Updated October 7, 2020 3.7k votes 524 voters 159.6k views
List Rules
Vote up the best celebrity appearances in games.
Celebrity cameos in video games happen all the time, but only rarely do famous people play themselves in games. There has always a market for celebrities in video games, but usually they play actual characters. Think Kevin Spacey as a villain in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare or Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher in the Splinter Cell series. People want to see and hear stars in their games, so celebrities with voice acting experience usually pop up in AAA titles.
Sometimes, though, celebrities appear in games as themselves, and whether or not it works tends to be a coin flip. Typically, attempts to shoehorn celebrities into games feel like cash-ins and serious gamers reject them outright. This list takes a look at celebrity appearances in video games, whether or not they work creatively.
Explore the list of modern (or modern at the time) celebrities placing themselves in a weird fantasy worlds, big names who kick up dust in fighting games, and even famous people playing themselves in a satirical manner.
Check out the list, see which celebrities you might've missed, and be sure to vote up the biggest, most remarkable celebrity cameos in gaming history!
David Bowie appearing in a music-based video game? Yeah, that really happened. Not only that, but they made him into a LEGO in LEGO Rock Band, and that's pretty rad. LEGO BOWIE!
Keith David is no stranger to games, but he's usually voicing a character. In Saints Row IV, however, he played himself. And Keith was also Vice President of the United States. Because why not?
A bona-fide legend, the late Johnny Cash made an appearance in Guitar Hero 5, playing "Ring of Fire." Cash's video game counterpart was dressed, appropriately enough, in black.
Yes, Burt Reynolds was in Saints Row: The Third. Burt Reynolds was, in fact, the mayor of the town you were taking over - as Burt, not a character. Your character rightly so freaked out about going up against Gator himself.