10. Bryan Singer – Star Trek Nemesis
Few life-long Star Trek fans can claim to have stood on the famous bridge of the Enterprise, unless they spent thousands of pounds turning their house into a faithful replica (only for their long-suffering wife to realise they’re just not worth the stigma), but there have been two notable celebrity fans who have realised that dream on the big screen.
The first was Christian Slater, whose supporting role in 1991′s The Undiscovered Country was named simply Excelsior Communications Officer, and the second was director Bryan Singer, who appeared in that other terrible Star Trek film Nemesis, briefly taking over Worf’s station on the bridge, and looking worryingly confused by what he sees there, if the image above is anything to go by.
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36 Comments
My favorite of all time… once I was watching Empire Strikes Back and I did a doubletake. That scene where Leia is talking to the squad on Hoth before the big battle, there is ‘ol Cliff Claven from Cheers. He’s the guy who says, “okay, everyone to their speeders. Let’s go!”
It was before he was famous, but he really nails the role. He has this huge grin on his face.
That’s not a cameo. That’s a bit part from, as you said, before he was famous. He’s also in Superman I and II in different roles — both times with 1 or 2 lines.
Band of Brothers & Saving Private Ryan were great for ‘Before he was famous’ actors;
Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Nathan Fillion, Vin Diesel, James McEvoy, Damien Lewis, Barry Pepper, …
I had no idea about Peter Jackson! That’s so cool.
Cate Blanchette and Peter Jackson had my jaw dropped.
Also, Euro Trip was hilarious, and far better than the movie that it was a crash grab off of (Road Trip). In terms of “teen sex comedies” it is better than most, and up there with the American Pie series. I’d even say it’s better than American Wedding.
Despite it unleashing Fred Armisen’s hit or miss nature on the world, Eurotrip was hysterical for a “dumb teen comedy”. It was like Hostel, except we were supposed to laugh at the stereotypes this round.
The Matt Damon cameo was hysterical when I first saw it. I found out later about the Peter Jackson and Cate Blanchette cameos after I saw Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. All of which are excellent cameos.
Most of these were really fun. My recollection on the behind-the-scenes on the Dan Aykroyd one was that he happened to be nearby that day, or invited on the set by Spielberg or something. And, last minute, he was asked if he wanted that part.
The Glenn Close one had a story too…but I no longer recall it. And the Tim Burton/Hoffa one, well, they just thought it’d be funny and DeVito and Burton are friends.
Not that anyone asked. I just thought I’d add. =]
What about George Clooney in The Thin Red Line?
The one cameo that I never noticed until recently was George Lucas’ cameo in Beverly Hills Cop 3. Axl Foley cuts a couple off of getting on the ride and it’s Lucas. I never realized it was him up until I watched that movie again on Netflix a few weeks ago.
Right so i’ve either never heard of the actor/actress or i’ve never heard of or seen the movie that is why i find this article pointless
You’re really missing out if you don’t know any of these people or films…At the very, very, least you must have heard of Dan Aykroyd and Temple of Doom.
That’s really not the writer’s fault, it’s yours.
I always laugh when Flea from RHCP pops up in the Back To the Future Sequels.
How Cam you forget about R2D2 being in J.J.A Abrams Star Trek
Debra Winger as a male angel in Made in Heaven.
Chris Martin and Martin Freeman both had blink and you miss cameos in Shaun Of The Dead
What about Mel Gibson as the Scott the bodypiercer in Father’s Day. One of the funniest.
What about Steven Spielberg in The Blues Brothers?…plus I never noticed Dan Aykroyd when i was a kid. and i must of watched Temple of Doom a 100 times or more. Wow.
YES…so true!!! A GREAT cameo and one I laugh at every time I see it! The same goes for George Lucas in Beverly Hills Cop 3 and Dan Aykroyd in Temple of Doom. Hilarious!
Best cameo ever = Samuel L Jackson in Coming to America
sam’s appearance in coming to america was actually as a credited actor (wait til the end credits when they go through all the actors and characters in make up that both eddie murphy and arsenio hall played). sam already had a relationship with eddie murphy, having a brief appearance at the beginning of Eddie Murphy Raw in the family thanksgiving scene, along with a very young Tatiana Ali (Ashley from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air).
Samuel L Jackson in Coming to America = Hilarious!
Great article, loved these cameo’s.
If they hadn’t admitted it was Peter Jackson, would anyone be able to tell it was him?
How about Don Cheadle in Moving Violations?
How can Sam Jackson be a cameo, that was his first part in a movie!!!!
chester from linkin park had a cameo in crank
I cannot believe nobody has mentioned Bruce Campbell in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy. What about Chuck Norris and The Hoff in Dodgeball? And let us not forget the brilliant bit in X-Men First Class when Xavier and Magneto walk into a bar….
Oh, and totally forgot the legend that is Bill Murray popping up in Zombieland
What about the really young Elijah wood as the kid at the arcade in back to the future 2
Anjelica Huston is in the harbour as the boat full of mental patients returns to shore in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Not really a cameo per se as she’s surrounded by people and has nothing to say/do.
Oh and Brett from Flight of the Conchords appears in both LOTR and The Hobbit. He’s the elf in ROTK who says to Arwen “we cannot delay” before she buggers off, and also the guy(presumably the same character) that invites the dwarf party + Gandalf/Bilbo at the gates of Rivendell.
What about Nick Cage in Fast Times at Ridgemont High as the guy flippin burgers when Judge Reinhold’s character got fired… I think it was All-American Burger??
Is that Matt Damon in Argo? 21 minutes in..he is an American red headed teenager making comments to a news crew
Currently it seems like Movable Type is the best
blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?