These days, it’s pretty commonplace fordirectors to make cameo appearances in their own movies, but what’s sometimes more interesting is when they opt to show up in other filmmakers' releases. This represents a level of respect and collaboration between different artists and highlights that even in the cutthroat world of Hollywood filmmaking, plenty of directors are on friendly enough terms with one another to pop up in each other’s films. While these are often brief cameo appearances, directors have occasionally gained more significant secondary roles in their competitors' films.
Some of thegreatest directors of all timehave taken a break from their busy schedules on set to portray characters in other auteurs' works. This can be a thrilling change of pace, asdirectors normally associated with one genrehave a surprise appearance in something that’s the total opposite of the work they’ve become known for. From Tim Burton in a rom-com to Orson Welles hanging out with the Muppets,there’s no shortage of amazing film directors appearing in other directors’ movies.
15Steven Spielberg As Cook County Assessor’s Office Clerk
John Landis’s The Blues Brothers (1980)
Director John Landis has made a habit of casting his filmmaker friends in minor roles in his movies, which led to a nice surprise when none other thanSteven Spielberg showed up as the county office clerk who Jake and Elwood Blues deliver the $5,000 needed to save their childhood orphanage. While Spielberg was in good company as other cameos included Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and John Lee Hooker, theJawsdirector opted not to sing the blues in this non-musical guest appearance.
John Landis also castThe Muppets’Frank Oz inThe Blues Brothers,Star Wars’George Lucas inBeverly Hills Cop III,Clueless’Amy Heckerling inInto the Night, andSuspiria’sDario Argento inInnocent Blood.
The Blues Brothers
Cast
The Blues Brothers follows Jake and Elwood Blues as they set out on a mission from God to reunite their band and save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised. Released in 1980, the film stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, featuring a blend of musical performances and comedic antics.
14Peter Jackson As Thief Dressed as Santa
Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz (2007)
Director Edgar Wright and co-writer and star Simon Pegg paid tribute to different genres of filmmaking with theirThree Flavors Cornettotrilogy, so it’s no surprise some familiar faces make appearances. Oneinteresting cameo came fromThe Lord of the Ringsdirector Peter Jackson, who appeared very briefly as the thief dressed as Santa, who stabbed Police Constable Nicholas Angel (Pegg) in the hand. While Jackson has made several cameos in his own work, it was a real surprise to see him show up in the cult classic British comedy.
Hot Fuzz
The second film in Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two policemen who investigate a seemingly idyllic community in the English countryside. After London hotshot policeman Nicholas Angel is transferred to the sleepy town of Sandford, he finds himself partnered with bumbling local officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). However, the pair soon discover that Sandford is not all it appears to be, uncovering shocking secrets that will shake the town to its very core.
13Sam Raimi As Hudsucker Brainstormer
The Coen brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Evil Dead,Spider-Man, and eventuallyDr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessdirector Sam Raimi has had a long-standing creative connection with the Coen brothers, best encapsulated by their work together onThe Hudsucker Proxy. Not only did Raimi co-write the movie, but he also served as second unit director and had a cameo as a Hudsucker Brainstormer.The Hudsucker Proxywas a screwball comedy that bombed at the box office, yet it has since grown in stature to become an underappreciated cult classic.
The Hudsucker Proxy
Norville Barnes, a fresh-faced graduate with big dreams, starts his career in the mailroom of Hudsucker Industries. The company’s president’s shocking suicide prompts the board to install Norville as a figurehead president, expecting him to drive the company into the ground and depress stock prices for their gain. Contrary to their plans, Norville invents the hula hoop, leading to an unprecedented boom in sales and a surge in the company’s success.
12Tim Burton As Brian
Cameron Crowe’s Singles (1992)
As an icon of Gothic horror and richly imagined fantasy worlds, a Cameron Crowe rom-com would be the last place people expect Tim Burton to show up, yetBurton’s sole acting creditwas in 1992’sSingles.Burton appears in one scenewhere he plays the role of Brian, a smug video dating service director described as “the next Martin Scorsese.” With a casual dissatisfaction, Burton was seen hilariously thumbing through a book as he agreed to shoot a character’s video for $20.
Singles
Singles, released in 1992, follows a group of young adults navigating life and relationships in early-’90s Seattle. Living in the same apartment complex, these twenty-somethings face the complexities of love and adulthood amidst the backdrop of the city’s burgeoning music scene.
11David Cronenberg As Dr. Aloysius Wimmer
Jim Isaac’s Jason X (2001)
While director David Cronenberg is known for the shocking body horror of films likeThe Flyor the intense thrillers ofA History of Violence, he’s also a talented actor in his own right. This was seen in his effective role as Dr. Aloysius Wimmer in the futuristicFriday the 13thsci-fi horror sequelJason X. Cronenberg perfectly encapsulated the smug nature of a doctor who was unconcerned with the lives of innocent people as he sought to revive a cryogenically frozen Jason Voorhees to exploit his regenerative powers. However, in typical horror fashion,Cronenberg met a gruesome end.
Jason X
Jason X is the tenth installment in the Friday the 13th franchise. This 2001 sci-fi horror film brings back slasher icon Jason Voorhees in 2455 after being cryogenically frozen for 445 years. As usual, anyone who crosses the path of the now cybernetically enhanced killer suffers a painful death, this time in outer space.
10Gus Van Sant As Dr. Campbell
Paul Schrader’s The Canyons (2013)
The critically derided erotic thrillerThe Canyonswas either a total failure or a hidden gem depending on who’s asked about it, as the combination of director Paul Schrader, writer Bret Easton Ellis, and star Lindsay Lohan was a real whose-who of lightly controversial figures. One notable name who also popped up wasGood Will Huntingdirector Gus Van Sant as Christian’s (James Deen) psychotherapist, whose sessions the wealthy young man was forced to attend as a condition of his trust fund. A brief but effective appearance,Van Sant’s calm authority was in sharp contrast to the film’s other characters.
9Wes Craven As Himself
Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Director Wes Craven was no stranger to self-referential humor as he played with his own legacy in theA Nightmare on Elm StreetsequelNew Nightmareandshowed up as himself directing a newScreammovie inJay and Silent Bob Strike Back. This hilarious sequence saw the latest incarnation of Ghostface being revealed to be a monkey, much to the dissatisfaction of its star, Shannon Doherty. When questioned about this choice’s ridiculousness, Craven simply said, “The market research says people love monkeys.”
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a 2001 comedy film directed by Kevin Smith, starring Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith as the titular characters. The plot follows the duo as they embark on a cross-country journey to Hollywood to prevent a film based on their likenesses from being made. Along the way, they encounter various comedic misadventures and cameos from the View Askewniverse.
8Werner Herzog As A Face of the Damned
Vincent Ward’s What Dreams May Come (1998)
The fantasy dramaWhat Dreams May Comewas one of Robin Williams’s strangest and most underrated film roles. Williams portrayed a man searching for his wife as he traveled through the afterlife. This unique concept sawWilliams come face-to-face with those who had been damned to hell, and here among the litany of lost souls was film director Werner Herzog. With a distinctive and, at times, unnerving voice, it was impossible to miss the famed filmmaker and documentarian among the faces of the damned.
What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come is a visually rich drama directed by Vincent Ward. It stars Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen, who navigates the afterlife to reunite with his wife, played by Annabella Sciorra. The film explores themes of love, loss, and the metaphysical journey of the soul, blending elements of fantasy and spirituality in a unique portrayal of the hereafter.
7David Fincher As Christopher Bing
Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich (1999)
In the same year as David Fincher’sFight Clubwas released, he also had a much different film project on his slate due to his uncredited cameo appearance in Spike Jonze’s’Being JohnMalkovich. Fincher played Christopher Bing in the American Arts & Culture pseudo-documentary on John Malkovichwithin the movie, who lavished praise over Malkovich’s “god-like ability” to “breathe life into inanimate objects” as the man in his head (John Cusack) had taken over and ironically turned him into a puppeteer.
Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich: This film follows the story of an unsuccessful puppeteer named Craig who discovers a portal that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich. The phenomenon soon entices others to explore the bizarre and controlling world of inhabiting another person’s consciousness.
6John Waters As Pete Peters
Don Mancini’s Seed of Chucky (2004)
As a transgressive cult filmmaker who never shied away from the more horrific sides of camp, John Waters was perfectly cast in his role as Pete Peters inSeed of Chuck.Waters played a paparazzo who met a gruesome end in his darkroomas Glen/Glenda accidentally caused Peters to fall and be soaked in sulfuric acid, much to the delight of Chucky. As a film conjuring up much of the same over-the-top energy and satirical horrors as Water’s ownSerial Mom,Seed of Chuckyfelt like an outrageous addition to Water’s unique resume.
Seed of Chucky
Seed of Chucky is the fifth film in the Child’s Play franchise and follows up six years after the events of Bride of Chucky. The film follows Glen, a living doll and the spawn of Chucky and Tiffany, who discovers and revives his parents, hoping for a family he never had. However, their murderous tendencies create tension as the two dolls bicker over how their child should be raised - all while trying to steal the bodies of Jennifer Tilly and Redman.
