4 Of The Funniest Cameos In Movies And TV You Might Have Missed

1. Chuck Norris – ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’

The movie Dodgeball features Chuck Norris as an unassuming judge who gives the final verdict through a simple thumb‑up which leads to the famous “Fuckin’ Chuck Norris!” line in the credits. Chuck Norris admitted in interviews that he first rejected the role because he had to drive three hours to Long Beach. Ben Stiller personally convinced him to take the role, even flying in a helicopter to bring him. Norris did not read the script, but rather did his shot, took the check, and left. Watching the completed film Norris realized the final line was unexpected and found it so funny he laughed even harder. The cameo showed exceptional memorability within the film despite its short duration and developed into a meme-worthy cultural icon.

2. David Hasselhoff – ‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’

David Hasselhoff’s appearance in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has taken on almost legned status among fans of the film, so it’s fun to hear from those behind the scenes about how it all came together. Near the end of the movie, SpongeBob and Patrick find themselves stranded above the ocean, when suddenly a lone David Hasselhoff appears shirtless, muscles flexing, and rides into the shot on a rocket-pack strapped to his back. He offers to rescue the pair by rocketing them back to Bikini Bottom on his own back, which he proceeds to do in the most hilariously cartoony way possible. As was revealed in an interview with behind-the-scenes crew, this sequence was actually written into the script well before the filmmakers even thought to contact Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff himself was not exactly familiar with SpongeBob, but when his daughters assured him that it was the most popular cartoon on television, he was sold. It’s hard to find the right words for something that winks at the audience quite this hard, but I’d call it a perfect cameo, and certainly one of the most outrageous in a children’s film.

3. Stan Lee – ‘The Big Bang Theory’

In Season 3 of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s fanboy ways once again get him in serious trouble (literally and legally). He insults a traffic‑court judge, goes to jail, and as a result, is absent at a Stan Lee signing that takes place at Stuart’s comic‑book store. Feeling bad, Penny uses Stuart to find Lee’s home address, and coerces Sheldon to go there and apologize. As Sheldon is ringing the doorbell, he gleefully mistakes Lee’s sarcastic, “Come in and watch the Lakers” as a genuine invitation, and literally crosses the threshold into the apartment—forcing Lee to tell his wife to “call the cops.” Sheldon closes the clip with a framed restraining order he just got from Stan Lee, that he plans to hang next to the one he got from Leonard Nimoy. In a matter of minutes, it inverts the typical “meet-your-hero” story, and comments on how even joy can cross over into self‑absorption (especially if your fandom is Sheldon Cooper).

4. Carl Weathers – ‘Arrested Development’ (2004)

Carl Weathers’s cameo in Arrested Development started out as a regular guest appearance but became a recurring role with help from the actor. He was originally brought on to play a parody of his “tough guy” role in the Rocky film series, but Weathers instead came up with the idea for a much more ridiculous version of himself: a penny-pinching acting coach always on the lookout to save a dime and hustle a buck. The writers loved his take and went with it; this eventually led to what has been considered one of the show’s best lines, “Baby, you got a stew going! “, a phrase he uses while describing how to make a full meal out of leftovers and bones. The character made returns throughout several more episodes while maintaining his signature approach to hustling and financial frugality. Weathers chose not to imitate his former roles by creating an ironic version of himself which became an excellent match for the show’s absurd and serious humor. Carl Weathers transformed a potential single-joke cameo into Arrested Development’s lasting favorite by taking control of his character’s development.