Huge Stars That Made Tiny Cameos In Movies

When a movie comes out, there is typically a lot of talk about who will be on the cast lists. The trades spread information quickly, with everything from news of an actor in talks with a studio to confirmed signings for a specific role. High-profile talent goes a long way in drawing in audiences to see movies, so it is in a studio's best interest to make it as public as possible that they have snagged an A-lister for their upcoming release.

It makes sense financially, but it is also just how Hollywood functions: big stars equal big profits ... or most of the time, anyway. But there are some occasions when a huge star's brief appearance in a film is kept secret from as many people as possible. These kinds of cameos don't happen often, but when they do, it is always a big talking point.

When executed successfully, these surprise cameos help boost a film's popularity as word-of-mouth begins to spread — fans flock to the theaters to see the unexpected. In many ways, cameos are all about fan services, and this is something that a lot of people appreciate. A few huge stars have made tiny cameos in movies, and these are some of the best.

"Free Guy" is a film teeming with cameos, with the likes of Hugh Jackman, Dwayne Johnson, and John Krasinski having minor voice-acting roles. The film follows Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a non-player character (NPC) inside a video game who suddenly becomes self-aware. Through his adventure, he meets and falls in love with a human player, Millie (Jodie Comer), and fights to change his standing in the world.

This leads to an epic fight with a jacked-up avatar of himself called "Dude." Guy holds off Dude's death blow with the Captain America shield, adopting the same pose made famous by Chris Evans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). At this moment, Evans pops up on the screen, holding his phone. Watching the action unfold — and seeing himself copied so blatantly — he utters, "What the s***?"

The meta cameo fits perfectly into the narrative and was filmed in record time. Director Shawn Levy told Entertainment Weekly how he got Evans to participate, explaining he only had 10 minutes to work with. "Chris rolled up, we walked him right into his seat in front of the camera, shot him, hugged it out, and he was on his way in less than 10."

"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" is about a group of misfits who fight the good fight through dodgeball. In the film, Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) unites his customers and friends to face off against his nemesis, White Goodman (Ben Stiller), to save his run-down gym.

The film features two important cameos, but the appearance of Lance Armstrong did not age well due to his doping scandal. The cameo that stands the test of time belongs to Chuck Norris, who unexpectedly appears at the climax to cast the deciding vote on whether the team can compete in the final match. He offers a wordless thumbs up and a smile, saving the day.

The scene almost didn't happen because Norris was hesitant to drive three hours to Long Beach to shoot it. Stiller got on the phone and asked him to do it, sending a helicopter to expedite travel. Months later, when Norris saw the film and heard the final line, "F*****' Chuck Norris," he told Empire, "My mouth fell open to here ... That was a shock, Ben didn't tell me about that!"

The MCU is one of the biggest film franchises of all time, and its films feature numerous cameos — some that make you smile, and some that shock and surprise. In "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrives in Asgard to find Loki (Tom Hiddleston) masquerading as their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), watching a play about Loki's purported death in "Thor: The Dark World."

The surprising cameo comes when the camera focuses on Loki, and he's played by Matt Damon. This casting was a shock because an A-lister like Damon is more likely to be a candidate for a leading man, but instead, he's featured in a brief cameo playing Loki as he dies in Thor's arms. Of course, he's not the only one on stage. Joining him in the production is Luke Hemsworth as Thor, and Sam Neill as Odin, so that's three surprising cameos in one scene.

The cast for the play within a film was a closely guarded secret, which screenwriter Eric Pearson explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "It was one of those, 'Don't tell your wife. You cannot tell anyone. [Marvel Studios executive] Brad [Winderbaum] took me over to the side and showed me the picture [of Damon] in full costume, and I lost my mind."

While most cameos delight the audience, every so often an actor appears in a movie and nobody even notices. This happens in "Hook," which tells the story of Peter Banning (Robin Williams), the grown-up Peter Pan who now has a family of his own. He no longer remembers Neverland, but Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) lures him back by kidnapping his children. Peter travels to Neverland and hides among a bunch of pirates. Hook addresses them and Peter, fearing his cover is about to be blown, is surprised when the pirate standing next to him is singled out.

The pirate, known as Gutless, is played by none other than Glenn Close. Few could tell, however, as she was decked out in full pirate regalia complete with facial hair. It's a character anyone could have played, but Steven Spielberg opted for the Oscar-nominated A-lister. Speaking to The Scotsman, Close explained how it happened: "I had visited the set of Hook because Robin Williams was a friend of mine, and took along my little girl ... when we got there Steven Spielberg said, 'Do you want to be pirate?' And I said 'Sure.' So I got a beard and costume ... nobody guessed I was a woman for three days. I'm pretty proud of that."

"The Wedding Singer" is an homage to the '80s and features a plethora of references to the decade. Throughout the film, Robbie (Adam Sandler) sings some of the era's greatest songs, and like all of Sandler's films, it features cameos from his friends and frequent collaborators, including Allen Covert, Kevin Nealon, and Steve Buscemi.

"The Wedding Singer" offers even more in the final act. Robbie, in pursuit of Julia (Drew Barrymore), boards a plane to Las Vegas to thwart her marriage to the boorish Glenn (Matthew Glave). Seated in first class with Robbie is Billy Idol, and the singer listens intently with the other passengers as Robbie regales their will-they-won't-they relationship. Once Robbie learns Julia is on the same plane, he sings her a love song he wrote and Idol helps by holding Glenn back so he can't intervene. 

The cameo works so well because, while it's unexpected, it fits perfectly within the movie's narrative. Idol nearly passed on the film but ultimately agreed to it to make his son — a huge Sandler fan — happy. While other '80s rockers might have worked, you can't do better than the man best known for "White Wedding" in a movie all about weddings.

The third "Austin Powers" film delves into the character's backstory and introduces a new villain, the eponymous Goldmember. The movie follows the same formula as its predecessors and features Mike Myers playing multiple roles opposite Beyoncé, Seth Green, Verne Troyer, and Michael Caine. The film ends with Powers heroically saving the day, but it doesn't end there.

The film's ending comes via a two-minute scene recapping the story's events. It's essentially a mini-movie of what came before but done in the style of a Hollywood trailer. The film is a dramatization of "Austin Powers in Goldmember," though it's hilariously called "Austinpussy" in an homage to the 1983 James Bond movie, "Octopussy."

The trailer features plenty of talent, with Tom Cruise as Austin Powers, Gwyneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil, Danny DeVito as Mini Me, John Travolta as Goldmember, and Steven Spielberg as the film's director, playing himself. The film closes with the characters happily watching the trailer in a movie theater. While the actors involved don't often speak about the cameo, Paltrow told Rachael Ray that Cruise "Was an amazing kisser" (via HuffPost).

"Hot Shots! Part Deux" continues the tradition of the first by spoofing as many action and adventure movies as it possibly can, with particular emphasis on the "Rambo" films. The movie follows Topper's (Charlie Sheen) trek through Iraq to finish his mission, making his way through the country on a fishing boat. While aboard the vessel, the film transitions into a scene that only makes sense if you've seen two movies: "Apocalypse Now" and "Wall Street."

The scene shows Martin Sheen looking through classified documents as he reprises his role as Captain Benjamin Willard in "Apocalypse Now," with his voiceover narration interrupting Topper's. The boats pass each other, and the two Sheens notice one another. They stand, point at the other, and collectively say, "I loved you in 'Wall Street,'" followed by a thumbs up and a smile.

Martin is Charlie's father, and they worked together on "Wall Street," so their line is self-aggrandizing while also functioning as an out-of-place reference that's decidedly silly in the context of what's happening. The incorporation of Sheen's "Apocalypse Now" character is what makes the cameo work so well, as it checks the parody box while also breaking the fourth wall.

Dustin Hoffman is easily one of the best actors of his generation. Because of this, you don't expect him to pop up in a Nancy Meyers Christmas rom-com, but that's precisely what happens in "The Holiday," and the cameo is as unusual as it is serendipitous.

In the scene, Miles (Jack Black) and Iris (Kate Winslet) are talking about classic films such as "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy" in a video store. This leads to Miles singing different scores aloud before picking up "The Graduate" to talk about its signature song. Hoffman happens to be standing nearby and notices Miles talking about the movie that made him famous, so he smiles and utters, "I can't believe it" under his breath.

Hoffman wasn't meant to have a cameo in the film and it was his curiosity that landed him the part. According to the film's DVD commentary, Hoffman was eating lunch nearby and saw the cameras, so he wanted to see what was happening. He and Meyers were friends, so when he happened by, she wrote him into the scene, and he made it happen.

"Hot Fuzz" is the second film in Edgar Wright's "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film focuses on Nicholas Angel (Pegg), a London cop who works so hard that he makes everyone else look bad. He's promoted to Sergeant and sent to a small town nearly devoid of crime. There he meets Constable Danny Butterman (Frost), and together they discover all is not as it seems in Sandford, Gloucestershire. 

Before he leaves, Nicholas meets with his girlfriend, Janine, at a crime scene. She's all decked out in protective clothing covering every square inch, including her face. It's difficult to identify the actor, but it is in fact, Cate Blanchett. Her being there is all the more hilarious when Nicholas accidentally talks to the wrong person because even he cannot recognize her.

If you're wondering why an Academy Award-winning actor appears uncredited and unrecognizable in this film, there's a simple explanation: She loved "Shaun of the Dead" and asked for a part. Hiding Blanchett in plain sight became part of the joke, as Wright explained to About.com, "Let's get an Oscar winner in there but not see her face" (via The Digital Fix).

Charlton Heston is Hollywood royalty, having appeared in some of the 20th century's greatest films. He played Moses in "The Ten Commandments," the title role in "Ben-Hur," and so much more. This makes it even more hilarious that he found his way onto the set of "Wayne's World 2." The film builds from its predecessor while focusing on the relationship between Wayne (Mike Myers) and Cassandra (Tia Carrere).

Towards the end, Wayne runs into a gas station to ask for directions. He meets a man who wistfully talks about his past but is interrupted. Wayne breaks the fourth wall, asking why he has to put up with a bad actor, acknowledging it's a small part. He asks for a better actor, and Heston steps in. He masterfully repeats the line before finishing up and telling Wayne where to go, leaving him in tears.

Heston is appropriately credited as "Good Actor" for his character, having replaced Al Hansen's "Bad Actor." The cameo is brief and funny, but in many ways, it's a show of appreciation for the veteran actor's skills. 

Back in the '80s, finding something Hulk Hogan wasn't in was hard. Case in point, he has a hilarious cameo in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" that comes out of nowhere while still being perfectly on brand for the Hulkster. The cameo comes midway through the movie after the Gremlins muck up a movie projector, causing the film to burn out.

An usher finds Hogan inside the theater watching the film and asks if he'd mind helping out, so he stands up and delivers one of his signature threats while ripping off his shirt. The Gremlins decide it's best not to fight him, so they put the movie back on, and things progress from there. Hogan breaks the fourth wall by apologizing to the audience, promising it won't happen again.

The film came out in 1990, and when it made it to VHS for video rentals, a different scene appeared without Hogan. Instead, the tape messes up because the Gremlins taped over it. The channels change until they settle on a John Wayne movie, and the Duke convinces the Gremlins to switch things back to the original film.

"Casper" is packed with Easter eggs and cameos, connecting it to other ghost-related movies. There are quite a few unexpected cameos, including Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson all playing themselves. While they're fun and surprising, the cameo that works best within the film's narrative involves Ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd). 

First, Catherine (Cathy Moriarty) and Paul (Eric Idle) try to handle their little haunting problem with an inexperienced exorcist, Father Guido (Don Novello). However, this ends with the priest walking out with his head on backward, drenched in pea soup. Next, they try a more traditional method by calling the Ghostbusters, but that also fails when Stantz runs out of the house following an explosion, saying, "Who you gonna call? Someone else," before walking off.

Aykroyd's cameo is certainly a highlight, but another almost made it into the movie that could've been even better. During development, writer Deanna Oliver planned to have Zelda Rubinstein reprise her character, Tangina Barrons, from "Poltergeist." The plan was for her to show up after Stantz, but they ended the cameos with Aykroyd.

The Motion Picture Association of America typically allows a PG-13 film to have one F-bomb, and sometimes, filmmakers decide to have fun with it. For "X-Men: First Class," director Matthew Vaughn dropped his single F-bomb with an amazing cameo from Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

In the film, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) use Cerebro to find and recruit fellow mutants. This takes them all over the country, meeting with various mutants, including Wolverine. They approach him in a bar, where he's enjoying a cigar and minding his own business.

They try to talk to him, and he immediately rebuffs them, saying, "Go f*** yourself," and they quickly leave. Jackman agreed to do the cameo because it sounded like the perfect way to use the character. He told Moviefone, "They pitched me the idea, and I remember saying, 'Does anyone else swear in the movie?' They said, 'No,' and I said, 'I'm in.'"

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and most recognizable movie stars, and he is usually the main draw. However, his involvement in "Deadpool 2" is so tiny that most people didn't realize he was in it until well after the film's release. Pitt plays Vanisher, an invisible man who appears on screen for a fraction of a second.

Vanisher joins Deadpool's (Ryan Reynolds) team of superheroes, but his airborne drop doesn't work out well when his parachute takes him into some power lines. He's immediately electrocuted and killed, and for an instant, he becomes visible. Blink and you'll miss it, but for a couple of frames, Brad Pitt appears on screen.

Initially, Pitt was going to play Cable — a role that eventually went to Josh Brolin – but his schedule prevented that from happening. Still, he was friends with director David Leitch and wanted to do something, so he opted for a brief cameo as Vanisher. Pitt took the minimum rate of $956 and a cup of coffee for his part, stipulating that Reynolds had to deliver it to him, which he did.