Top 10 Most Distracting Movie Cameos

“Extraction” (2020)
This action thriller may have been released to a somewhat mixed reception, but its pacing and intense action sequences carry it along fairly well. However, midway through, a certain scene breaks up its momentum. Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake, a mercenary protecting the son of an Indian crime lord, decides to lay low at an old friend’s place. The friend, Gaspar, is played by David Harbour. Although you could debate whether it’s a true cameo or just an unexpected role, the fact that Harbour’s character is seemingly introduced just to quickly change the directive of the narrative is pretty jarring.

“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)
Part of the action in the first “Home Alone” sequel sees Kevin McCallister staying at the world-famous Plaza Hotel in New York City, somehow once again left behind by his family. Although he makes friends, and enemies, of several of its employees, its his encounter with its owner that is most distracting – Donald Trump. It's a cameo that's only become more distracting since... oh, about 2016. While at the time it was a fairly innocuous thing, the sight of the business owner, turned WWE guest, turned reality show host, turned US President becomes distinctly distracting in light of his more contemporary public perception.

“Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” (2004)
The tale of a small time gym taking on a much bigger rival in a bizarre competition sport, “Dodgeball” is absolutely hilarious, but one of its few serious inspiring scenes has turned sour over time. Average Joes’ leader, Peter LaFleur, is prepared to abandon his team before the big game, but he meets famous cyclist Lance Armstrong who plays his cancer-card to guilt Peter back into the game. However, the message is muddied now, given that we now know that Armstrong was using performance enhancing drugs during this period. We suppose it’s become a bit more comedic though, in a way, given that Peter is inspired by a cheater-cheater pumpkin eater. “I sure do like pumpkins, Cotton!”

“Ocean’s Twelve” (2004)
This gang of thieves led by Danny Ocean are known for some outlandish schemes to pull off heists, but one of their most ridiculous also leads to an incredibly distracting cameo. In a move that shatters the fourth wall, the crew make use of Tess’ “resemblance” to actress Julia Roberts, who plays Tess, to get close enough to steal their target. However, they’re foiled by a coincidental appearance by actor Bruce Willis, playing himself, who recognizes “Roberts,” and is able to deduce that she isn’t the “real” one. “Ocean’s Twelve” went full-meta and anyone who isn’t onboard with that quickly gets left behind.

“Inspector Gadget” (1999)
An adaptation of the cartoon of the same name, “Inspector Gadget” is…not the highest of cinema. From the excessive product placement, to the awkward acting it's just a mess. Relief doesn’t come once the end credits start rolling either. Although the credits contain a number of tacked on scenes, the one that makes our list sees one of Dr. Claw’s minions attend a support group for former minions. Several recognizable henchmen appear… played by lookalikes, with the exception of Mr. T, whose status as a minion is pretty debatable, and Richard Kiel, who famously played Jaws, in the “James Bond” movies. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it cameo, but it still manages to leave us puzzled.

“Django Unchained” (2012)
Quentin Tarantino is a director fond of appearing in his own movies. While some of his parts are fairly good or at least minor enough that they aren’t distracting, his role in Django Unchained is a sore spot on an otherwise awesome scene. When things go south for Django, he’s captured and being transported as a slave. However, he manages to convince his captors to set him free to pursue a bounty. One of the men is played by Quentin Tarantino, sporting a pretty terrible Australian accent, presumably to blend in with one of the other men, who’s actually Australian. Tarantino blows up in the role – literally.

“Collateral” (2004)
This thriller follows a cab driver who is forced by a hitman to drive him around L.A. in pursuit of several targets over a single night. One major plot point is a briefcase the hitman, Vincent, carries, which contains the names and information on his targets. He originally gets the briefcase upon arrival in L.A., after bumping into a character played by Jason Statham. The word is that this character is intended to be Frank Martin, the clandestine purveyor from the “Transporter” series. As great as “Collateral” is, Statham’s cameo has us wondering what his character is up to instead, and if he can take us with him.

Various
Another director fond of appearing in his own movies, M. Night Shyamalan is far more distracting in his cameo roles. While some of them feature only his voice or are comparatively minor roles, several of the movies feature the director in major parts that would probably have been well served with more experienced actors. The guy literally wrote himself into his own movie as a writer whose work is “destined to save the world!” Plus, you can’t tell us that another actor wouldn’t have been a better fit in his self-assigned role in “Signs.”

“Interstellar” (2014)
Matt Damon has a surprisingly large number of movie cameos to his name, many of which distract from the movies themselves. As tempted as we were to choose his part in “Unsane”, we have to give it to his late role in this sci-fi movie instead. Damon plays Mann, an astronaut stranded on a planet who diverts the expedition to his own planet in order to be rescued. Mann then betrays his rescuers and tries to leave them behind. His presence in such a crucial role so late in the movie is enough to take many viewers out of the movie. Although, given how mind-bending it is, that can be a good thing.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

George Lucas in “Beverly Hills Cop III” (1994)
This Forced Cameo Is with Us…Always

Smash Mouth in “Rat Race” (2001)
A Concert Is Not a Substitute for a Conclusion!

Christopher Lloyd in “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (2014)
Great Scott! A Cameo Better Than the Movie!

Judi Dench in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011)
“Is That It?” Indeed

Clint Eastwood in “Casper” (1995)
This Takes Making Faces in the Mirror to Some Weird Places

“Die Another Day” (2002)
“Die Another Day” is a polarizing enough “Bond” movie, given its reliance on CGI and glut of clichés, and general crumminess, but this cameo takes many viewers out of what is honestly one of the better scenes in the movie. Pursuing Gustav Graves, James Bond confronts the villain in a fencing club and engages him in a sword fight. However, audiences can easily get visual whiplash upon realizing that one of the sword instructors is played by Madonna, doing her… uh... “best” British accent. Granted, the fact that she sings the opening song in the film is worthy of some consideration, but it’s still really jarring to see the Queen of Pop give 007 pointers on swordplay.