# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2021, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/161 "2021-08-23T03:52:56Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > Bert Parks in The Freshman (1990) Oh, there he is - your Komodo dragon, Yes, there he is, one of eight. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/162 "2021-08-31T14:28:32Z")
In the “Columbo” episode “Uneasy Lies the Crown,” I forget how it happens, but in one scene Columbo opens a door and stumbles into a card game. The players are Dick Sargent, Nancy Walker, and Ron Cey as themselves. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/163 "2021-08-31T16:11:21Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > In the “Columbo” episode “Uneasy Lies the Crown,” I forget how it happens, but in one scene Columbo opens a door and stumbles into a card game. The players are Dick Sargent, Nancy Walker, and Ron Cey as themselves They wind up being the killer’s alibi! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/164 "2021-08-31T16:52:33Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > In the “Columbo” episode “Uneasy Lies the Crown,” I forget how it happens, but in one scene Columbo opens a door and stumbles into a card game. The players are Dick Sargent, Nancy Walker, and Ron Cey as themselves. I remember that episode. That was probably inspired by a similar scene in _Sunset Boulevard_. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/165 "2021-08-31T17:41:05Z")
My impression when reading this was that it was King’s way of dealing with his nearly fatal accident (he was struck by a van while walking along the side of the road). ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/166 "2021-08-31T17:45:46Z")
Stephen Hawking played a version of himself in Star Trek the Next Generation. He is the only person to play themselves in any Star Trek franchise, afaik. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/167 "2021-08-31T21:49:26Z")
This cameo of Lance Armstrong from Dodgeball is darkly hilarious now. [“Quitting” in Dodgeball - Lance Armstrong - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGtfpzT4Lqw) ---
**Author:** ![BigDfromLA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BigDfromLA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDfromLA)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/168 "2021-09-01T07:12:21Z")
What a trio!! You couldn’t get three more different celebrities than Dick Sargent, Nancy Walker and Ron Cey. Who the heck thought of that!! All three were both very recognizable (at the time), without any of them being huge stars…which makes it a good fit for the show, as far fetched as it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/169 "2021-09-01T07:31:03Z")
In _Castle_, Nathan Fillion played successful mystery writer Richard Castle. Castle played poker with his fellow authors, Stephen Cannell, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, and James Patterson all of whom played themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/170 "2021-09-01T07:42:43Z")
There is a new series called _Only Murders in the Building_. Episode 3 had a brief appearence of Sting as Sting. Episode 4 (which hasn’t streamed yet) is titled _The Sting_. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/171 "2021-09-01T08:34:21Z")
Not sure if it qualifies as a cameo, because he popped up a few times, but Rob Reiner played himself as a producer in _Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star._ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/172 "2021-09-01T17:34:06Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > As the name of the Brady Bunch Episode suggests, Davy Jones in [“Getting Davy Jones”](https://youtu.be/-dZPRbR4SI8). Davy Jones also appeared in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants, where they go to Davy Jones’ locker. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WSSk56Bi4z4/maxresdefault.jpg "SpongeBob SquarePants - Davy Jones' Locker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSSk56Bi4z4) I’m not sure if it counts as a “Cameo”, because most people wouldn’t even know who he was (let alone what he looked like), but composer Bernard Hermann, who composed the score for the second version of Alfred Hitchcock’s **The Man Who Knew Too Much** , and conducted the orchestra, actually appeared as the conductor in the climactic scene in Albert Hall. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/173 "2021-09-01T17:41:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’m not sure if it counts as a “Cameo”, because most people wouldn’t even know who he was (let alone what he looked like), but composer Bernard Hermann, who composed the score for the second version of Alfred Hitchcock’s **The Man Who Knew Too Much** , and conducted the orchestra, actually appeared as the conductor in the climactic scene in Albert Hall Similarly, Philip Glass did the score for _The Truman Show_, and also has a cameo as the guy playing the score for the titular reality TV show. That’s him on the left, with Ed Harris as the show’s director/producer in front of the big screen. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByZrVoTIYAAp5wy.jpg:large) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ByZrVoTIYAAp5wy.jpg:large) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/174 "2021-10-08T15:26:15Z")
This doesn’t quite qualify as a cameo, but. . . MeTV airs segments of the old “Ed Sullivan” show. This past week, the episode was from [April 5, 1970](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0724962/reference). As the program begins, the camera pans down the applauding audience, and who is in attendance, but former heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson. Doesn’t appear that he had a role in the original program. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/175 "2021-10-08T15:46:46Z")
Charlton Heston in _Wayne’s World 2._ There is a scene that is a parody of _The Graduate,_ and Wayne stops at a gas station to ask the attendant for directions to the church. The actor playing the attendant botches his lines, so Wayne breaks the fourth wall and says something like, “I know this is just a small part, but can’t we get a better actor?” Some stagehands pull the bad actor off the set and replace him with Charlton Heston, who sounds magical even when he’s just giving directions. (I’m aware that Heston wasn’t actually in _The Graduate._) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/176 "2021-10-08T15:57:08Z")
The latest episode of _What We Do in the Shadows_ has Scott Bacula as Scott Bacula. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/177 "2021-10-08T16:19:54Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Charlton Heston in _Wayne’s World 2._ There is a scene that is a parody of _The Graduate,_ and Wayne stops at a gas station to ask the attendant for directions to the church. The actor playing the attendant botches his lines, so Wayne breaks the fourth wall and says something like, “I know this is just a small part, but can’t we get a better actor?” Some stagehands pull the bad actor off the set and replace him with Charlton Heston, who sounds magical even when he’s just giving directions. I’m not a Heston fan at all, but I think that scene was brilliant and well-played. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/178 "2021-10-08T16:26:33Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I’m aware that Heston wasn’t actually in _The Graduate._ Just imagine if he was! Voice of God: I want to say one word to you. Just one word. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/179 "2021-10-08T18:49:32Z")
The thread about Star Trek actors in other things just reminded me of the _Family Guy_ episode “Not All Dogs Go to Heaven” – the one where the entire main cast of _Star Trek TNG_ guest starred as themselves. That entire B plot with Stewie and the Star Trek actors bickering among themselves was absolutely hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905/180 "2021-10-08T18:55:31Z")
I laughed last Sunday when famed former Principal Deputy Solicitor General at DOJ and renowned trier of cases before SCOTUS Neal Katyal appeared as himself in the Showtime series, Billions. It was a delightful turn. I guess he’s quite a fan of the show and couldn’t resist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-cameos-from-famous-people-as-themselves/827905.md?page=10)