10. Taika Waititi in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
You probably know thatTaika WaititidirectedThor: Ragnarok. You might even know that he voiced and mocapped Korg, a stony Kronan gladiator that looks like a gray version ofFantastic Four’s The Thing.
However, what you might not know is that he also plays an alien warrior in the backdrop of the Sakaarian uprising scene inThor: Ragnarok. There, looking at Korg, is Waititi himself (how meta) as one of three pasty alien heads (with another belonging to Chris Hemsworth).
None of that’s surprising since Waititi is an established actor, not just in his own movies (Jojo Rabbit,Hunt for the Wilderpeople,Next Goal Wins) but other people’s films as well (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,What We Do in the Shadows,The Suicide Squad,Free Guy).
Related:The Magic of Taika Waititi: What Makes Him So Different in Hollywood?
9. Peter Jackson in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003)
Peter Jacksonis hailed for bringing J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels to life, despite everyone thinking it wouldn’t be possible. But he’s not just behind the camera! Jackson makes a cameo in every film in theLord of the Ringstrilogy (as well asThe Hobbit, but that one is less cool).
InThe Fellowship of the Ring,Peter Jackson drunkenly scowls at the hobbits entering Bree while chomping on a carrot in the rain.
InThe Two Towers, you’ll find Peter Jackson fighting in the Battle of Helm’s Deep, decked out in chain mail armor.
And inThe Return of the King, Peter Jackson falls to his death playing a Black Ship pirate who’s shot in the chest by Legolas.
Related:The Best Scenes in the Lord of the Rings Movies, Ranked
8. M. Night Shyamalan in Signs (2002)
M. Night Shyamalan’s character inSignsisn’t just a background extra; he actually gets a whole speech! But it’s a short scene and many viewers don’t even realize it’s him, so I’m counting it.
The guy who accidentally killed Graham’s wife (an ex-priest in rural Pennsylvania, played by Mel Gibson) is little more than a depressing, overarching presence inSignsuntil he calls Graham on the phone.
When Graham arrives at Ray’s house, we find Shyamalan sitting in his car, reeling off apologies and dropping some vital plot info that the aliens who have invaded Earth seem to be afraid of water.
7. Roman Polanski in Chinatown (1974)
The novelty ofRoman Polanski’s cameo inChinatownis dampened by his later sexual assault case, though he’s somehow still allowed to make movies in Europe even as a fugitive from the US (which means if you’re rich and famous, you reallycanjust run away).
Still, it’s interesting to note that the guy who cuts private investigator Jake’s nose (even you haven’t seen this neo-noir classic, you’d have likely seen Jack Nicholson all over the posters with a bandaged nose) is played by Roman Polanski as a Water Department Security henchman.
Related:The Best Neo-Noir Movies
6. Wes Craven in Scream (1996)
Wes Cravenis widely remembered as the godfather of horror cinema, having directed landmarks likeThe Hills Have EyesandA Nightmare on Elm Streetthat still influence the genre today.
Craven’sScreamwas popular for reviving the horror/slasher craze during the 90s, and in it he gives a nod toA Nightmare on Elm Street. Director of both movies, Craven made a not-so-subtle reference to horror’s most famous dream-stalking villain: Freddy Krueger.
Dressed up in Krueger’s iconic striped shirt and hat, Craven mops the floor as the school’s resident janitor named—you guessed it—Fred. An egotistical tribute in the best way possible.
Related:The Best Horror Movie Directors
5. Terrence Malick in Badlands (1973)
The accidental nature of this one, plus the fact thatTerrence Malickis known for being intensely private and camera-shy, makes hisBadlandscameo that much more amusing.
ForBadlands, Malick had hired an actor to turn up at a rich man’s house. But when that actor didn’t show? The director ended up putting on his gray suit and rocking the part himself.
It’s only a small scene with Malick and Charlie Sheen conversing in the doorway, but it remains the only on-screen performance by the filmmaker! Not bad forBadlandsbeing his breakthrough debut.
Related:The Best Indie Directors and Filmmakers
4. Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppolafamously went through the trenches trying to getApocalypse Nowout of its disastrous production phase.
His experience of being a stressed-out movie director amidst all sorts of chaos, however, translated elegantly into his cameo scene that takes place at the start of this Vietnam War drama.
The filmmaker literally plays a filmmaker, directing the troops to ignore the camera and carry on fighting for some TV newsreel footage. Plus, some bonus trivia: the man recording next to Coppola is actually the real cinematographer ofApocalypse Now, Vittorio Storaro!
Related:The Most Difficult Movie Directors to Work With (And Why)
3. Quentin Tarantino (in Various Movies)
Quentin Tarantinois known for appearing in his own movies, whether that be for entire scenes or single shots.
He played a fairly big part in his directorial debutReservoir Dogs, starring as one of the eight gangsters planning a heist under pseudonym names (though he gets shot by the cops pretty early on).
Following that, Tarantino studded his bloody violent and dialogue-heavy filmography with fleeting but continuous cameos:
Tarantino also shows up in other filmmakers' projects, likeLittle NickyandFrom Dusk Till Dawn(which he co-wrote).
Undoubtedly, though, Tarantino’s best cameo can be found in his own cult crime flickPulp Fictionas the body-disposing, coffee-drinking Jimmie. Iconic, even if the acting teeters on questionable.
2. Martin Scorsese (in Various Movies)
Only true film buffs know how many cameosMartin Scorsesehas actually made across his movies. Yup, it’s more than justTaxi Driver. The New Hollywood pioneer has snuck into almost every single one!
Taxi Driverremains the most beloved, where Scorsese rides in the back of Robert De Niro’s cab and explains how he’s going to shoot his wife with an eerie calmness (which inspires De Niro’s character to buy a gun).
Some other notable examples include:
But the most recent cameo happens inKillers of the Flower Moon, where a much older Scorsese reads out the obituary of the real-life Osage woman that the film is based on (Mollie Cobb, played by Lily Gladstone).
Related:The Most Commercially Successful Movie Directors, Ranked
1. Alfred Hitchcock (in Various Movies)
Alfred Hitchcockbegan the trend of director cameos back in the 1920s, making between 35 and 40 brief appearances, usually just walking across the shot. His signature wanderings are too vast to list here, but I’ll point out some of his most impressive and well-known ones.
His TV seriesAlfred Hitchcock Presentsmade Hitchcock’s silhouette instantly recognizable, which can be seen in a registrar’s office inFamily Plots. He walked a dog out of a pet shop in his legendaryThe Birdsand he donned a cowboy hat in the window of a realty store inPsycho.
Hitchcock was also frequently found riding public transport—inTo Catch a Thief,North By Northwest,Shadow of a Doubt,Strangers on a Train, andBlackmail. His full-body silhouette also lengths the floor of a spotlight to introduceThe Wrong Man… if you count that as a cameo!
Related:Famous Movie Directors and Their Cinematic Styles, Explained
