# Favorite cameos from famous people as "themselves" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905 "2019-01-17T00:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/101 "2019-01-23T22:57:17Z")
> [@KMS94](#): > > The first thing that popped in my head when reading this was Rick Springfield in Californication. Hilarious. The first thing that popped in my head when reading this was Rick Springfield in _Mission: Magic._ Seems to be a recurring motif in his career. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/102 "2019-01-24T12:11:44Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Even weirder because it seems to have been the entire point… > > Dave Sim in Cerebus the Aardvark. Somewhere between issues 187 and 190 - we’re talking 15 years of comics - the lead character Cerebus begins conversing with an all-knowing entity named ‘Dave’ who reveals his possible futures and pasts. > > It’s. Truly. Weird. > > And in interviews Sim said that he’d had the entire run of Cerebus laid out in his mind up until the point where ‘Dave’ introduces himself to Cerebus. The entire run. From that point on it just got weirder and less coherent. Hemingway appeared. F. Scott Fitzgerald appeared. The Three Stooges appeared. Cerebus ended up an award winning hockey goalie. > > As I said. Weird. While \*Cerebus \*is rife with parody, Sim’s injection of himself as author into the narrative likely owes as much to his ongoing mental deterioration as anything. “Weird” doesn’t cover the half of it. Kurt Vonnegut likewise inserts himself into _Breakfast of Champions_. It doesn’t go well. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/103 "2019-01-24T18:57:11Z")
On _Community_, [Luis Guzmán](https://community-sitcom.fandom.com/wiki/Luis_Guzman) appeared in person after Greendale raised a statue of him as the community college’s most illustrious graduate that was willing to allow it (in the episode, the first celebrity approached, Mark Hamill, says “no”.) Because things in this show have to go meta, French Stewart appeared not as himself, but as the manager of a group of celebrity impersonators, who explains that he moved into management when demand for his work as a French Stewart impersonator dried up. Dan Harmon stated that they wanted Albert Brooks to appear as himself, but Brooks wanted to actually work as an actor, so they made his role a fictional character. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/104 "2019-01-24T20:28:07Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In the 1940s, comic book creators were definitely NOT famous, but when Bob Kane was the lead artist on Batman, Bruce Wayne bore a striking resemblance to Bob Kane. There are three Bugs Bunny cartoons from the 40’s where Elmer Fudd bears a striking resemblance to Arthur Q Bryan the man who did Elmer’s voice at that time. Not a cameo, but there’s a cartoon where Jack Benny and Eddie Anderson play themselves as mice. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/105 "2019-01-24T20:36:54Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > While \*Cerebus \*is rife with parody, Sim’s injection of himself as author into the narrative likely owes as much to his ongoing mental deterioration as anything. “Weird” doesn’t cover the half of it. Brother, you ain’t lying. Sim went downright crazy. Robert Heinlein put himself - a few times - in _The Number of the Beast_. But it wasn’t really front-facing. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/106 "2019-01-24T23:23:06Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Roy Thomas appeared in several 60’s Marvel comics as himself. There was a joke that Marvel owned the rights to Roy Thomas Roy Thomas also wrote his wife Danette into the Marvel Universe in a “What If?” story where Conan goes through a time portal to mean streets of late 70s NYC as the damsel-in-distress/romantic interest. Comic book creator cameos are pretty common, but I don’t know how far back in history they go. Can anyone one think of any creator appearances prior to, say, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crashing Reed and Sue’s wedding in the pages of Fantastic Four? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/107 "2019-01-25T00:29:13Z")
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen from _Extras_ have already been mentioned, so I’ll add [Kate Winslet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEnjiGwVw6o) in [Extras](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPTV8PZo-Tc). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/108 "2019-01-25T01:00:56Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Not a cameo, but there’s a cartoon where Jack Benny and Eddie Anderson play themselves as mice. “The House That Jack Built.” Mary Livingstone and Don Wilson were in it too, as was Mel Blanc doing the Maxwell and Ed, Jack’s vault guard. The whole regular cast of _ **The Jack Benny Program** _. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/109 "2019-01-25T04:15:26Z")
Might be too long to consider a “cameo,” but in book seven of **The Dark Tower** , Stephen King puts himself in the story. Liked it at first, later it was WTF, Steve? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/110 "2019-01-25T05:28:03Z")
Ron Jeremy shows up very briefly in Butch Walker and the Black Widow’s [Synthesizers](https://youtu.be/94b3gMZGorc)video. Come to think of it, Butch Walker has a cameo role also. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/111 "2019-01-25T10:14:26Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Ron Jeremy shows up very briefly in Butch Walker and the Black Widow’s [Synthesizers](https://youtu.be/94b3gMZGorc)video. That doesn’t count as a cameo - he had a long part. badoomtish ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/112 "2019-01-25T15:06:44Z")
Phil Simms playing an enhanced version of himself on Elementary. He was one of Holmes’ “irregulars” advising Sherlock on knife throwing. They never used his last name, but it was supposed to be him. Sherlock Holmes : Yeah. Fifteen years he spent throwing that misshapen ball around. Fifteen years. When I think of the acclaim he could have brought to competitive blade slinging… ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/113 "2019-01-25T16:22:09Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Ron Jeremy shows up very briefly in Butch Walker and the Black Widow’s [Synthesizers](https://youtu.be/94b3gMZGorc)video. Come to think of it, Butch Walker has a cameo role also. He was also in News Radio as kind of himself I guess. [![](https://i.imgur.com/ieM7LF5.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ieM7LF5.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/114 "2019-01-25T17:19:05Z")
Art Fleming (the first and best host of Jeopardy) in Airplane 2. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/115 "2019-01-25T18:53:46Z")
I love Kareem Abdul Jabbar in **Airplane!** We see him as the co-pilot, and he’s playing it straight…until called out by the kid, and he’s finally had enough. “The hell I don’t!” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ArHNrCvwq4c/hqdefault.jpg "KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR AS ROGER MURDOCK") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArHNrCvwq4c) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/116 "2019-01-27T01:30:09Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > While \*Cerebus \*is rife with parody, Sim’s injection of himself as author into the narrative likely owes as much to his ongoing mental deterioration as anything. “Weird” doesn’t cover the half of it. > > Kurt Vonnegut likewise inserts himself into _Breakfast of Champions_. It doesn’t go well. It goes well for the surgeon who gets the gig of retrieving his testicles. _Cha-Ching!_ ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/117 "2019-01-27T19:01:24Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In the 1940s, comic book creators were definitely NOT famous, but when Bob Kane was the lead artist on Batman, Bruce Wayne bore a striking resemblance to Bob Kane. Supposedly the original Captain Marvel’s appearance was based on Jimmy Stewart. If you watch his early movies you can definitely see the resemblance. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/118 "2019-01-27T19:15:34Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Supposedly the original Captain Marvel’s appearance was based on Jimmy Stewart. If you watch his early movies you can definitely see the resemblance. I had always heard that it was Fred MacMurray. And Mary Marvel was based on Judy Garland, and Uncle Dudley was based on W.C. Fields. ---
**Author:** ![Flare4roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@Flare4roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flare4roach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/119 "2019-01-27T23:32:03Z")
I always enjoyed the scene in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” where Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson is walking through a nightclub twisted comes upon the real Hunter S. Thompson who’s staring at him. “Holy Shit, it’s me!”. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/120 "2019-01-28T00:29:40Z")
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