Image: Red Hour Productions / DreamWorks Pictures / Paramount Pictures
About This Quiz
A great celebrity cameo can absolutely make a movie, leaving the audience talking long after the credits have rolled, but just why do these brief appearances, often uncredited and with no spoken lines, have such an impact? Often, it appeals to the audience because it's like an inside joke that they get to be a part of, exchanging a wink and a nod in their minds with the movie's creators. These cameos are also a great way to give the movie a boost by tying it to a celebrity who is already known for a classic movie, hit song or piece of pop culture — without actually shelling out millions to put that star in a leading role in the picture.Â
Many times, it's the sheer audacity of filmmakers that takes a viewer's breath away, putting beloved game show host Bob Barker into a violent onscreen fight with Adam Sandler, or having Eminem give an "interview" where he not only openly admits to being gay, but expresses shock and dismay that no one could figure it out themselves from all the hints he was leaving. If we show you one of these awesome celebrity cameos, do you think you can match it to the correct movie? Prove your cameo IQ with this quiz!
"Ocean's Twelve"
A sequel to the 2001 flick "Ocean's Eleven," "Ocean's Twelve" continues the story of Danny Ocean and his thieving friends, who are plotting to steal a valuable Faberge Egg. As Julia Roberts, who plays Danny's wife Tess, wanders around a museum in Rome, she runs into Bruce Willis, who mistakes her for ... Julia Roberts.
"The Italian Job"
"Heat"
"The Usual Suspects"
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"Couples Retreat"
"Night at the Museum"
"The Hangover"
When a group of friends on a bachelor weekend wake up in a suite in Caesar's Palace in "The Hangover," they are surprised to find a tiger in the bathroom. They are even more surprised to learn that the tiger belongs to boxer Mike Tyson, and he wants it delivered back to his mansion ASAP.
"The Proposal"
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"Shaun of the Dead"
"Napoleon Dynamite"
"Mean Girls"
"Anchorman"
In "Anchorman," Will Ferrell plays a struggling '70s San Diego news anchor. While out on a pick-me-up shopping trip with his pals, Ferrell's character ends up in a fight with a group of rival anchors, played by Vince Vaughn, Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson. You might also notice that the motorcyclist who is hit in the face with the burrito in this flick is comedian Jack Black.
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"Bubble Boy"
"How High"
"Zoolander"
Starring and directed by Ben Stiller, "Zoolander" is the story of a male model who is being overshadowed by up-and-coming catwalker Hansel. When Zoolander and Hansel engage in a walk-off to see who is more fashionable and fab, legendary singer David Bowie steps in to serve as a judge.
"Dodgeball"
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"Zombieland"
The 2009 movie "Zombieland" features Woody Harrelson and a small group of survivors making their way to L.A. after an apocalypse, dodging the undead the whole way. In California they head to Bill Murray's house and are shocked to find that he is unharmed, but has been dressing up like a zombie to stay safe. By the end of the scene, Murray is dead and the group is back on the road.
"The Cabin in the Woods"
"American Psycho"
"Fright Night"
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"American Reunion"
"The Dukes of Hazzard"
"Dark Shadows"
"21 Jump Street"
Johnny Depp became a teen heartthrob thanks to his role as Detective Tom Hanson in "21 Jump Street" in the '80s, so it was only natural he made an appearance in the 2012 movie remake. While Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum starred in the flick as undercover police officers working at a high school, Depp showed up briefly as DEA Agent Tom Hanson, the name of his character on the original series.
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"Jerry Maguire"
"Tropic Thunder"
The 2008 comedy "Tropic Thunder" was a tale about actors in a war movie who were dropped into a remote jungle by an angry producer. While Ben Stiller was the star, Tom Cruise stole the show as angry producer Les Grossman. A bald cap and fat suit were the perfect costume for his hip-thrusting dance moves in the closing scene.
"Almost Famous"
"The Devil Wears Prada"
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"The Aviator"
"Top Gun"
"Airplane!"
A parody of classic disaster flicks, "Airplane!" told the story of a plane full of passengers and crew dealing with food poisoning and other ills. The co-pilot was a guy who looked a lot like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but spent most of the film denying he had ever played for the Lakers.
"Hell's Angels"
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"The Interview"
Seth Rogen and James Franco played reporters tasked with interviewing, and assassinating, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in the 2014 comedy "The Interview." One much talked about scene featured rapper Eminem on the faux series "Skylark Tonight" declaring that he was surprised no one had yet figured out that he was gay.
"8 Mile"
"This Is the End"
"Knocked Up"
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"Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"
"The Sting"
"Airplane!"
"Young Frankenstein"
Mel Brooks' 1974 film "Young Frankenstein" stars Gene Wilder as the great-nephew of the infamous Dr. Fronk-on-steen. When he recreates his uncle's experiment, the resulting monster runs amok, eventually coming across a hermit in the woods. Played by Gene Hackman, the blind and bumbling hermit manages to pour hot soup on the monster before setting his thumb on fire.
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"Maverick"
A remake of a '50s TV series, the 1994 movie version of "Maverick" stars Mel Gibson as cheating card player Bret Maverick. In one scene, Danny Glover makes a cameo as a bank robber, which delighted movie fans who remembered Glover and Gibson co-starring as cops in "Lethal Weapon."
"A Million Ways to Die in the West"
"Blazing Saddles"
"City Slickers"
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"King Kong"
"Jurassic World"
The fourth installment in the Jurassic Park series, "Jurassic World," came out in 2015. Set at Isla Nublar like the original, it featured a cameo of Jimmy Fallon as the host of a safety video for the Gyrosphere ride, which was allegedly safe enough to protect riders from dinosaur venom or a 50-caliber bullet. Jimmy Buffett also made a quick appearance in the flick.
"Minions"
"Ice Age"
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"Thor"
"Deadpool"
"X-Men: First Class"
The 5th X-Men movie, "X-Men: First Class" served as a prequel to its predecessors. While Hugh Jackman makes a very brief appearance as Wolverine, it is only to tell Xavier and Lehnsherr where exactly they can go.
"Green Lantern"
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"Teen Wolf"
"The Breakfast Club"
"Rain Man"
"Back to the Future"
Huey Lewis wrote "The Power of Love" for "Back to the Future," and the song was a huge success. It's only fitting, then, that Lewis should show up in the movie as a judge who really hates the Pinheads version of the song.
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"Labyrinth"
"The Muppet Movie"
In the very first live action movie starring the Muppets, the 1979 flick "The Muppet Movie," Kermit and the gang decide to head for the bright lights of Hollywood. Once they get there, they sneak into the office of a top producer, Lew Lord, playing by none other than Orson Welles.
"The Dark Crystal"
"The Princess Bride"
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"Alien"
"Men in Black II"
"Men in Black II," the 2002 sequel to the original "MIB," stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as a pair of agents working to keep humans safe from alien life forms. Viewers might notice a quick appearance by Michael Jackson, who wants desperately to be one of the MIB, suggesting he could be Agent M.
"The Thing"
"Galaxy Quest"
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"Risky Business"
"Wall Street"
"Glengarry Glen Ross"
Based on a 1984 play, the 1992 film "Glengarry Glen Ross" features Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon as employees working for a cut-throat real estate firm. To encourage them to sell more, or else lose their jobs, Alec Baldwin is brought in as a take-no-prisoners trainer who delivers a profanity-filled "brass balls" speech.
"Working Girl"
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"The Cabin in the Woods"
The innovative 2012 horror flick "The Cabin in the Woods" put a twist on the typical horror flick, showing college students suffering based on the directions of a mysterious team that observed their every move. Sigourney Weaver shows up at the end as the person in charge of all the madness, but is quickly attacked by a werewolf and killed by an ax to the head.
"Zombieland"
"Scream"
"Get Out"
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"High Fidelity"
John Cusack stars as Rob Gordan, a music lover with a messy love life in the 2000 movie "High Fidelity." Fortunately, as Rob ponders his life and loves, Bruce Springsteen appears in a fantasy sequence to help show him the way.
"Say Anything"
"Walk the Line"
"School of Rock"
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"Django Unchained"
"Mean Streets"
"Goodfellas"
"Pulp Fiction"
Inspired by old-school crime novels, the 1994 movie "Pulp Fiction" stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as a pair of hitmen, with Bruce Willis in the minor role of Butch. When delivering his father's gold watch to Butch as Vietnam vet Captain Koons in one classic scene, Christopher Walken delivers a monologue like only he can.
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"The Truman Show"
"There's Something About Mary"
"The Wedding Singer"
In the 1998 flick "The Wedding Singer," Adam Sandler plays a wedding crooner who has given up on his dreams of music stardom. After his job costs him his girlfriend, he ends up on a plane with none other than Billy Idol, who sympathizes with his love woes and offers the audience a smirk during a reference to the Mile High Club.
"Patch Adams"
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"Blades of Glory"
"Dodgeball"
"Dodgeball" stars Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller as a couple of guys trying to win a dodgeball tournament in Vegas to save their local gym from closing. In order to compete, they need the judges approval, with all-around tough guy Chuck Norris casting the final thumbs up.
"Tropic Thunder"
"Couples Retreat"
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"Pulp Fiction"
"Hot Fuzz"
The 2007 flick "Hot Fuzz" is a buddy comedy starring Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, opposite Nick Frost as partner Danny Butterman. One memorable scene revolves around Angel and his girlfriend breaking up. The wink to the audience is that this girlfriend is Cate Blanchett wearing a forensic suit and mask so that only her eyes can be seen. Peter Jackson also has a cameo as he briefly appears to stab Angel's hand.
"Die Hard"
"Lethal Weapon"
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"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
"Avatar"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Johnny Depp always revealed in interviews that Keith Richards inspired his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, so it's no surprise that the Rolling Stone finally showed up in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" in 2007. Richards played Sparrow's father Edward Teague, the meanest and most feared pirate of them all.
"The Lone Ranger"
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"Zoolander"
"Working Girl"
"Maid in Manhattan"
"Wedding Crashers"
In "Wedding Crashers," Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn show up uninvited at weddings to join the party and meet women. They are somewhat shocked when they meet the biggest legend in the crashing biz, Chazz Reinhold, who is played by Will Ferrell, only to discover he's not nearly as cool as they had heard.
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"Trainwreck"
Written by and starring Amy Schumer, "Trainwreck" is the story of a hard-partying young woman attempting her first serious relationship. In one scene set at a theater, the characters watch a film called "The Dogwalker," which features Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei.
"Girls Night"
"Bad Moms"
"Confessions of a Shopaholic"
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"There's Something About Mary"
"There's Something About Mary" is a 1998 Farrelly brothers flick starring Cameron Diaz as a woman so irresistible that Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Chris Elliott and Lee Evans are all dying to win her heart. Turns out, she also once dated Brett Favre, who appears as himself, and as an all-around great guy in the movie.
"Night at the Museum"
"The Hangover"
"Wayne's World"
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"Ghostbusters"
"Anchorman"
"Wayne's World 2"
With bigger dreams than public access television, Wayne and Garth put on an event called Waynestock in "Wayne's World 2." In addition to nods to "Thelma and Louise" and "The Graduate," the movie includes "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments" star Charlton Heston as a gas station attendant.
"Dodgeball"
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"Green Lantern"
"Superman"
"The Dark Knight"
"Iron Man"
At the end of the 2008 movie "Iron Man," Samuel L. Jackson reminds Tony Stark that he's not the only super hero in town. The movie also includes a Stan Lee cameo, where the comic legend is mistaken for Hugh Hefner.
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"The Goonies"
"Mary Poppins"
"Hook"
The 1991 movie "Hook" is a modern retelling of the classic Peter Pan tale, and stars Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts and Robin Williams. There's also a surprising cameo by revered actress Glenn Close, wearing a thick beard to play the male pirate Gutless.
"The Sound of Music"
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"The Bourne Identity"
"Die Another Day"
"Die Another Day" was the 20th James Bond film, and the final one to feature Pierce Brosnan in the lead role. Set in North Korea and featuring Halle Berry as Jinx Johnson, the movie featured a short scene starring Madonna as a fencing coach named Verity.
"Argo"
"Red Sparrow"
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"Aquaman"
"The Avengers"
"Glass"
"Spider-Man"
Bruce Campbell actually had cameos in all three "Spider-Man" flicks directed by Sam Raimi in the '00s. In the first he played a wrestling announcer, followed by an usher in the second and a maitre d' in "Spider-Man 3."
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"Casper"
Appearing as his "Ghostbusters" character Raymond Stantz, Dan Aykroyd tells the owners of Whipstaff Manor to call someone else to bust those ghosts in the 1995 film "Casper." Turns out, the Ghostly Trio is a lot tougher to get rid of than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
"Tom and Huck"
"Coraline"
"The Dark Crystal"
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"Red Planet"
"The Martian"
"Interstellar"
In the 2014 sci-fi movie "Interstellar," Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway are astronauts seeking brave new worlds for doomed Earth residents to inhabit. Using a wormhole, they travel far away, only to find that Matt Damon's character has tricked them into coming to a barren ice planet that can't support life.
"Star Wars"
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"Castaway"
"Spaceballs"
Horror fans will never forget the chest-busting creature in "Alien," so it only made sense to have John Hurt show up in "Spaceballs" in 1987 to relive the experience. Turns out, eating the Space Special at Gus' Galaxy Diner causes an alien to burst from your chest and perform a song and dance number.
"Airplane!"
"Zero Hour!"
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"Happy Gilmore"
Adam Sandler plays a hockey player turned golfer in the 1996 film "Happy Gilmore." One unforgettable scene has Sandler partnered up with game show host Bob Barker at a tournament, but when Sandler can't keep his mind on the game, Barker is forced to teach him a very funny lesson.
"There's Something About Mary"
"Dodgeball"
"Meet the Parents"
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"I Know What You Did Last Summer"
"Scream"
"Halloween H20"
Janet Leigh played the murdered Marion Crane in the 1960 thriller "Psycho," while her daughter starred in the 1978 classic "Halloween." With the 1998 release of "Halloween H20," it only made sense to include a cameo with Leigh as Norma Watson, the mom-like secretary of Curtis' character
"Urban Legend"
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"Braveheart"
"Anna and the King"
"The Man in the Iron Mask"
"Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"
A modern retelling of the classic Sherwood Forest tale, the 1991 movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" stars Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman. It also includes a surprise appearance by Sean Connery, who donated the staggering $250,000 he received from his brief cameo as King Richard to charity.
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"How High"
"Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"
In the 2004 comedy "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," the two title characters head out for some fast food after getting high. On the way, they pick up a hitchhiker, who happens to be "Doogie Howser MD" actor Neil Patrick Harris ... who is high on Ecstasy at the time, and eventually steals their car.
"Not Another Teen Movie"
"Clueless"
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"Alien"
"The French Connection"
"Goodfellas"
"Taxi Driver"
In the 1976 film "Taxi Driver," viewers watch Robert De Niro descend into madness as downtrodden cabbie Travis Bickle. One memorable scene involves an insane passenger, played by director Martin Scorsese, who rants about killing his wife. The classic film earned the Best Picture Oscar, as well as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress for De Niro and Jodie Foster, who played a 12-year-old prostitute.
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