Huge Stars That Made Tiny Cameos In Movies

When a movie comes out, there is typically a lot of talk about who will be on the cast lists. The trades spread information quickly, with everything from news of an actor in talks with a studio to confirmed signings for a specific role. High-profile talent goes a long way in drawing in audiences to see movies, so it is in a studio's best interest to make it as public as possible that they have snagged an A-lister for their upcoming release.

It makes sense financially, but it is also just how Hollywood functions: big stars equal big profits ... or most of the time, anyway. But there are some occasions when a huge star's brief appearance in a film is kept secret from as many people as possible. These kinds of cameos don't happen often, but when they do, it is always a big talking point.

When executed successfully, these surprise cameos help boost a film's popularity as word-of-mouth begins to spread — fans flock to the theaters to see the unexpected. In many ways, cameos are all about fan services, and this is something that a lot of people appreciate. A few huge stars have made tiny cameos in movies, and these are some of the best.

"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" is about a group of misfits who fight the good fight through dodgeball. In the film, Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) unites his customers and friends to face off against his nemesis, White Goodman (Ben Stiller), to save his run-down gym.

The film features two important cameos, but the appearance of Lance Armstrong did not age well due to his doping scandal. The cameo that stands the test of time belongs to Chuck Norris, who unexpectedly appears at the climax to cast the deciding vote on whether the team can compete in the final match. He offers a wordless thumbs up and a smile, saving the day.

The scene almost didn't happen because Norris was hesitant to drive three hours to Long Beach to shoot it. Stiller got on the phone and asked him to do it, sending a helicopter to expedite travel. Months later, when Norris saw the film and heard the final line, "F*****' Chuck Norris," he told Empire, "My mouth fell open to here ... That was a shock, Ben didn't tell me about that!"

While most cameos delight the audience, every so often an actor appears in a movie and nobody even notices. This happens in "Hook," which tells the story of Peter Banning (Robin Williams), the grown-up Peter Pan who now has a family of his own. He no longer remembers Neverland, but Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) lures him back by kidnapping his children. Peter travels to Neverland and hides among a bunch of pirates. Hook addresses them and Peter, fearing his cover is about to be blown, is surprised when the pirate standing next to him is singled out.

The pirate, known as Gutless, is played by none other than Glenn Close. Few could tell, however, as she was decked out in full pirate regalia complete with facial hair. It's a character anyone could have played, but Steven Spielberg opted for the Oscar-nominated A-lister. Speaking to The Scotsman, Close explained how it happened: "I had visited the set of Hook because Robin Williams was a friend of mine, and took along my little girl ... when we got there Steven Spielberg said, 'Do you want to be pirate?' And I said 'Sure.' So I got a beard and costume ... nobody guessed I was a woman for three days. I'm pretty proud of that."

The third "Austin Powers" film delves into the character's backstory and introduces a new villain, the eponymous Goldmember. The movie follows the same formula as its predecessors and features Mike Myers playing multiple roles opposite Beyoncé, Seth Green, Verne Troyer, and Michael Caine. The film ends with Powers heroically saving the day, but it doesn't end there.

The film's ending comes via a two-minute scene recapping the story's events. It's essentially a mini-movie of what came before but done in the style of a Hollywood trailer. The film is a dramatization of "Austin Powers in Goldmember," though it's hilariously called "Austinpussy" in an homage to the 1983 James Bond movie, "Octopussy."

The trailer features plenty of talent, with Tom Cruise as Austin Powers, Gwyneth Paltrow as Dixie Normous, Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil, Danny DeVito as Mini Me, John Travolta as Goldmember, and Steven Spielberg as the film's director, playing himself. The film closes with the characters happily watching the trailer in a movie theater. While the actors involved don't often speak about the cameo, Paltrow told Rachael Ray that Cruise "Was an amazing kisser" (via HuffPost).

Dustin Hoffman is easily one of the best actors of his generation. Because of this, you don't expect him to pop up in a Nancy Meyers Christmas rom-com, but that's precisely what happens in "The Holiday," and the cameo is as unusual as it is serendipitous.

In the scene, Miles (Jack Black) and Iris (Kate Winslet) are talking about classic films such as "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy" in a video store. This leads to Miles singing different scores aloud before picking up "The Graduate" to talk about its signature song. Hoffman happens to be standing nearby and notices Miles talking about the movie that made him famous, so he smiles and utters, "I can't believe it" under his breath.

Hoffman wasn't meant to have a cameo in the film and it was his curiosity that landed him the part. According to the film's DVD commentary, Hoffman was eating lunch nearby and saw the cameras, so he wanted to see what was happening. He and Meyers were friends, so when he happened by, she wrote him into the scene, and he made it happen.

Charlton Heston is Hollywood royalty, having appeared in some of the 20th century's greatest films. He played Moses in "The Ten Commandments," the title role in "Ben-Hur," and so much more. This makes it even more hilarious that he found his way onto the set of "Wayne's World 2." The film builds from its predecessor while focusing on the relationship between Wayne (Mike Myers) and Cassandra (Tia Carrere).

Towards the end, Wayne runs into a gas station to ask for directions. He meets a man who wistfully talks about his past but is interrupted. Wayne breaks the fourth wall, asking why he has to put up with a bad actor, acknowledging it's a small part. He asks for a better actor, and Heston steps in. He masterfully repeats the line before finishing up and telling Wayne where to go, leaving him in tears.

Heston is appropriately credited as "Good Actor" for his character, having replaced Al Hansen's "Bad Actor." The cameo is brief and funny, but in many ways, it's a show of appreciation for the veteran actor's skills. 

"Casper" is packed with Easter eggs and cameos, connecting it to other ghost-related movies. There are quite a few unexpected cameos, including Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson all playing themselves. While they're fun and surprising, the cameo that works best within the film's narrative involves Ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd). 

First, Catherine (Cathy Moriarty) and Paul (Eric Idle) try to handle their little haunting problem with an inexperienced exorcist, Father Guido (Don Novello). However, this ends with the priest walking out with his head on backward, drenched in pea soup. Next, they try a more traditional method by calling the Ghostbusters, but that also fails when Stantz runs out of the house following an explosion, saying, "Who you gonna call? Someone else," before walking off.

Aykroyd's cameo is certainly a highlight, but another almost made it into the movie that could've been even better. During development, writer Deanna Oliver planned to have Zelda Rubinstein reprise her character, Tangina Barrons, from "Poltergeist." The plan was for her to show up after Stantz, but they ended the cameos with Aykroyd.

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and most recognizable movie stars, and he is usually the main draw. However, his involvement in "Deadpool 2" is so tiny that most people didn't realize he was in it until well after the film's release. Pitt plays Vanisher, an invisible man who appears on screen for a fraction of a second.

Vanisher joins Deadpool's (Ryan Reynolds) team of superheroes, but his airborne drop doesn't work out well when his parachute takes him into some power lines. He's immediately electrocuted and killed, and for an instant, he becomes visible. Blink and you'll miss it, but for a couple of frames, Brad Pitt appears on screen.

Initially, Pitt was going to play Cable — a role that eventually went to Josh Brolin – but his schedule prevented that from happening. Still, he was friends with director David Leitch and wanted to do something, so he opted for a brief cameo as Vanisher. Pitt took the minimum rate of $956 and a cup of coffee for his part, stipulating that Reynolds had to deliver it to him, which he did.