Is Bradley Cooper gunning for Matt Damon’s crown as the ‘King of Cameos’?
Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper might feel like they’re from different eras of Hollywood, but they actually have a lot in common.
Both, only born five years apart, are leading men who are just as adept at comedy roles as they are at action ones. They’re both multiple-time acting Oscar nominees who have never won, and, most importantly, they’ve both won People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ poll; Damon in 2007, and Cooper in 2011
Then there’s this similarity, one that requires a little bit of digging to uncover. For the longest time, Damon had a reputation as the ‘King of Cameos’, thanks to his string of unannounced bit parts in major films. However, in recent years, Cooper has emerged to challenge this position with his own impressive resume of walk-on roles. But who does the title really belong to? The established holder? Or the plucky challenger? Let’s examine the evidence and decide for ourselves.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the reigning champion. Some of Damon’s more prominent cameos include Dr Mann in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, where he literally pops out of a bag like some steamed vegetable, and Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls, in which he plays a scandal-ridden politician. For some of his more obscure roles, however, you have to look at his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Damon appears in both Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, as an actor playing a version of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. He played actual Loki in Jay and Bob Reboot (reprising his role from Kevin Smith’s Dogma) and has also appeared alongside Ben Affleck in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, filming a fictional sequel to Good Will Hunting. Chuck in appearances in IF, Jersey Girl, and EuroTrip, and the current king has a very strong case.
What about Mr Cooper? An early small-screen cameo for him was in the TV version of his film Limitless. He appeared in four episodes as Eddie Morra, his character from the film. Elsewhere on TV, he appeared in season four of The Righteous Gemstones as Elijah, an ancestor of the titular family, and as himself in a season three episode of Abbott Elementary. Back on the big screen, Cooper recently featured as a holographic version of Jor-El in Superman, possibly as a favour to his old pal James Gunn. You can also find him lurking in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, in which he portrays a deranged version of Barbara Streisand’s ex-boyfriend, Jon Peters.
Those are very impressive feats, worthy of any crown, but there’s just one problem. A cameo in its truest sense should be something throwaway; a fun nod to the audience that has little to no bearing on the plot of the movie or show. Too many of Cooper’s appearances are vital to the story. Damon, on the other hand, has mastered the art of showing up for no reason. For this, plus the fact that he’s just made more of them, Damon retains his place at the top of ‘Cameo Mountain’.
A lot of Cooper’s biggest and best cameos have come in the last few years or so, so there’s every chance he could be posting Damon numbers in the not-too-distant future. For now, however, the current king retains his throne. Keep an eye out for both men the next time you visit your local multiplex.
