Cameo appearance

Others honour artists or celebrities known for work in a particular field, such as comic book writer Stan Lee, who made appearances in every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie up to Avengers: Endgame.

For example, he played a peasant eating a carrot in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Desolation of Smaug, a warrior of Rohan in The Two Towers, and a Corsair of Umbar boatswain in The Return of the King.

All four were non-speaking "blink and you miss him" appearances, although in the Extended Release version of The Return of the King, his character was given more screen time and his reprise of the carrot eating peasant in The Desolation of Smaug was featured in the foreground in reference to The Fellowship of the Ring.

In addition, he appeared with his wife and daughter as wealthy New Yorkers in Gangs of New York, and as a theatre-goer and can be heard as a movie projectionist in The Aviator.

In a same way, Roman Polanski appeared as a hired hoodlum in his film Chinatown, slitting Jack Nicholson's nose with the blade of his clasp knife.

[10] F. Gary Gray has made many appearances in the films he has directed including Friday, Set It Off, Law Abiding Citizen, and Straight Outta Compton.

Mike Todd's film Around 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.

Daniels voiced the droid C-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.

Aaron Sorkin also had cameos in some works he wrote: as a bar customer speaking about the law in his debut film screenplay A Few Good Men (1992), as an advertising executive in The Social Network, and as a guest at the inauguration of President Matt Santos in the final episode of The West Wing.

Among them, Danny Glover – Mel Gibson's co-star in the Lethal Weapon franchise also directed by Donner – appears as the lead bank robber.

Actress Margot Kidder made a cameo appearance in the same film as a robbed villager: she had previously starred as Lois Lane in Donner's Superman (1978).

[17] Actor Adam Sandler is also known for frequently casting fellow Saturday Night Live performers (including Rob Schneider and David Spade) in various roles in his films (as well as making cameo appearances of his own in theirs, most of which he co-produces).

[citation needed] Actor Edward Norton appeared as himself in the satirical film The Dictator (2012) starring Sacha Baron Cohen.

[21] In the movie adaptation of Les Miserables, Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Jean Valjean in the West End and on Broadway, made a cameo as the Bishop of Digne.

An unusual example of a famous non-actor being given a small but speaking fictional role occurred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Second Chances."

Dr. Mae Jemison, an astronaut, the first Black woman in space, and a long-time fan of Star Trek, was offered the opportunity to appear on the show.

[27] Somewhat likewise King Abdullah II of Jordan appeared briefly in a non-speaking role the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Investigations".