What's he doing there? (the unlikely cameo thread)

[DrGreggles]

Phil Oakey from the Human League in 'The Weekenders'.

Any others?

[dr beat]

David Schneider in Mission: Impossible immediately springs to mind.

[phantom_power]

Danny Pudi in Captain America
Adam Pally in Iron Man 3
Chris Hardwick in House of 1000 Corpses is an odd one as well

[dr beat]

I guess Phil Oakey was a fan of Vic and Bob? He certainly gets into the spirit of things in the Weekenders.

Slightly off-topic possibly but would Jarvis Cocker doing Rolf Harris in Celeb Stars in their Eyes count in 'whats he doing there' terms? I bet he's wishing thats kept quiet at the moment...

[dr beat]

Some others:

Boy George in the A-Team

And of course the Pet Shop Boys in Neighbours

Graeme Souness in Boys from the Blackstuff, who IIRC was actually ok in it, or good enough anyway.

Wasn't Shaun Ryder in the Avengers film with Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes?

[leighhart]

Taylor Dayne in Stag a late 90s action film
Snoop Dogg Asterix and obelix mission Cleopatra
Ghostface killah Couples therapy
Steven Segal Lawman (reality show where Seghal is supposedly fighting crime in New Orleans despite not being able to drive or run)

[Tiny Poster]

I guess Phil Oakey was a fan of Vic and Bob? He certainly gets into the spirit of things in the Weekenders.

Oakey produced some of the tracks on Reeves' album I Will Cure You the previous year.


Danny Pudi in CA2 wasn't too surprising as the directors have shot a lot of episodes of Community. Pally in IM3 did make me do a doubletake, though.

[DrGreggles]

Oakey produced some of the tracks on Reeves' album I Will Cure You the previous year.

And sang backing vocals on the should-be-awful-but-actually-bloody-good Human League influenced cover of Deep Purple's 'Black Night' on there too.

[Stone Cold Jane Austen]

Michael Palin in Home and Away.

[doppelkorn]

David Schneider in Mission: Impossible immediately springs to mind.

Isn't he also in the opening(?) scene of 28 Days Later and has one line:

THE CHIMPS HAVE BEEN INFECTED!!

[CaledonianGonzo]

Ronnie Wood appearing in 9&1/2 Weeks isn't as good as Miles Davis popping up in Scrooged.

[Alberon]

Guy Siner (the gay Nazi from Allo Allo) popping up on Babylon 5 was a bit odd.

[Ignatius_S]

Dame Edna Everage in The Archers – however, that probably doesn't really count as the appearance was to do with two characters having tickets for her show and interacting with the great woman herself.

Some others:

Boy George in the A-Team...

With that one, the script involved in a singer playing themself – I don't think George had any acting experience, so on that score there's some novelty to the choice. John Lydon was supposed to have been offered the role but he turned it down for some reason.

...And of course the Pet Shop Boys in Neighbours..

Turning that round, Bab Windsor's role in the Pet Shop Boys' film, It Couldn't Happen Here is quite a weird one.

Guy Siner (the gay Nazi from Allo Allo) popping up on Babylon 5 was a bit odd....

Siner is one of those actors that's done a fair bit of work in the States, which I think quite a few would be surprised at.

[Cleaners From Venus]

Mr. Bronson on the Death Star.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Alexei Sayle showing up in Indiana Jones.


(along with Mr Bronson)

[doppelkorn]

And Dave Yip

[Ignatius_S]

Mr. Bronson on the Death Star.

Personally, I would go the other way - veteran character actor, Michael Sheard appearing in Grange Hill, after all he did Star Wars (and Doctor Who, IIRC) first.

However, it's given me the chance to quote a post that I'm fond of:

a couple of Edinburgh-related Sheard anecdotes for you -

there was a convention a few years back in the Grassmarket - a general science fiction and movies thing. It was right at the height of the festival, and no-one attended. And I mean no-one. I didn't either, and I live about ten minutes away so I'm as much at fault as anybody.

anyway, Michael Sheard was one of the guests. Come saturday afternoon, and no visible sign of anyone else turning up... he decided to get out and about and drag people in. On went the Bronson toupee and spotted bow-tie. Armed with a lightsabre from the dealers room and accompanied by one of my chums who happened to have brought his own Dalek with him (it was that sort of day, apparently) he launched himself into Edinburgh (I believe he made it as far as Holyrood Park) and proceeded to accost passers-by with loud cries of "YOU BOY! Come to this convention!!!" and so-on. He didn't get too many attendees, but he made himself hugely popular among the passers by.

Best of all was when he happened to spot a wedding spilling out of the registry office... and made a beeline straight for them. They loved him, and someone somewhere has a set of wedding photographs which unexpectedly includes Mr Bronson waving a plastic lightsabre, while a shifty looking Dalek lurks on the periphery. You can't buy that sort of silliness.

and later ...

the Edinburgh Doctor Who local group ("Strange Matter") has for a quite a long time been running "An Afternoon With..." type events. Basically, guests come down to a venue for an afternoon (usually they get their train fare and accomodation paid for, and a meal bought for them the night before - plus an appearance fee obviously), and they're treated royally and just lounge around chatting with people for a few hours. There's a charidee auction in the evening, where everyone buys each other's rubbish, and much hilarity usual ensues. Most of the guests  seem to enjoy these do's (the best one for me personally was Michael Keating from Blake's 7, although his rambunctious and highly alcoholic colleague Gareth Thomas takes some beating for pure entertainment value), and some of them even come back. Michael Sheard was one of those who came back for a second go at it.

He had the misfortune to appear shortly after his appearance on "Banzai!" with the result that at the end of the charity auction he was showered with pledges and promises of donations if he would attempt to recreate his feat on the show, and drink a yard of gravy. We didn't believe he'd do it.

but he did. Looked awful afterwards, mind you, but he did it... I count myself mildly fortunate that I was there to see it...

[CaledonianGonzo]

Veteran character actor Leslie Schofield, appearing in Johnny Briggs, after all he did Star Wars first.

FTFY

[Ignatius_S]

FTFY

Ah, good call - and an actor that I'm fond of.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Pat Roach in Indiana Jones

Lead singer from James in the first Nolan Batman film

That bloke from Home and Away in the third Star Wars prequel

[Cleaners From Venus]

Personally, I would go the other way - veteran character actor, Michael Sheard appearing in Grange Hill, after all he did Star Wars (and Doctor Who, IIRC) first.

True. I forgot the chronology. And I've only heard stories of him being a top chap too.

[Famous Mortimer]

Chat show host Merv Griffin as the Elevator Killer in "The Man With Two Brains". I loved his delivery of the killer's confession.

Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr: You. You're the elevator killer. Merv Griffin.

Merv Griffin: Yeah.

Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr: Why?

Merv Griffin: I don't know. I've always just loved to kill. I really enjoyed it. But then I got famous, and - it's just too hard for me. And so many witnesses. I mean, *everybody* recognized me. I couldn't even lurk anymore. I'd hear, "Who's that lurking over there? Isn't that Merv Griffin?" So I came to Europe to kill. And it's really worked out very well for me.

[Gavin M]

Guy Siner was actually born in Manhattan, which gives a bit of sense to his Seinfeld appearance (something I struggled to comprehend when I first saw it).

[doppelkorn]

A 12-year-old Michael MacIntyre is in the clip when Eliot Fletcher rings into Going Live to call Five Starr "crap".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvGZynmi1y4

He's in a grey tracksuit.

[DangledTeeth]

Denis Lill (Alan Parry from Only Fools and Horses) appears briefly in the first Batman film, as a character called Bob the Cartoonist.

[doppelkorn]

You know the film A Fish Called Wanda right?

You know Ken (Palin) drops that piano on them dogs?

One of the little dogs is played by an infant Russel Tovey.

[Oops! Wrong Planet]

I always get a frisson when I see Elvis Costello not turning up in something.

[Fry]

[MuteBanana]

Is it true French & Saunders appeared in heavy make up in the background of a scene on EastEnders?

Liam Neeson in Rev. Bob Hoskins appearing in a brief scene in A Room For Romeo Brass was a surprise until I discovered he was in an earlier Shane Meadows film.

[Don_Preston]

Roly poly moustachioed character actor Mike Hagerty turns up in one scene in the pilot of Deadwood, and then is never heard or seen from again. It's a shame, as Loud Wagoneer could have become a mainstay.