The Most Unexpected Music Video Cameos

Image via Complex Original

Stacey Dash's appearance in Kanye West's 2004 video for "All Falls Down" was somewhat unexpected; after all, the high point of her filmography to that date was 1995's Clueless, almost a decade earlier. But the "Dash" is no coincidence: Stacey was first cousins with Damon, then heading up Roc-A-Fella Records, the label to which Kanye was signed. Her allegiance to her cousin almost makes you wonder if her interest in Jayonce's trip to a communist regime was motivated by more than politics.

Believe it or not, KoRn was insanely popular in 2002, and Breaking Bad didn't even exist. Since that time, everything's flipped upside down: Everyone has spent 225,000 hours practicing Aaron Paul's trademark explicative in a mirror while KoRn is as old today as INXS was when KoRn released "Thoughtless." Probably—we haven't actually done that math. But it feels right. Just like Jesse Pinkman starring in a KoRn video feels right.

That's right, the loveable, irascible hobbit Frodo Baggins, who is a real person and celebrity not in any way portrayed by Elijah Wood, appeared in a Beastie Boys video. Although you won't recognize his trademark furry feet or dangerous addiction to a powerful magic ring, he's joined by definitely real human celebrities Kenny Powers and that guy from Knocked Up. Unexpected? I'd say so—I thought hobbits were fictional characters. Quite a cameo!

In 2007, Kanye West and Lil Wayne recorded the single "Barry Bonds" for his album Graduation. The hook? "Here's another hit, Barry Bonds." Was it a hit? No. In fact, it was never even released as a single, though five other tracks off the album were. Barry Bonds, no doubt infuriated about missing his shot at a music video cameo, ended up on David Banner's "Get Like Me," a pseudo-Young Joc track (featuring Young Joc and Chris Brown) instead.

OK, so this isn't surprising because the two were obviously dating. But it is surprising that Ben would turn on the Beatnuts—whose original "Watch Out Now" Enoch Light sample the Trackmasters ganked for "Jenny From the Block"—considering how fire the original is. It is also surprising that Ben was in this video because he is not from the proverbial block.

An eagle-eyed Yahoo! Answers poster identified Danny Bonaduce—that's right, Danny Partridge from lauded '70s sitcom The Partridge Family—as making a cameo appearance at 3:33, 4:53, and 5:03 in Dr. Dre's "Let Me Ride" video. We do not have official confirmation, but it feels right. Either that or Louis C.K. has a time machine.

It would be extraordinarily confusing as to why Anna Kournikova, a third-rate tennis player who never even won a WTA singles title, would be treated to "cameo" status in a high-profile Enrique Iglesias video, except for the fact that they are dating. She didn't even continue to play after turning 21 years of age due to severe back injuries. It’s very unexpected to have such a low-ranking tennis player take a star turn on such a popular record, but, as it turns out, love conquers all.

Sofia Coppola is now celebrated as a director of films like Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides. But before that, she was merely known for her genetic similarities to the director of The Godfather, her father, Francis Ford Coppola. Perhaps Madonna saw something in the young director-to-be, as she gave her a scant several seconds (check the 1:10 mark) in Madonna's underrated "Deeper and Deeper" music video.

Everyone knows Macaulay Culkin was the big-name cameo of Michael Jackson's epic "Black or White" music video. But did you know that the music video also starred celebrated barfly Norm Peterson of television's long-running sitcom, Cheers? This is a true story, and Cheers is on Netflix, so it's worth getting caught up with it. Some of our younger readers may recall actor George Wendt (who played Norm) as the piggy bank character from Toy Story—where he also excelled.

This one was so surprising when it happened that it almost doesn't feel shocking any more. Nonetheless, it's the archetypal unexpected music video cameo for a reason: Watching Walken's prancing performance makes this song work, to the extent that you can't really talk about "Weapon of Choice" without thinking of the video. It was the cameo that made the song, rather than the other way around.