Horror movies and cameos go hand-in-hand. Since the dawn of the genre, we’ve had plenty of great cameos. Whether it’s a blink-and-miss-it cameo like Linda Blair in the first Scream movie. Or an extended one like Alice Cooper in Freddy’s Dead: The Final NIghtmare. Cameos allow for people who are fans or were shaped by the genre to give back a bit. In some cases, the cameos end up being the most memorable part of the films. There are plenty of great ones, but these 5-ish go above and beyond!

Honorable Mention: Bob Odenkirk (Halloween Kills)

Halloween Kills isn’t even a month old, and yet we have an excellent cameo by everyone’s favorite Bob. Bob Odenkirk did not star in the original Halloween, but in the course of trying to find original actor John Michael Gramm, they couldn’t get his picture rights. So according to Cinema Blend, director David Gordon Green just googled “Bob High School Picture 1970s” and Bob Odenkirk showed up.

In the original Carpenter film, the Bob character, I wanted to have acknowledgement of all the deaths from the previous film, but we couldn’t track [the actor] down or get the rights,” Gordon Green explains. “Somehow we couldn’t clear an image of Bob for our television news broadcast. And so I was frustrated by that because I wanted to acknowledge Bob’s death, but we couldn’t get footage of Bob. So I Googled ‘Bob 1970s High School,’ and a photo of Bob Odenkirk popped up that looked just like Bob! So I thought, ‘He’s probably easier to find; let’s go get him!’

Cinema Blend

So if you watched Halloween Kills and were wondering how you missed Bob Odenkirk in the film, here’s how.

5. Ozzy Osbourne (Trick Or Treat)

Trick Or Treat is a fascinating movie. It came during a time when Heavy Metal was on top of the world. So you had a horror movie that combined that love of music with the love of the genre. Fastway did the soundtrack and the Prince of Darkness himself, cameos in the film as a televangelist espousing how heavy metal is bad for the masses. It also has Gene Simmons in a cameo as DJ Nuke, a Wolfman Jack type radio DJ.

This one is a big part of the reason that Horror and Heavy Metal go so well together, you can read all about that below.

Gateway Horror: Heavy Metal And Horror Movies [Fright-A-Thon]

4. Johnny Depp (Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare)

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare was supposed to be the culmination of the Nightmare on Elm Street series. So it was natural that they’d get Johnny Depp back for even a small scene. After all, the first movie made his career, and he went on to be a huge star. In his cameo here, he’s doing one of those PSAs about drugs. Except instead of showing your brain on drugs, Freddy clocks him with a frying pan. So Johnny Depp has died at Freddy’s hands twice now.

They also wanted Depp back for a part in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, but that didn’t materialize. For now, we just have this cameo as a highlight in one of the less favorable Nightmare movies.

What’s The Best Nightmare On Elm Street Movie? Complete Series Ranking [Fright-A-Thon]

3. Carrie Fisher (Scream 3)

Carrie Fisher is no stranger to nerd and horror fandom. Her cameo in Scream 3 is absolutely hilarious. She plays a secretary who talks about losing a role in Star Wars because she didn’t bang George Lucas. This one gets a nod because of how hilarious it is, and it’s just plain awesome for Carrie Fisher to make fun at her own expense. Bianca Burnett does have an uncanny resemblance though…

2. Wes Craven (Scream)

Another Wes Craven thread, this one pulls double duty though. Principal Arthur Himbry (played in another nod to classic TV from Henry Winkler) thinks someone is outside his door. He checks once, nothing. He checks again, and this time a janitor dressed eerily like Freddy Krueger is cleaning the hallway. Fred The Janitor gives us Wes Craven and Krueger in the same cameo!

This one might not be as huge as the others on the list, but it’s definitely a fun one for horror fans.

1. Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Now for the best horror cameo of them all. The other movies on this list are known for their actual movies. While Zombieland might be a great horror movie, it is KNOWN for this cameo. Having Bill Murray show up halfway through to greet Tallahassee, Wichita, Columbus, and Little Rock, was a stroke of genius. It gave the movie that extra little bit of oomph and having Bill Murray in anything is great. He adds more hilarity to an already funny horror-comedy.

He returned for the post-credits scene in Zombieland: Double Tap showing the beginning of the zombie outbreak during the press junket for Garfield 3. This uncredited cameo only furthered the folk legend of Bill Murray.

For more on horror, make sure to check out the Halloween month-plus long marathon, Fright-A-Thon, or stay tuned to That Hashtag Show.

The 2021 Halloween Movie Marathon Schedule [Fright-A-Thon]