# Big movie stars in bit parts! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102 "2002-03-13T19:07:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/1 "2002-03-13T19:07:34Z")
Big movies stars in bit parts: Nicolas Cage (as Nicolas Coppola) in **Fast Times at Ridgemont High**. Dana Carvey with Billy Crystal in **This is Spinal Tap**. Who wants to go next? ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/2 "2002-03-13T19:09:48Z")
Be specific, bit parts, not cameos!! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/3 "2002-03-13T19:11:15Z")
Hmm. Ted Danson’s walk on in Saving Private Ryan, I suppose. Not technically a ‘movie’ star but it made me sit up and say ‘wait a minute!’ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/4 "2002-03-13T19:11:31Z")
Clint Eastwood in _The Giant Tarantula_ Leonard Nimoy in the Republic serial thriller _Zombies Of The Stratosphere_ ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/5 "2002-03-13T19:15:39Z")
Kevin Bacon in _Animal House_ Julia Sweeney in _Pulp Fiction_ Ben Affleck in _Dazed and Confused_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/6 "2002-03-13T19:43:27Z")
Do you mean “before they were famous” bit parts? Leonard Nimoy and James Arness in _Them!_ Joe Pesci in _Hey, Let’s Twist_ (he was the guitarist with the Starlighters) Teri Garr as a dancer in various films like _Viva Las Vegas_ Sylvester Stallone in _Bananas_ John Travolta in _The Devil’s Rain_ Robert Blake in _The Treasure of Sierra Madre_ Milton Berle as a baby in _Tillie’s Punctured Romance_ Liza Minelli in _In the Good Old Summertime_ ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/7 "2002-03-13T20:21:02Z")
George Clooney in _The Thin Red Line_ Robin Williams in Branagh’s _Hamlet_ I don’t think Ben Affleck counts – that was more than a bit part IMHO, especially since _Dazed and Confused_ essentially had an ensemble cast. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/8 "2002-03-13T20:30:58Z")
Harrison Ford in an old episode of Kung Fu. Seeing that really made my day. “Hey… that thug there… isn’t that…” ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/9 "2002-03-13T20:38:37Z")
Harrison Ford in _Apocalypse Now_. John Travolta in _The Thin Red Line_. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/10 "2002-03-13T21:13:48Z")
Christian Slater in _Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country_ ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/11 "2002-03-13T21:55:23Z")
Liam Neeson in _Krull_. He also turned up in _Excalibur_, as did Patrick Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/12 "2002-03-13T22:26:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pezwookiee \* > \*\*Big movies stars in bit parts: > Nicolas Cage (as Nicolas Coppola) in **Fast Times at Ridgemont High**. > Dana Carvey with Billy Crystal in **This is Spinal Tap**. > Who wants to go next? \*\* In _Wayne’s World 2_, Charleton Heston has a bit part as the manager at a gas station where Wayne stops to ask for directions. Sean Connery had a surprise bit part as King Richard in Kevin Costner’s _Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves_. This same set up was parodied in _Robin Hood: Men in Tights_ when Patrick Stewart shows up at the end playing the same role. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/13 "2002-03-13T22:26:46Z")
Robert Duvall as Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird” Gene Hackman as the blind hermit in “Young Frankenstein” ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/14 "2002-03-13T23:31:33Z")
Harrison Ford - a bellboy in Dead Heat On A Merri-Go-Round Robert Duvall - taxi driver in Bullitt Roddy McDowell - Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry these are really cameos, but I like them: Peter O’Toole - Casino Royale Frank Zappa - Head Samuel Jackson and Michael Keaton - Out Of Sight Vincent Price and Boris Karloff - those Frankie and Annette beach movies ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/15 "2002-03-13T23:45:20Z")
Sylvester Stallone in _Prisoner of Second Avenue_ Clint Eastwood in _Revenge of the Creature_ Lee Van Cleef in _The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms_ ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/16 "2002-03-13T23:50:41Z")
Also - Tony Curtis in _Winchester '73_ James Stewart in _Rose-Marie_, aka _Indian Love Call_ And in case anyone is setting rules, I am not using the IMDb or any other reference to think these up, but I am using the IMDb to make sure they are correct before I post. ---
**Author:** ![Doubting\_Robert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Doubting\_Robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doubting_Robert)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/17 "2002-03-13T23:56:40Z")
Not sure if this counts as a bit part or a cameo, but - Charleton Heston in the 2001 version of _Planet of the Apes_ ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/18 "2002-03-14T02:51:52Z")
How about those old war movies, like _The Longest Day_ or _A Bridge Too Far_? The had **everybody** in them! Like John Ratzenberger as “U.S. Lieutenant” in _ABTF_. I seem to recall Sean Connery had a very minor part (was he even famous enough for it to be a cameo?) in _TLD_. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/19 "2002-03-14T03:25:34Z")
Ratzenberger also had a line in _The Empire Strikes Back_ . And **White Lightning** you’re probably right, he did make the end credits with “Slow Ride” in the background after all. Plus, who can forget that woman pulling a shotgun oh him? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102/20 "2002-03-14T04:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darwin’s Finch \* > \*\*I seem to recall Sean Connery had a very minor part (was he even famous enough for it to be a cameo?) in _TLD_. \*\* That’s the part were he uttered the lines he probably regret the most : > [@](#): > > It takes an Irishman to properly play the pipes 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-movie-stars-in-bit-parts/98102.md?page=2)