Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

100 Greatest Director Cameos

Features
By Matt Looker published 7 November 2013

Caught on camera

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Dune (1984)

The Cameo: When Paul and Duke take a group to see spice being harvested, they witness a worm attacking the harvester. Duke radios down to tell the workers to evacuate and the guy who answers the call is none other than David Lynch himself.

Why It's Cool: It's always a delight to see the wonderfully weird director onscreen, but never more so than in an epic sci-fi film that already feels a little out of everybody's comfort zone.

Little Nicky (2000)

The Cameo: In a film littered with wacky cameos, Quentin Tarantino stands out as the crazed, blind preacher that appears several times throughout the film.

Latest Videos From
Watch full video here:

Why It's Cool: Its an unusually, overtly comic role for QT, who is more used to holding guns than crucifixes. Well, unless he's warding off vampires.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of the King (2003)

The Cameo: Peter Jackson concludes his run of LOTR cameos by playing a brutish warrior struck down by an arrow.

You may like
  • Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward in The Mandalorian and Grogu The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and cameos: all the Star Wars references you might have missed
  • An alien food vendor voiced by Martin Scorsese in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer. Martin Scorsese's unexpected cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu explained
  • Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now

Why It's Cool: Jackson may have appeared briefly in his other Tolkien instalments, but this time he goes all out in the thick of the action.

1941 (1979)

The Cameo: John Landis plays a very dusty soldier who has his motorbike stolen from outside the cinema.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Why It's Cool: Just look at him! That's an awful lot of mess to get into for the sake of an in-joke.

Platoon (1986)

The Cameo: Oliver Stone appears as an officer in a bunker, before being blown up by a suicide bomber.

Why It's Cool: Seeing as the film is based on Stone's own Vietnam War experiences, it seems fitting to see him, even briefly, in the thick of the harrowing action.

You may like
  • Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward in The Mandalorian and Grogu The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and cameos: all the Star Wars references you might have missed
  • An alien food vendor voiced by Martin Scorsese in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer. Martin Scorsese's unexpected cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu explained
  • Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)

The Cameo: At the end of the film, director David Yates appears as one of the magical moving portraits hanging up in Hogwarts.

Why It’s Cool: As far as cameos go, that’s a very cool, subtle way to go about it. And it’s almost, almost like he has become part of the Hogwarts furniture. Y’know – if you want to read into it.

GoldenEye (1995)

The Cameo: As James Bond and Xenia Onatopp race past a group of cyclists, knocking them over, one of them is actually director Martin Campbell.

Why It’s Cool: It seems like a fairly dangerous cameo to give yourself, not to mention a lot of exercise and effort.

Elf (2003)

The Cameo: Jon Favreau plays the doctor who conducts the paternity test that confirms Buddy really is Walter's son.

Why It's Cool: There is never not a good time to see Favreau pop up onscreen, and seeing him deal with Ferrell's over-excited manchild is priceless.

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

The Cameo: George Romero appears at the beginning of the film as the WGON TV studio director asking for a new list of rescue stations.

Why It’s Cool: It makes sense for Romero to play the part of the director, no?

Strangers On A Train (1951)

The Cameo: Alfred Hitchcock can be seen making his obligatory cameo as he boards the train carrying a big double bass.

Why It’s Cool: We love the idea of the horror maestro being part of an orchestra.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10

Current page: Page 1

Next Page Page 2
Matt Looker
Read more
Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Star Wars Movies The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs and cameos: all the Star Wars references you might have missed
 
 
An alien food vendor voiced by Martin Scorsese in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer.
Star Wars Movies Martin Scorsese's unexpected cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu explained
 
 
Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
Movies 20 best movies on HBO Max to watch right now
 
 
Adam Scott as Ohm in Hokum
Horror Movies 5 horror movies made by comedy stars to watch after Adam Scott's new scary flick Hokum
 
 
Inde Navarrette as Nikki in Obsession
Horror Movies The new class of horror filmmakers is here, and they're all graduates of YouTube
 
 
An alien food vendor voiced by Martin Scorsese in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer.
Star Wars Movies Jon Favreau says Martin Scorsese did a "lot of improv" on Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu: "It's a highlight"
 
 
Latest in Movies
Inde Navarrette as Nikki in Obsession
Horror Movies Obsession passes Sinners to become highest-grossing original live-action film of the decade so far
 
 
Milly Alcock as Supergirl in upcoming DC movie Supergirl
DC Movies Supergirl's official box office opening has been confirmed, and it's lower than Joker 2
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Zach Cregger says Resident Evil is like "one gigantic sequence" following a protagonist who is "inept at survival"
 
 
Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem in Supergirl
DC Movies Supergirl writer seemingly misinterpreted the Woman of Tomorrow comic ending
 
 
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp in Werwulf
Horror Movies First trailer for Nosferatu director's next horror movie is here, and it looks like his creepiest project yet
 
 
Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline in Backrooms
Horror Movies Backrooms extended cut releasing in theaters soon, with 15 minutes of "extra content" after the credits
 
 
Latest in Features
Guild Wars 3 promotional screenshots
MMO Games Guild Wars 3 may have cracked the MMO code for tired millennials
 
 
X-Men '97
Marvel TV Shows 5 things to remember before X-Men '97 season 2
 
 
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal trailer screenshot shows Edward Kenway steering a ship.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is both "faithful" to the original and "like a new product", says tech director
 
 
A crowded underground room where someone stands on a makeshift stage addressing a crowd in Metro 2039
FPS Games Metro 2039 returns to Moscow's subway and the post-apocalyptic shooter's creepy roots
 
 
Shiver, Big Man, and Frye - two cartoon squidlings and a manta ray - pose in a wooden area, with the orange GamesRadar+ Summer Preview 2026 frame
Splatoon After 2 hours, Splatoon Raiders is better played with friends than going solo
 
 
Destiny screenshot
Destiny As Bungie closes the book on Destiny, we weigh the legacy of the best, worst, and most brilliantly boring FPS of its era
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Key art for Grave Seasons
    1
    There are no right answers to the supernatural murder plot in Grave Seasons, and that has me excited
  2. 2
    Private Minecraft servers are "illegal," game industry lobbyists declare
  3. 3
    Obsession passes Sinners to become highest-grossing original live-action film of the decade so far
  4. 4
    Xbox pulls funding for 007 First Light dev's new fantasy RPG, prompting layoffs
  5. 5
    Iron Lung and Dusk creator says using generative AI is a great way to say "'I don't give a f***'"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...