The Most Hilarious Cameos That Came Out of Nowhere

The Most Hilarious Cameos In Film

Throughout the vast history of filmdom, audiences have been tickled and treated to some of the most hilarious, unexpected, and iconic cameos. From brilliant musicians, revered actors, and even the most notable comedians, some of these cameos have been legendary. While not all movie cameos have hit their mark, there have been enough that has created the absolute perfect scene in a movie.

We have found that some of the best cameos have come in comedy films. Some, though, come in the form of opening scenes in horror films such as the Scream franchise where a famous actress finds herself in distress from Ghostface. With that said, the following movie cameos are some of the most classic comedic moments in cinema.

6. John Hurt and the Xenomorph - Spaceballs (1987)

Mel Brooks certainly knows how to craft a great and hilarious parody scene. For the diner scene in Spaceballs, Brooks has Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr and John Candy’s Barf ordering a meal. Down the counter from them is a group of space travelers talking about their latest trip. One of the travelers looks familiar and he should. It is John Hurt who became famous for his chest-bursting scene in the 1979 horror film, Alien.

No doubt with this movie cameo we are being set up for another and Hurt doesn’t disappoint. But seeing as this is a Mel Brooks film, instead of the little Xenomorph coming out and causing havoc, it instead dons a top hat and sings “Hello, my baby” before high stepping out of the scene.

5. Bill Murray - Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is a comedic look at living life during a zombie apocalypse that stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abagail Breslin. While the film on its own is a fun romp, the movie kicks it up a gear when Bill Murray appears as himself, impersonating a zombie. It is his way of blending in with the outdoors and he uses his zombie appearance to prank his guests. The end result is definitely not what Murray had hoped for.

4. Matt Damon - Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The first time we got to see Matt Damon in a hilarious movie cameo for Marvel was in the 2017 film, Thor: Ragnarok. The surprise cameo was well-received as he played an Asgardian actor playing Loki, reenacting events from a previous Marvel movie. The results were immediately comical and self-aware and one he reprised in the 2022 Marvel film, Thor: Love and Thunder.

3. Christopher Walken - Pulp Fiction (1994)

Classic Christopher Walken doing Christopher Walken things. Pulp Fiction is decidedly not a comedy film, though, with a director such as Quentin Tarantino and his screenwriting capabilities, there is always a sense of fun in even his most dramatic of movies.

In this movie cameo, Walken plays the father of Bruce Willis’ character in a flashback scene when Willis was a young kid. Walken tells the graphic story of how a gold watch makes it out of the battlefield so it can be presented to the young child. Walken’s delivery of Tarantino’s words is simply perfect.

2. Will Ferrell - Wedding Crashers (2005)

Will Ferrell has been known for popping up unexpectedly in movies and one of his legendary movie cameos came in the 2005 hit comedy, Wedding Crashers. Audiences had heard the name Chazz Reinhold throughout the film, uttered by Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. So they were prepared to meet Chazz Reinhold when he finally appeared on the screen. They probably weren’t prepared for him to be Ferrell. The scene is classic (“Ma, the meatloaf!”) Will Ferrell.

1. Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder (2008)

Who says Tom Cruise is too serious and doesn’t like to have fun? Okay, so while he may have that outward appearance, his cameo in Tropic Thunder says otherwise. In it, Cruise appears in a fat suit and bald cap while firing off some very offensive language as Hollywood executive Les Grossman. While his cameo was legendary, he did revert to his more serious nature behind the scenes.

In fact, Cruise was so serious about the movie cameo that he wrangled his group of lawyers together to threaten lawsuits if any photos of him in costume appeared anywhere before the movie’s release. Ah, that’s the Tom Cruise we all know and love.