STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

The 50 Most WTF Celebrity Cameos In Music Video History

By Frank Donovan

When news broke that Justin Bieber and Tom Hanks (?!) were spotted on the set of Carly Rae Jepsen’s new music video for “I Really Like You,” it got us thinking of other totally random celebrity cameos in music videos over the years. Christopher Walken’s high-flying dance in the Spike Jonze-directed “Weapon of Choice” is the first to come to mind, but we dug even deeper to find the most random of the random cameos.

[mtvn_player vid="1174948" id="1731972" autoplay="true"]

Music videos typically use a one to one ratio of artist to rando, like Jason Alexander in Nickelback’s “Trying Not to Love You,” or Zach Galifianakis in Fiona Apple’s “Not About Love.” Michael Jackson however did not follow this model in “Liberian Girl.” Much-loved randos Steve Guttenberg, David Copperfield, and Lou Ferrigno are just the tip of the cameo iceberg. In fact, you’d need 5 tweets to fit all the celebs who showed up! Now that’s random.

Enjoy our roundup of 50 videos with completely unexpected celeb appearances.

"Mountain Lion" by Future User (2015)

Random Cameo: Lance Armstrong

"Ugly Boy" by Die Antwoord (2014)

Random Cameo: Jack Black, Marilyn Manson, Dita von Tesse, Flea, the ATL twins

"We Exist" by Arcade Fire (2014)

Random Cameo: Andrew Garfield

"Synthesizers" by Butch Walker and the Black Widows (2012) 

Random Cameo: Matthew McConaughey (as David Wooderson from Dazed and Confused)

"Sorry for Party Rocking" by LMFAO (2012)

Random Cameo: David Hasselhoff

"Trying Not to Love You" by Nickelback (2012)

Random Cameo: Jason Alexander

"Cry Baby" by Cee-Lo Green (2011)

Random Cameo: Jaleel White

"Blow" by Kesha (2011)

Random Cameo: James Van Der Beek

"Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City (2010)

Random Cameo: Shaquille O'Neal

"Madder Red" by Yeasayer (2010)

Random Cameo: Kristen Bell

"Stylo" by Gorillaz (2010)

Random Cameo: Bruce Willis

"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers (2010)

"Random Cameo: Charlize Theron

"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga (2009)

Random Cameo: Alexander Skarsgard

"D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) by Jay Z (2009)

Random Cameo: LeBron James and Harvey Keitel

"Dance Tonight" by Paul McCartney (2007)

Random Cameo: Natalie Portman and Mackenzie Crook

"Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too" by Say Anything (2007)

Random Cameo: Henry Winkler

"Not About Love" by Fiona Apple (2006)

Random Cameo: Zach Galifianakis

"Touch the Sky" by Kanye West Ft Lupe Fiasco (2006)

Random Cameo: Pamela Anderson

"Perfect Situation" by Weezer (2005)

Random Cameo: Elisha Cuthbert

"Taylor" by Jack Johnson (2004)

Random Cameo: Ben Stiller

"Addicted" by Enrique Iglesias (2003)

Random Cameo: Mischa Barton

"A Sorta Fairytale" by Tori Amos (2003)

Random Cameo: Adrien Brody

"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" by The White Stripes (2003)

Random Cameo: Kate Moss

"Original Sin" by Elton John (2002)

Random Cameo: Mandy Moore and Elizabeth Taylor

"You're So Last Summer" by Taking Back Sunday (2002)

Random Cameo: Flavor Flav

"Bad Boy for Life" by P. Diddy, Black Rob and Mark Curry (2001)

Random Cameo: Ben Stiller

"Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim (2001)

Random Cameo: Christopher Walken

"Hero" by Enrique Iglesias (2001)

Random Cameo: Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mickey Rourke

"I Want Love" by Elton John (2001)

Random Cameo: Robert Downey, Jr.

"Jaded" by Aerosmith (2000) 

Random Cameo: Mila Kunis

"The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem (2000)

Random Cameo: Kathy Griffin

"Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots (2000)

Random Cameo: Sarah Michelle Gellar

"Pissing in the Wind" by Badly Drawn Boy (2000)

Random Cameo: Joan Collins

"Music" by Madonna (2000)

Random Cameo: Sacha Baron Cohen (as Ali G)

"Hit or Miss" by New Found Glory (1999)

Random Cameo: Corey Feldman

"Notorious B.I.G" by The Notorious B.I.G. (1999)

Random Cameo: Tracy Morgan

"Sunday" by Sonic Youth (1998)

Random Cameo: Macaulay Culkin

"A Long December" by Counting Crows (1996)

Random Cameo: Courtney Cox

"I Want to Come Over" by Melissa Etheridge (1995)

Random Cameo: Gwyneth Paltrow

"Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge (1994)

Random Cameo: Juliette Lewis

"Always" by Bon Jovi (1994)

Random Cameo: Carla Gugino

"Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1993)

Random Cameo: Kim Basinger

"Since I Don't Have You" by Guns N' Roses (1993)

Random Cameo: Gary Oldman

"Walking on Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox (1992)

Random Cameo: Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich

"Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul (1991)

Random Cameo: Keanu Reeves

"Liberian Girl" by Michael Jackson (1989)

Random Cameo: Beverly Johnson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Sherman Hemsley, Brigitte Nielsen, Paula Abdul, Carl Weathers, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Jackie Collins, Amy Irving, Jasmine Guy, Rosanna Arquette, Lou Diamond Phillips, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, Corey Feldman, Steven Spielberg, Debbie Gibson, Rick Schroder, Blair Underwood, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Bubbles, Suzanne Somers, Lou Ferrigno, Don King and "Son", Mayim Bialik, Virginia Madsen, David Copperfield, Billy Dee Williams, Richard and Emily Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, Olivia Hussey, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Guttenberg

"Love Shack" by The B-52's (1989)

Random Cameo: RuPaul

"Heart" by Pet Shop Boys (1988)

Random Cameo: Sir Ian McKellen

"Word Up!" by Cameo (1986)

Random Cameo: LeVar Burton

"You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon (1986)

Random Cameo: Chevy Chase

Photo: [Skint Records]