Of all the comedy movie tricks producers can use to captivate their audience, a celebrity cameo is the riskiest. When poorly executed or overused, a cameo can sink a film to the comedic depths of Epic Movie. But when done properly, a featured actor can make a good movie great, enchanting viewers in a way only they could.
Here are five of the greatest movie cameos in comedy history.
5. Chuck Norris in Dodgeball
The Scenario:
Vince Vaughn's team of D-list gym members is dependent on a two-thirds vote from the Dodgeball Committee in order to play in the tournament final. Their opponent, Globo Gym, plans on destroying their gym with the winnings from the tournament. After already hosting cameos from William Shatner and cancer-murderer Lance Armstrong, the movie left the final judge decision rested upon the shoulders of the greatest pop culture reference of all time:
What Makes It Great:
Aside from the idea of Chuck Norris allowing you to play dodgeball being every man's wet dream, this cameo's greatness is derived from its historical timing. The film was released in 2004, a solid year before the Chuck Norris craze swept America. Also, seeing Chuck Norris on a panel of dodgeball judges makes you wonder what kind of wild life this man truly lives. Regardless, seeing that hairy chin give you a thumbs-up is enough to give anyone goosebumps.
Best Line:
"Thank you, Peter."
4. Ben Stiller in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
The Scenario:
Tired of sharing his rock ‘n roll style with other actors, Jack Black partnered up with his lead guitarist to make a movie about his band, Tenacious D, and their quest to stardom. After realizing that the greatest bands in history all use the same guitar pick, they go to the local guitar shop to see if they can buy one.
What Makes It Great:
Anyone who has ever stumbled into a guitar store understands why Ben Stiller's genius is captured in this scene. Equipped with an unkempt jew-fro, matching mutton-chops, and bug-eyed stare, Stiller has the flawless persona of that punk store manager determined to prevent kids from stealing through the power of rock. No doubt a victim of his latest Burning Man acid trip, he has dedicated his entire life to the Pick of Destiny.
Best Line:
"I moved to Rome, quit my job; learned Latin. I gained the trust of the security librarian at the Vatican, a gentleman by the name of _____."
3. Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers
The Scenario:
As the love of his life slips away and his fellow wedding crasher plans to get married, Owen Wilson's character searches for the meaning of wedding crashing through crashing guru, Chazz. After an entire movie of bachelorism and sex, Chazz shows the world what a life of wedding crashing would actually entail:
What Makes It Great:
Fresh off of Anchorman and Starsky and Hutch, Ferrell decided to show us what happens when you condense his comedy into a 5-minute cameo. Chazz's collection of nunchucks, constant smiling, and obsession with meatloaf lets us know immediately that plenty of his marbles have gone missing. That, and wedding crashing has turned him into a heartless asshole, and he has now moved on to crashing funerals. His appearance is monumental in the film, showing that the bacheloresque life of wedding crashers leads to living in your mother's basement and wearing nothing but silk robes.
Best Line:
"Grief is nature's most powerful aphrodisiac. Look it up."
2. Justin Long in Zack and Miri Make a Porno
The Scenario:
Miri attends her high school reunion hoping to fulfill her Superman fetish by sleeping with Brandon Routh. Much to her dismay, her high school crush is a gay man, madly in love with Mac spokesperson Justin Long. In this intimate view into gay relationships, Long and Routh perfectly mimic a bickering couple.
What Makes It Great:
Justin Long is someone to be taken seriously. His roles in popular movies have motivated everyone to show that skinny white boys can become famous. And when he's not busy personifying the greatest computer of all time or starring next to a weathered Bruce Willis in Die Hard, he likes to show off his character-acting through cameos like this. In this short clip, Long manages to make Superman star Brandon Routh look like a flaming homosexual.
Best Line:
"You better shut your mouth or I'm gonna fuck it."
1. Bill Murray in Zombieland
The Scenario:
In perhaps the funniest zombie apocalypse movie since Shaun of the Dead, Tallahassee and Columbus stop by Hollywood and stay in Bill Murray's abandon mansion. Little do they know that the famous SNL star has been alive the whole time! And he's actually a nice guy….
What Makes It Great:
Bill Murray is a comedy legend. After years of setting the foundations of modern day humor, Murray lives the most relaxed life of being genuinely loved. In this cameo, he proves his pioneering by breaking the fourth wall of acting, playing not only himself, but also making a post-modernist Ghostbusters reference. It is also very comforting to know that should a zombie apocalypse occur, Bill Murray would survive.
Best Line:
"Don't cross the streams!"