Who says a movie’s best actors, jokes, or references have to be put directly in front of the audience? Whether it’s thanks to a total fluke, a relationship behind the scenes, or just a joke too good to pass up, an unexpected or well-hidden cameo can make a good scene into a great one. But fans have to notice them first.
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 Hidden Movie Cameos You’ve Never Seen.
Scream
The late Wes Craven helped create the slasher genre with movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes, but when he returned with the thoroughly modern Scream, he showed he truly was the master of horror, regardless of his age. To celebrate, Craven gave himself a cameo as the schools janitor ‘Fred,’ wearing the signature hat and striped shirt of his other horror icon, Freddy Krueger.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Guy Ritchie set his skills on a ’60s era spy adventure with this reboot, but relied on a few of his friends from the modern age to fill out the cast. But the most incredible cameo is the appearance of English footballer David Beckham as a Soviet projectionist, visible on screen for just a few seconds.
Ant-Man
When Scott Lang is first trying out his Ant-Man suit, things don’t go according to plan, and he winds up smashing into the top of a parked car. The driver isn’t random, though: it’s a cameo from former Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris. Who just happened to be the first person to play Ant-Man in live action, during a superhero sketch that took more than a few shots at the minuscule hero’s strange abilities.
Ghostbusters
Few actors have a longer filmography than Ron Jeremy, but most of his roles are of the adult variety. Still, the actor made himself a memorable member of the Ghostbusters, appearing with his unmistakable moustache as just an average New Yorker looking on as the containment unit explodes at Ghostbusters headquarters.
The Lord of The Rings
Peter Jackson may have cast Bret McKenzie as one of the elves in his first Lord of the Rings without giving it much thought. But once the Flight of the Concords star was spotted by fans, they exploded with enthusiasm online. As a result of their passion, Jackson found a place for the unnamed elf to show up in the end of his trilogy - with lines, this time!
Iron Man
Marvel’s first shared universe superhero relied on a soundtrack of electric guitar, which was actually performed by Rage Against the Machine frontman Tom Morello. As a thank you for providing the music behind Tony Stark, Morello got the honor of being the very first member of the Ten Rings taken out by Stark’s first crack at an Iron Man suit of armor.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Late night host Stephen Colbert revealed himself to be a scholar of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth over the years, which led to an incredible role in The Hobbit movie trilogy. Few actually believed that he had been given a part in Peter Jackson’s movie, The Desolation of Smaug, but he definitely did appear, hidden behind an eye patch and ragged clothing amongst the residents of Lake Town.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
This X-Men blockbuster literally rewrote the franchise’s history, with mutant’s first revealing themselves to the world in 1973. And director Bryan Singer was there to capture it, behind and in front of the lens. The director makes a cameo doing - what else? - filming the showdown between Magneto, Mystique and the rest of the cast in France.
Catch Me if You Can
It’s an impossible story to believe, but the life of con man and professional liar Frank Abagnale actually did happen the way the movie Catch Me if You Can showed (for the most part). To make sure, the real Abagnale was brought onto the film as a consultant, and even makes an appearance as the policeman arresting his younger self.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
When Marvel handed the reins of their Captain America sequel over to the creators of the TV comedy Community, fans didn’t know what to expect. What they got was an accomplished action movie… but the Russo Brothers found room for one fan-favorite cameo. Since Abed was probably the only Community character smart enough to earn a job at S.H.I.E.L.D., seeing actor Danny Pudi appear in the third act actually made sense.
Conclusion
Those are just a few of the cameos we’ve spotted in some of our favorite movies but which ones did we miss? Let us know in the comments, and remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos like this one.
