10 Best Times Actors Played Themselves

10. Bill Murray - Zombieland

The enigmatic Bill Murray picks his projects carefully. He famously has an answerphone in lieu of an agent, and tends mainly to work with folks he has an existing relationship with, like Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch. So it was a surprise to see him pop up towards the end of Zombieland, clad in ghoulish makeup and playing himself.

The role was initially intended for Patrick Swayze, but the part found its way to Murray after Swayze’s death, and it’s a perfect fit. Murray is a known eccentric, and were the world to fall foul of a zombie plague, it’s not too difficult to imagine that he would disguise himself as a member of the walking dead so as to continue with his regular life.

Murray’s appearance in the film was a real shock at the time, and though his presence didn’t stay secret for long, if you were able to watch without this aspect being spoiled, it was a real treat.

He’s an actor of such rare charisma that the sheer sight of him is one of the most exciting aspects of a film about a zombie apocalypse.