Every so often, a familiar face pops up on screen where you least expect it, delivers a handful of lines, and then vanishes without so much as a mention in the end credits. There’s no big paycheck involved, no marketing push built around the surprise, just a favor between friends or a joke too good to pass up. These four appearances have become some of the most talked about cameos in modern film history, precisely because the actors involved wanted nothing more than a laugh.
Bill Murray shows up as himself in Zombieland
When Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote Zombieland in the mid 2000s, the mansion cameo scene was never intended for Bill Murray. Bill Murray wasn’t the first choice to cameo in Zombieland, since it was originally written for Patrick Swayze as a nod to Ghost, who would sadly be too sick to take part. The writers went through a long list of names before landing on Murray, and other names considered for the celebrity cameo included Dustin Hoffman, Dwayne Johnson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, Mark Hamill, Matthew McConaughey, and Sylvester Stallone.
It ultimately came down to a personal connection rather than a studio deal. Out of desperation, the writers turned to cast member Woody Harrelson, who used his industry influence to get a line out to his Kingpin co-star in New York. Murray liked the pitch enough to request a slightly bigger part, and he reads the script, loves it, calls Woody, and shows up on set two days later. The result is one of the most quoted zombie comedy scenes ever filmed, delivered entirely as a personal favor rather than a paid studio cameo.
Matt Damon buries himself in prosthetics for Deadpool 2
Matt Damon’s appearance in Deadpool 2 might be the sneakiest cameo on this list, mostly because almost nobody realized it was him. The role came together casually, not through an agent or a studio negotiation. The cameo came from Ryan Reynolds having dinner with Damon and telling him about the gag, simply asking if he wanted to do it.
Once Damon agreed, the production doubled down on keeping his identity hidden. The decision was made to shroud the cameo in secrecy by putting Damon in full prosthetic makeup, to the point that the crew didn’t even know it was him. Costar Zazie Beetz later confirmed just how well the disguise worked, noting that “he’s not even listed in the credits…They don’t even give his real name and he’s in complete prosthetics.” Damon plays a heavyset redneck arguing about toilet paper hygiene, a scene reportedly inspired by a bit writer Rhett Reese used to perform for Reynolds off camera.
Will Ferrell steals a scene in Wedding Crashers
By 2005, Will Ferrell was already a known comedic force, which made his brief, unbilled turn in Wedding Crashers all the more surprising. In a surprise, uncredited role, Will Ferrell appeared in the 2005 romantic comedy as a fellow crasher named Chazz Reinhold who gives advice to Owen Wilson following his falling out with Vince Vaughn. The character, a washed up wedding crasher legend living with his mother, only appears for a handful of minutes.
Brief as it was, the performance left a lasting mark on the film’s reputation. Will Ferrell’s unbilled appearance as Chazz Reinhold in Wedding Crashers only consists of a few minutes of screen time, but it’s one of his funniest performances. His lines about meatloaf and his overbearing mother became some of the most quoted moments in the movie, proving that a small, uncredited part can still outshine plenty of billed roles.
Christian Slater sneaks into Austin Powers
Christian Slater’s cameo in the original Austin Powers film is easy to miss, partly because it was cut from certain releases and partly because his role is so small. Although it was cut from the American release of the film, Christian Slater did make an appearance as an easily hypnotized security guard in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The scene plays into the movie’s constant stream of spy movie parody gags, with Slater’s character falling instantly under Austin’s spell.
Critics who track down the international or extended cuts tend to single this moment out. While many point to the mega cameos from Goldmember, it’s this more understated performance from Slater in the first and best Austin Powers that’s the funniest of the many uncredited performances in the film, with the sheer absurdity of it landing every time. Slater was already a recognizable name by the late nineties, which makes his willingness to take such a tiny, throwaway role feel like exactly the kind of favor these cameos are known for.
