Acameo appearance, also called acameo role and often shortened to justcameo (/ˈkæmioʊ/), is a briefguest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of theperforming arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly either appearances in a work in which they hold some special significance (such as actors from an original movie appearing in its remake) or renowned people making uncredited appearances. Short appearances bycelebrities,film directors,politicians,athletes ormusicians are common. A crew member of the movie or show playing a minor role can be referred to as a cameo role as well, such as directorAlfred Hitchcock who madefrequent cameo appearances in his films.
Originally, in the 1920s, a "cameo role" meant "a small character part that stands out from the other minor parts". TheOxford English Dictionary connects this with the meaning "a short literary sketch or portrait", which is based on the literal meaning of "cameo", a miniature carving on a gemstone.[1] More recently, in the late 20th century, a "cameo" has come to refer to any short appearance as a character.[2]
Cameos are generally not credited because of their brevity, or a perceived mismatch between the celebrity's stature and the film or television series in which they are appearing. Many arepublicity stunts. Others are acknowledgements of an actor's contribution to an earlier work, as in the case of manyfilm adaptations of television series, or ofremakes of earlier films. Others honour artists or celebrities known for work in a particular field, such as comic book writerStan Lee, who madeappearances in every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie up toAvengers: Endgame.[4][3]
Cameos also occur innovels and other literary works. "Literary cameos" usually involve an established character from another work who makes a brief appearance to establish ashared universe setting, to make a point, or to offerhomage.Balzac often employed this practice, as in hisComédie humaine. Sometimes a cameo features a historical person who "drops in" on fictional characters in ahistorical novel, as whenBenjamin Franklin shares abeer with Phillipe Charboneau inThe Bastard byJohn Jakes.[citation needed]
A cameo appearance can be made by the author of a work to put a sort of personal "signature" on a story.Vladimir Nabokov often put himself in his novels, for instance as the very minor character Vivian Darkbloom (an anagram of his name) inLolita.[5]
Cameos are also a tradition ofthe Muppets' many projects over the years.
Likewise,Peter Jackson has made briefcameos in all of his movies, except for his first feature-length filmBad Taste in which he played a main character, as well asThe Battle of the Five Armies, though a portrait of him appears in the film. For example, he played a peasant eating a carrot inThe Fellowship of the Ring andThe Desolation of Smaug, a warrior of Rohan inThe Two Towers, and a Corsair of Umbar boatswain inThe Return of the King. All four were non-speaking "blink and you miss him" appearances, although in the Extended Release version ofThe Return of the King, his character was given more screen time and his reprise of the carrot eating peasant inThe Desolation of Smaug was featured in the foreground in reference toThe Fellowship of the Ring.[7] In addition, when he was directingHeavenly Creatures (1994), he appeared as a person bumping who is kissed by one the main characters, and in theFrighteners, Jackson appeared as a man with piercings.[8]
Directors sometimes cast well-known lead actors with whom they have worked in the past in other films. InJane Eyre (1943),Elizabeth Taylor makes a cameo appearance as Helen Burns, Jane's friend from school who dies from a cold.Mike Todd's filmAround the World in 80 Days (1956) was filled with cameo roles:John Gielgud as an English butler,Frank Sinatra playing piano in a saloon, and others. The stars in cameo roles were pictured in oval insets in posters for the film, and gave the term wide circulation outside the theatrical profession.[citation needed]
Anthony Daniels made a cameo appearance inAttack of the Clones, despite already starring in the film. Daniels voiced the droidC-3PO, but also made a brief appearance (revealing the actor's actual face and body) as a patron in the background of the Outlander Club.[15]
The Player (1992) features cameos from 65 Hollywood actors.
Run for Your Wife (2012) is filled with cameos from 80 of Britain's film and TV stars from the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
Aaron Sorkin also had cameos in some works he wrote: as a bar customer speaking about the law in his debut film screenplayA Few Good Men (1992), as an advertising executive inThe Social Network, and as a guest at the inauguration of PresidentMatt Santos in the final episode ofThe West Wing.
Franco Nero, the actor who portrayed the Django character in the original1966 film, appears in a bar scene of the Tarantino filmDjango Unchained. There, he asks Django (Jamie Foxx) to spell his name, which led to the famous promotional tagline for the film - "The 'D' is silent". Franco's character responds simply, "I know."
Many cameos featured inMaverick (1994), directed byRichard Donner. Among them,Danny Glover –Mel Gibson's co-star in theLethal Weapon franchise also directed by Donner – appears as the leadbank robber. He and Maverick (Gibson) share a scene where they look as if they knew each other, but then shake it off. As Glover makes his escape with the money, he mutters "I'm too old for this shit", his character'scatchphrase in theLethal Weapon films. In addition, a strain of the maintheme fromLethal Weapon plays in thescore when Glover is revealed. ActressMargot Kidder made a cameo appearance in the same film as a robbed villager: she had previously starred asLois Lane in Donner'sSuperman (1978).[16]
Maria Von Trapp made an uncredited brief cameo appearance in the film version of her life,The Sound of Music. She appeared in the background during the song "I Have Confidence" with her daughterRosmarie and stepson Werner Von Trapp.
The king of Sweden,Carl XVI Gustaf, was in the children's programMika (Mika och renen Ossian på äventyr) when Mika was inStockholm with his reindeer.[25]
An unusual example of a famous non-actor being given a small but speaking fictional role occurred in theStar Trek: The Next Generation episode "Second Chances." Dr.Mae Jemison, anastronaut, the first Black woman in space, and a long-time fan ofStar Trek, was offered the opportunity to appear on the show. She was given the role of a Starfleet crewmember and a few lines, thus becoming the first real-life astronaut to appear onStar Trek.[27] Somewhat likewise KingAbdullah II of Jordan appeared briefly in a non-speaking role theStar Trek: Voyager episode "Investigations".[28]
^"Cameo in Film topic". Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved9 January 2017.a short appearance in a film or play by a well-known actor
^"Sam Raimi".Monsters-Movies.com.Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved18 February 2017.
^Talbot, John; Adams, Edmund; Winkels, Rob; Mar, Irene (27 March 2009)."Hergé's Cameo Appearances".Tintinologist. Hergé/Moulinsart S.A.Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved15 September 2016.
