What Are You Doing Here?
Cameos in video games are kind of like not-so-hidden gems. Keep an ear out and you’ll likely hear the all too familiar sound of a random A-Lister pop in for a brief moment. While some of them make sense, others you have to see to believe. The cheque must have been mighty enticing.
#5: Drew Carey
“The Sims: House Party†(2001)
There are many celebrities who, were they to show up to your house party, would easily turn it into a rager and ensure that it goes down in history as legendary. No offense to Drew Carey, but the former sitcom star and current game show host is not on the list of stars who immediately come to mind. In this 2001 game, Carey can join your titular party if it’s kept going for long enough. The actor even did some cross-promotion for “The Sims†on his show at the time, featuring several jokes that referenced both the game itself and the style of speech by the characters.
#4: Steve Carell & Stephen Colbert
“Outlaw Sports†series (2002-05)
Two former correspondents on “The Daily Show,†Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert are both great comedians and huge stars now. Yet in the early 2000s, their fame had not yet taken off and the duo often did voiceover work, including acting as the announcers in the “Outlaw Sports†franchise. Known for its fanservice and risqué content, this series may not hold up well graphically, but hearing these two big “Steves†commentate over trashy sports games like they’re in a strip club is bizarre and absolutely hilarious!
#3: David Hasselhoff
“Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3†(2008)
This strategy game features a surprisingly large number of famous and respected actors, and while it was tempting to choose one of them, or wrestler Ric Flair, as our choice, we had to give it to this cameo from the final moments of the allied campaign. David Hasselhoff plays the vice president who holds a press conference after taking office from his predecessor. Hasselhoff’s charismatic, unflappable performance as he states his admiration for the former president, despite the latter being a murderous war criminal, as well as his over-the-top patriotism, makes this brief cameo a strange treat.
#2: Fred Durst
“Fight Club†(2004)
Though music tastes have certainly changed in the years since, Fred Durst’s rap/rock band “Limp Bizkit†ruled the charts during the early 2000s. Far harder to comprehend, however, was the singer’s inclusion as a playable character in the “Fight Club†fighting game. Apart from Durst’s penchant for shirtlessness, and the fact that his music appears in the game’s soundtrack, we’re honestly at a loss for why he’s a playable fighter. Regardless of the reason for his presence in the game, we’re just surprised the developers “rolled†with it. But hey, we’re still talking about it over a decade later, so it was clearly a memorable move.
#1: Gary Coleman
“Postal 2†(2003)
When one thinks of the late Gary Coleman, one generally thinks of his iconic role on “Diff’rent Strokes.†Yet the actor turned his cuddly image on its head when he appeared in the violent crime game “Postal 2.†In one mission, Coleman appears as a fictionalized version of himself, who, while signing books, is accosted by the police, leading him to fend them off with assault rifles and grenades. It’s as weird as it sounds and then some.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Worst Celebrity Performances in Video Games.