We bet you have never noticed these unexpected A-list appearances in some of the great movies and TV shows around. The concept of movie cameos was invented by Alfred Hitchcock, who appeared in almost all of his movies. Hollywood quickly adapted and started inviting its celebrities to make a short, yet unforgettable appearance in a movie and proved to us that it takes only a few seconds to make an impression and completely steal the spotlight. So we made sure you won't miss some of the best cameos ever shown and made a list of 40 of the most mind-blowing celebrity appearances.
1. George Harrison in 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' (1979)
We all know him as the legendry guitar player from the 'Beatles', but George Harrison surprised us all with this split of a second cameo in the British comedy from the '70s. The Monty Python group was and still is one of the classic comedian icons in the world.
Romer tells that the production of the movie was nearly shut down due to budgeting problems, so Harrison donated his appearance as Mr. Papadoupolous at the last minute and saved the movie production.
2. Bruce Springsteen In 'High Fidelity' (2000)
The 'Boss', AKA Bruce Springsteen, made an appearance as himself in the movie 'High Fidelity'. The movie is based on a novel with the same name, tell the story of Rob, played by John Cusack, who is trying to move on with his life, after another breakup with a girlfriend.
Bruce Springsteen appears in Rob's dream, with advice on how to handle his past girlfriends, all while playing catchy guitar riffs.
3. Tom Cruise In 'Tropic Thunder' (2008)
Not a cameo per se, but Tom Cruise was hardly recognized in this movie. Cruis was wearing a fat suit, bald cup, and chest hair, appearing in a totally different look that made us all wonder, is this really him?
Cruis played the supporting role of Les Grossman, a studio executive, co-starring with comedians Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr.
4. Madonna In 'Die Another Day' (2002)
Madonna not only provided the title track for this James Bond film but also made an appearance in a small role as Verity, a fencing instructor, who gives Bond, then played by Pierce Brosnan, a fencing lesson.
This small role sat perfectly on this pop legend, as she always had the reputation of being good with men. One of Madonna's memorable lines in the movie is "I see you handle your weapon well" - a classic Madonna moment.
5. Keith Richards In 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' (2007)
The character of Captain Jack Sparrow was actually inspired by Rolling Stones' guitarist, Keith Richards. We guess that made the choice of choosing the real Keith Richards to play captain Jack's father was so natural.
Keith Richards played Jack's father, Captain Teague, in a special cameo in both the third and the fourth pirate films.
6. Michael Jackson In 'Men in Black 2' (2002)
Apparently, Michal Jackson loved the first 'Men in Black' movie so much, that he asked the director personally if he could make a cameo as an alien manager called agent M.
And as the king of pop wished, he did appear for a short scene in the Men in Black sequel, as an agent, and rest is history.
7. Donald Trump In 'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York' (1992)
We have watched 'Home Alone 2' movie several times before and still missed this iconic cameo, where Kevin askes for directions in the Royal Plaza hotel and gets them from Donald Trump before he has became the (now former) POTUS.
The scene was filmed in the real Plaza Hotel in New York, owned by Donald Trump.
8. Ian Brown In 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (2004)
Ian Brown, the British musician and the lead singer of the band 'Stone Roses', made an appearance in the third film of 'Harry Poter - the prisoner of Azkaban'.
In his short scene, we can spot Brown as a wizard, sitting in the Leaky Cauldron reading the ''Brief History of Time' book, looking super cool as we would expect a rock star to be.
9. Leonardo DiCaprio In 'Roseanne' (1991)
Take a close look at this adorable blond kid and try to figure out why he looks familiar. Yes, this is Leonardo DiCaprio, as an extra in a small scene that he himself probably doesn't really remember doing in the TV series 'Roseanne'.
DiCaprio showed up as a school kid in the third season of the successful 80's show starring Rosan Bar and Tom Arnold.
10. Johnny Depp In '21 Jump Street' (2012)
This cameo is super special due to the fact that we all remember Johnny Depp from his hit 90's series '21 Jump Street', where he played an under-covered teenager.
So when the '21 Jump Street' movie came out in 2012, Johnny Depp made a glorious cameo as an undercover cop revealing himself at the end of the movie.
11. Jeff Bezos in 'Star Trek Beyond' (2016)
For us, the most surprising cameos are the ones made by non-actors. one example is Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, who appeared as an alien Starfleet official in 'Star Trek Beyond'.
Bezos, one of the world's billionaires, is a huge Star Trek fan and he begged for an opportunity to appear in one of the movies for years. And in the end, he got what he wished for. Even if he did have makeup on that made him hard to recognize.
12. Glenn Close in 'Hook' (1991)
What an amazing cameo by one of the best actors in Hollywood. in the hit movie Hook! Glenn Close playing a bearded pirate in this Steven Spielberg movie.
It wasn't easy recognizing Close under all the makeup and hair, but her phenomenal acting as the one who betrays Captain Hook and finds herself locked in the dreaded 'Boo Box'.
13. Channing Tatum in 'This Is the End' (2013)
By the end of this hilarious comedy 'This is the End', we can spot Channing Tatum as Danny McBride's sex slave, The Gimp. How did Seth Rogen, who wrote the movie, convince Tatum to take this part? Well, apparently Tatum got an email from Seth Rogen, asking him to take this role.
Tatum responded immediately to Rogen, calling him crazy and that the movie sounded like a big joke and that he must do it. Truly - a must-see scene.
14. Ke$ha in 'Jane the Virgin' (2015)
Popstar Ke$ha showed up during season 2 of the TV series Jane the Virgin as Jane's new next-door neighbor. Kasha's character was also a musician but not in a good way.
Kasha played the neighbor who listens to loud music and refuses to turn it down late at night, much to the dismay of Jane and her new baby Mateo.
15. Matt Damon in 'Deadpool 2' (2018)
Yes, this is Matt Damon! This unbelievable unrecognized cameo of Damon in 'Deadpool 2' took us by surprise. Damon showed up as a redneck with a prosthetic nose and a beer belly.
The funniest fact is that in the credits, Matt is listed under the name 'Dickie Greenleaf', which is the role that he played in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'.
16. Brad Pitt in 'Deadpool 2' (2018)
Another memorable cameo in 'Deadpool 2' was played by Brad Pitt. In his split-second appearance, Pitt plays a superhero named 'The Vanisher' whose superpowers are invisibility.
Pitt's character is invisible until he gets electrocuted and then his real face appears for a second on the screen with his face and we get to see Brad as the superhero that he is.
17. Elon Musk in 'Iron Man 2' (2010)
For all the Marvel fans out there, this one is for you. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Space X, appears as himself in a brief scene in the movie 'Iron Man 2'.
In the scene, we see Musk talking to Robert Downey Jr.is who is complimenting his 'Merlin Engines'. Musk thanks him and says: 'I've got an idea for an electric jet'.
18. John McCain in 'Parks and Recreation' (2012)
If ever watched the NBC hit show 'Parks and Rec', you probably know that the show gave us several politician cameos over the years. We saw Michael Obama and Joe Biden, but one of the undetected cameos belongs to John McCain.
In his funny scene, McCain appears from inside a coat closet, when an oblivious Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, shrugs him off rather rodely.
19. Mike Myers in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018)
After taking a closer look, you will eventually recognize Mike Myers in a cameo role as EMI executive Ray Foster in 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
This cameo is especially funny due to Foster's line that in his opinion ''No one is going to be head bending in the car to Bohemian Rhapsody". We immediately imagining the unforgettable scene in 'Wayne's World' where the gang, including Mayers, headbanging in the car to Bohemian Rhapsody.
20. Bill Murray in 'Dumb and Dumber 2 To' (2014)
Bill Murray in an unrecognizable cameo that even took us a while to spot. In the comedy hit, 'Dumb and Dumber to' Murray plays Jeff Daniels's roommate, a hazmat-suit-wearing meth cook named Ice Pick.
Murray appears briefly and under a mask, while Jimm Carrey and Jeff Daniels watch and admire his work in the kitchen "selling candy that makes you dizzy".
21. Bill Murray in 'Zombieland' (2010)
Murray does it again in a legendry cameo in Zombieland. Maybe it's due to the fact that no one expected him to play in this apocalyptic comedy film or just because he is a phenomenal actor who can play any role he chooses.
Murray actually plays himself, pretending to be a zombie in order to survive the apocalypse.
22. Daniel Craig in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)
Believe it or not but Mr. James Bond, Daniel Craig actually makes a cameo as a stormtrooper in the 7th episode of 'The Skywalker Saga'. It's impossible to recognize Craig with his helmet on but for us, his blue eyes can be spotted even in space.
Craig plays a Stormtrooper who keeps watch over Rey, played by Daisy Ridley. In a memorable scene, though we had no idea-it was Danel Craig under the shield!
23. Lady Gaga in 'The Sopranos' (2001)
This cameo blows our minds, and we would not have guessed it on our own. Long before Lady Gaga became a superstar, she had a pre-fame appearance as an extra in season 3 of 'The Sopranos'.
Gaga was 15 when at the time the episode was filmed, isn't in the credits, and didn't even have any lines. Thank god she came back, big time!
24. Matt Damon in 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)
Marvel fans will probably remember this hilarious scene where Loki stages a play about his own triumphs and heroic "death" in 'Thor: Ragnarok'. But only eagle-eye fans notice that the fake Loki was played by Matt Damon.
Apparently, this cameo was a guarded secret on the set, and it was kept even from key members of the production team. Well, it worked!
25. Coldplay in 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)
In the final scene of the iconic movie 'Shaun of the Dead', for a brief moment, we get a glimpse of Coldplay's Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland appearing on Shaun's TV, as supporters of a fictional charity called ZombAid.
Wearing their ZombAid charity t-shirts, Martin and Buckland look pretty serious in their role. There was a rumor that Martin did another cameo in this movie as a zombie, but unfortunately, it's not true.
26. Cate Blanchett in 'Hot Fuzz' (2007)
Nowadays we can totally recognize a person wearing a surgical mask, but in 2007, it was easy to miss Cate Blanchett wearing a mask and protective clothing in the action movie parody ''Hot Fuzz'.
The director of 'Hot Fuzz', Edgar Wright, knew that Cate was a fan of his early movie 'Shaun of the Dead' - so he asked her to make a sneaky cameo as Nicola's ex-girlfriend.
27. David Bowie in 'Zoolander' (2001)
This memorable cameo of David Bowie in 'Zoolander' is probably one of the famous ones. Bowie played himself in the first 'Zoolander' movie and challenged the two male models, Zoolander and Hansel, to a good old fashion walk-off.
Bowie appears in this one scene and goes on stage while his song "Let's Dance" is in the background. This superstar can't ever be replaced and is perfect in playing himself.
28. Dolly Parton in 'Miss Congeniality 2' (2005)
In a hilarious scene from 'Miss Congeniality 2, Armed and Fabulous' the country icon makes a brief appearance as FBI agent Gracie, chases her down, thinking she is a Dolly Parton impersonator, only to find out it's the real Dolly Parton she just tackled.
What made Parton agree to do this cameo? Well, apparently Sandra Bullock wrote a letter to this country superstar begging her to take the part, and luckily for us, she agreed.
29. Cameron Diaz in 'Minority Report' (2002)
It's almost impossible to recognize Cameron Diaz in this movie, directed by Steven Spielberg. Diaz appears in one fleeting scene as a businesswoman on the train, alongside 'Vanilla Sky' director Cameron Crowe.
Diaz's face is only half shown, making this double cameo particularly hard to spot. Crowe told the story of this cameo and says that Spilberd came over one day to visit Tom Cruise on the set of 'Vanilla Sky' and after a few hours together he agreed to put Crowe in 'Minority Report'.
30. Neil Patrick Harris in 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle' (2004)
Neil Patrick Harris or as we all know him, Dougie Howser, made an appearance as an exaggerated version of himself in 'Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle'.
Another funny cameo from this movie is Ryen Reynolds playing an OR nurse in one scene.
31. Lucy Lawless in 'Spiderman' (2002)
We all remember her from the hit TV show where she played the iconic 'Xena: Warrior Princess', But halfway into 'Spiderman', there is a scene of a New Yorker talking about the web-slinger Spiderman, in a punk look and a cigarette in her hand.
When asked about this cameo, Lawless reveals that she did it as a favor to her husband, who was the director of Xena and also directed all of Sam Raimi's movies since the very start of his career.
32. Edward Norton in 'Kingdom Of Heaven' (2005)
Only those who look very closely can recognize that behind the silver mask in 'Kingdom Of Heaven' is Edward Norton, playing the role of King Baldwin.
The director Ridley Scott said that Norton asked not to get any credit for his performance in the movie, because his face is not shown, however, his name was put back in the video releases of the film.
33. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon In 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' (2002)
This cameo is one of the funniest we have seen. The scene takes place on the set of 'The Dating Game' in George Clooney's directorial debut from 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'. The camera pans to bachelor no. 1 and 2. played by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.
Pitt and Damon said that as a favor to Clooney, the ocean boys offered their services for free. Their appearance even without any lines is super funny, without being over the top.
34. Michael Caine In 'Dunkirk' (2017)
Although he has one of the most familiar voices in the film industry, so many have realized that Michael Caine did a small vocal cameo in 'Dunkirk' the World War 2 epic, directed by Cristopher Nolan.
At the beginning of the film, the actor can be heard giving orders over the radio to a couple of fighter pilots. Nolen confirmed prior to the film's release that it was indeed the voice of Caine after some reporters noticed it in the early screening.
35. Taylor Swift In 'Hannah Montana: The Movie' (2009)
Apparently, Singer and songwriter Taylor Swift did not make her first big-screen debut on 'The Giver' but appeared in a brief cameo as herself in the 'Hannah Montana: The Movie'. It was still in her country days, so she performed in a barn party, and sang 'Crazier"
The Disney film was shot in Tennessee and stars Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus. In Swift's scene, she is singing 'Crazier' on the stage while Cyrus and her love interest, Travis dance and reminisce about all the good times they had together.
36. Hugh Jackman In 'X-Men First Class' (2011)
Hugh Jackman is playing Wolverine and turns up for just a few seconds, and delivers only one line but gets the biggest laugh of the entire scene.
In an interview about his cameo, Jackman said that the scene was shot at the last minute and that he came up with his final version of the lines by himself. They turned out to be a huge hit, says the director Matthew Vaughn.
37. Daniel Radcliffe In 'Trainwreck' (2015)
Radcliffe plays in 'The Dogwalker', a spoof of a very bad artsy film inside the movie 'Trainwreck'. The director's movie Judd Apatow said that Radcliffe improvised the whole thing.
When the fake film was being shot, photos of Radcliffe walking multiple dogs went viral around the internet speculating if Radcliffe has actually taken a second job.
38. Mike Tyson In 'The Hangover' (2009)
Mike Tyson is in a great cameo as the guy who demands that the gang return the famous pet tiger in the movie, The Hangover', which he claims the guys stole. It's pretty unique to see Mike Tyson in an acting role but we have to admit that it's a great twist in the movie.
Tyson later admitted that he was high on Cocaine during filming and that he only accepted the role to "supply his drug habit".
39. Jimmy Fallon In 'Jurassic World' (2015)
Celebrities filming spots for amusement park attractions is common, so in Jurassic World, they stayed committed to authenticity and got Jimmy Fallon, an actor, and of course the host of "The Tonight Show".
Fallon, as himself in the video is in a lab wearing a coat and in front of a chalkboard. He instructs passengers on how to sit within the ride's "invisible barrier system", all by knocking down beakers of chemicals and injuring himself.
40. Eminem In 'Funny People' (2009)
Rapper Eminem did a surprising cameo in the Judd Apatow movie 'Funny People' starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. In the movie, Adam Sendler is a famous standup comedian who is diagnosed with a rare disease and believed to be dying.
Eminem plays himself as one of Sandler's friends, who hears about his diseases. Instead of giving his friend some good advice and sympathy, he starts getting furious about the downsides of being a celebrity and how hard is it to lose the ability to be anonymous forever.
As we see, celebrities do strange things sometimes like appearing in a movie for 30 seconds, totally unrecognized, or agreeing to guest star as themselves in a crunchy comedy. But it's pretty common for a big-name celeb to show up on the screen in a tiny role. It keeps us viewers on our toes and totally focused while watching movies, careful not to blink and miss a good cameo.