# Favorite tv/movie appearances by a well known celebrity who hid their identity well **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956 "2019-09-10T00:28:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/1 "2019-09-10T00:28:58Z")
Tom Cruise on Tropic Thunder and Johnny Depp in Tusk are two of my favorites where a well known celebrity hid their identity pretty well with voices, prosthetics and makeup, to the point where I wouldn’t have guessed who they were. Any other good examples. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/2 "2019-09-10T00:40:20Z")
Matt Damon in Deadpool 2 takes the cake for me. Even after I knew which role he played I had to really look at him before it clicked. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/3 "2019-09-10T00:41:06Z")
A whole bunch of A listers in The List of Adrian Messenger > **[The List of Adrian Messenger (1963) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057254/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1)** > > The List of Adrian Messenger: Directed by John Huston. With Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum. A former intelligence officer is tasked by the heir to the Gleneyre estate to investigate the unusual deaths of a disparate group... ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/4 "2019-09-10T00:47:04Z")
Gene Hackman in Young Frankenstein. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/5 "2019-09-10T01:07:57Z")
Michael Jackson and Dustin Hoffman in the Simpsons. They didn’t use their real names but you know it was them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/6 "2019-09-10T01:19:42Z")
Jim Carrey cameoed in Liar, Liar, his own movie. He appears as Firemarshall Bill in the background of an ambulance scene. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/7 "2019-09-10T01:59:44Z")
Robert Downey Jr as the corpse of Sid Shattuck in [The Nice Guys](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3799694/?ref_=m_nv_sr_1). ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/8 "2019-09-10T02:05:53Z")
Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson in _Hot Fuzz_ ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/9 "2019-09-10T02:11:19Z")
In the _Doctor Who_ series, “Time-Flight,” Anthony Ainley – who had played the Master several times at that point – was unrecognizable in the first episode and was billed as “Leon Ny Taiy” to hide the reveal. ---
**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 10, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/10 "2019-09-10T02:47:34Z")
[The guy inside the storm trooper armor is Daniel Craig.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM7bxkqWC2M) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/11 "2019-09-10T03:20:43Z")
Glenn Close in _Hook_. She played the bearded pirate who got put into the Boo Box. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/12 "2019-09-10T03:48:36Z")
Sarah Michelle Gellar in _Doctor Horrible_. She’s in the audience next to the 3 Captain Hammer fans during the shelter dedication. Wearing sunglasses. At night. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/13 "2019-09-10T08:28:24Z")
George Clooney voiced the character of Sparky, the gay dog on Southpark. I believed he just barked IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/14 "2019-09-10T14:19:24Z")
Dick Van Dyke as Mr Dawes Sr in Mary Poppins. The unscrambling anagram in the final credits suggests that his well disguised second role was intentionally a trick on the viewer. j ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/15 "2019-09-10T14:26:40Z")
Conan O’Brien in How I Met Your Mother. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/16 "2019-09-10T14:28:24Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Michael Jackson… > > They didn’t use their real names but you know it was them. 🙂 Parts were. For contractual reasons, Michael didn’t sing in that episode. Fun trivia note regarding that episode: it’s the reason that FXX is now lying every time they say “Every Simpsons Ever.” [Stark Raving Dad - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_Raving_Dad#Pull_from_circulation) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/17 "2019-09-10T14:39:11Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > Matt Damon in Deadpool 2 takes the cake for me. Even after I knew which role he played I had to really look at him before it clicked. Also Brad Pitt as Vanisher. You only see him when he meets his demise. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/18 "2019-09-10T14:52:50Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Glenn Close in _Hook_. She played the bearded pirate who got put into the Boo Box. Dang it! Ninjad by eleven hours. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/19 "2019-09-10T15:00:07Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Robert Downey Jr as the corpse of Sid Shattuck in [The Nice Guys](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3799694/?ref_=m_nv_sr_1). Kevin Costner as the the corpse of Alex in **The Big Chill**. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956/20 "2019-09-10T15:13:19Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Kevin Costner as the the corpse of Alex in **The Big Chill**. Costner was hardly well-known at the time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-tv-movie-appearances-by-a-well-known-celebrity-who-hid-their-identity-well/839956.md?page=2)