idol is totally on team Robbie and Julia, and gets in on a plan to help and woo Julia back
08:33by announcing Robbie's song on the speaker.
08:35He and the other passengers then give Glenn his comeuppance.
08:38Idol's obvious enthusiasm for the role elevates the already heartwarming climax.
08:42Mind if I give her a kiss first?
08:45Oh yeah, do what you gotta do.
08:46Number 9, Neil Patrick Harris.
08:49Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.
08:50Excuse me, are you Neil Patrick Harris?
08:53Yep.
08:53In this stoner comedy, friends Harold and Kumar embark on an odyssey to fast food restaurant
08:58White Castle, but not before they pick up a most unexpected hitchhiker, Neil Patrick
09:02Harris.
09:03Shocked but pleased, Harold and Kumar soon discover that Harris is intoxicated and keen to derail their
09:08plans even more.
09:09Things then take a wild turn with a hilarious sequence where Harris steals the friend's
09:13car, leaving them stranded at a convenience store.
09:15Harold and Kumar finally arrive at White Castle, only to discover their money is gone.
09:20Harris appears once again like a mischievous trickster, to apologize and compensate them
09:24for their trouble.
09:24It's a pitch-perfect cameo that fits seamlessly into the movie.
09:27What happened to my car?
09:29I made some love stains in the back seat.
09:32You'll see.
09:33Number 8, Bruce Willis.
09:35Split.
09:35This psychological thriller would not be the same without this Bruce Willis tie-in.
09:39Split follows Dennis, a man living with dissociative identity disorder, who kidnaps three girls and
09:44imprisons them beneath a zoo.
09:46He manages to kill two of the girls, but one escapes.
09:48However, there is more to this tale of split personalities than meets the eye.
09:52Rejoice!
09:59The broken are the more evolved.
10:10Rejoice!
10:11In the ending cameo, Bruce Willis appears as David Dunn, confirming that Split is set in
10:16the same universe as 2000's Unbreakable.
10:19M. Night Shyamalan had conceived of the Dennis character during Unbreakable, but had to cut
10:23him due to length constraints.
10:24Willis' crucial cameo makes Split a rare example of a standalone sequel that ties into
10:29another universe.
10:30And he gave him a funny name, too.
10:33What was it?
10:35Mr. Glass.
10:37Number 7, Mike Tyson.
10:39The Hangover.
10:39This hit comedy about a bachelor party turned epic journey undoubtedly delivers an excellent
10:44cameo.
10:45Facing memory loss from their drunken debauchery the previous night, friends Phil, Stu, and
10:49Alan must find Doug and get him to his wedding.
10:52After getting arrested for stealing a police cruiser, the trio find themselves face-to-face with
10:56none other than Mike Tyson, rocking out to In the Air Tonight.
11:00Shhh.
11:01This is my favorite part coming up right now.
11:07He then punches Alan and demands that they return his Bengal tiger.
11:10What follows is a hilarious sequence of them sedating the tiger and taking it back to Tyson's
11:15mansion, where they discover that Doug had been with them during their initial visit.
11:19Tyson's performance turns what would have been a forgettable cameo into great comedy.
11:23Nice!
11:24Nice, guys!
11:26Number 6, Will Ferrell, Wedding Crashers.
11:29This popular rom-com features divorced mediators John and Jeremy, who crash weddings in the
11:34hopes of meeting women.
11:35John falls for Claire, the maid of honor, while Jeremy gets entangled with an overly clingy
11:40Gloria.
11:40When their real identities are revealed, Claire rejects John, causing him to spiral into depression.
11:45Fortunately, Will Ferrell comes to the rescue.
11:47Ferrell's Shez Reinhold, a former wedding crasher, invites John to crash a funeral with
11:52him.
11:52At a funeral?
11:53Grief is nature's most powerful aphrodisiac.
11:57Here, John has an epiphany about the nature of love.
12:00He rushes to Jeremy's and Gloria's wedding, reunites with Claire, and the two couples live
12:04happily ever after.
12:05All thanks to Will Ferrell and the meatloaf.
12:07Hey, Mom!
12:08The meatloaf!
12:10Number 5, Bob Barker, Happy Gilmore.
12:13Beloved game show host Bob Barker makes a smashing impression in this hockey-turned-golf-pro-sports
12:18comedy.
12:19Adam Sandler plays the titular character, and in this scene, he's paired with THE Bob Barker
12:24in a celebrity golf tournament.
12:25When a heckling spectator causes Happy to mess up his swing, it sparks an argument with
12:29Barker.
12:30Frustrated, Happy punches Barker, setting off a nasty brawl between the two that sends
12:34them careening down the course.
12:36All right, let's go.
12:39This fight leads Commissioner Doug Thompson to suspend Happy for a whole month and slap
12:43him with a $25,000 fine.
12:45Fighting with Bob Barker has serious consequences, but the most important lesson here?
12:49You don't mess with THE PRICE IS RIGHT.
12:51I think you've had enough.
12:54No?
12:58Now you've had enough.
12:59Number 4, Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder.
13:02Who here is a key grip?
13:04You?
13:05You.
13:07Hit that director in the face.
13:09What would this movie even be without Tom Cruise's excellently outrageous Les Grossman?
13:15In the satirical action flick, a group of actors and their hapless director should
13:19shoot a movie in the middle of a jungle, only to be met with a fierce gang that causes them trouble.
13:23What makes them take this disastrous decision?
13:25An ultimatum by studio executive Les Grossman, played by none other than Tom Cruise, to shape
13:30up or get out.
13:31A radical departure from his usual action hero roles, Cruise plays Grossman with no-nonsense,
13:37obscenities-filled panache.
13:38Even the flaming dragon gang cannot hold their own against this high-powered executive with
13:42a filthy mouth.
13:43Oh, and he dances, too.
13:44Because, why not?
13:45Number 3, Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise, 21 Jump Street.
13:54You know what's better than two undercover agents?
13:57Four undercover agents!
13:58In this seminal buddy cop comedy, agents Schmidt and Jenko become high school students to find
14:03and arrest a drug supplier.
14:04When they finally meet the motorcycle gang, it looks to be the end of them.
14:08Fortunately, two former 21 Jump Street members, played by Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise, reveal
14:12themselves and turn the guns on the gang.
14:14Little dweebs just ruined a five-year investigation.
14:17We had no idea!
14:18You're like an amazing actor, man!
14:20This portrayal doesn't end well for the two, however, and they are unceremoniously killed.
14:24The best part of it all is that Depp and DeLuise were the former stars of the original
14:27TV series of the same name, making this cameo a fantastic send-off.
14:31The only approval that I ever needed was my best friend.
14:39Thanks, man.
14:40Number 2, Patrick Stewart, John Krasinski, Hayley Atwell, Lashana Lynch, and Anson Mount.
14:46Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
14:49We were at war.
14:50While the rest of us pandered together to try to stop Thanos, Stephen, as always, chose to
14:57go it alone.
14:58The Marvel Cinematic Universe never wears us out with its significant cameos.
15:02In this film, Doctor Strange must protect teen America Chavez, who has the power to travel
15:06between universes from The Scarlet Witch.
15:09Amid all the universe jumping, Strange and Chavez find themselves in Earth 838, where they
15:14are taken and brought before the Illuminati.
15:16The Illuminati comprises Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Peggy Carter, Captain Marvel, and
15:21Blackagard Boldogon, played by Stewart, Krasinski, Atwell, Lynch, and Mount, respectively.
15:26They explain that the Doctor Strange in their universe nearly destroyed their world while
15:30trying to defeat Thanos.
15:32Thanks to their appearance, Strange manages to confront his counterpart and destroy him.
15:36Talk about a universe-saving cameo!
15:38You ever had that dream where you're falling, as if you've been pushed off a tall building?
15:43That was probably me.
15:49Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
15:54about our latest videos.
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16:03Number 1, Bill Murray, Zombieland
16:08Who would have thought that the best Bill Murray tribute would be in a zombie film?
16:15After a zombie pandemic, Columbus and fellow survivors end up at Bill Murray's mansion.
16:19As Columbus educates Little Rock on Ghostbusters, the man himself shows up to Tallahassee and Wichita
16:24as a zombie.
16:25Well, disguised as one.
16:26It turns out zombies don't mess with other zombies, so Murray came up with this clever
16:30disguise as a survival tactic.
16:32A buddy of mine, makeup guy, showed me how to do this.
16:34Cornstarch.
16:35You know, some berries, a little licorice for the ladies.
16:38Suits my lifestyle.
16:39You know, I like to get out and do stuff.
16:41Unfortunately, it backfires on him when, in an attempt at a practical joke, Columbus shoots
16:45him instead.
16:46At least Murray only had Garfield as his last regret.
16:49R.I.P. King.
16:50So do you have any regrets?
16:55Garfield, maybe?
16:56Which other celebrity cameos do you feel really took it to the next level and made a great film
17:00even better?
17:01Let us know in the comments down below.
17:03Where are you going?
17:05Wherever God takes me.
17:06Did you enjoy this video?
17:08Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
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