4 Terrible Rock Musician Cameos in Famous Movies

I kind of miss the era of rock stars making the most random cameos in movies. You don’t see it much anymore. And those cameos are often either hilarious or downright terrible. Though, for what it’s worth, I don’t think the following rock musician cameos are the worst things in the world. A lot of them are campy at worst. And who doesn’t love a bit of camp?

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Bruce Dickinson in ‘Chemical Wedding’

Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson appeared in a film about famed occultist Aleister Crowley called Chemical Wedding. Released in 2008, this spooky science-fantasy romp was released about a decade after Dickinson’s solo album of the same name came out, though the two are unrelated. 

Still, Dickinson wanted a part in the film, which led to his role as a landlord as well as a blind character in the movie. His performance is nothing short of bizarre, but it’s the kind of camp that you can’t look away from. Like a clown car accident.

Mick Jagger in ‘Bent’

When one thinks of Mick Jagger making a cameo in a movie, one would expect it to be something cheeky, fun, and humorous. Nothing could be further from the reality of his appearance in the movie Bent, a drama about the horrors that LGBTQ folks experienced in concentration camps during World War II. This 1997 film is a hard watch, and Jagger’s appearance in the film is an odd expenditure from the film’s budget. To be honest, anyone could have played that role, and the fact that it went to Jagger is distracting.

Ed Sheeran in ‘Yesterday’

It’s not exactly surprising that Ed Sheeran once appeared in a musical romantic comedy film. In Yesterday, he plays the role of himself, and challenges the lead character to a duel of songwriting, which Sheeran loses. The premise of the film is strange, but not totally awful. But I have to admit, the choice to have Sheeran play himself in a movie that doesn’t really call for it is on the odd side.

John Bonham in ‘Son Of Dracula’

Son Of Dracula often makes it to lists of the worst movies ever. But as mentioned earlier, I’m a sucker for camp. This example of rock musician film cameos shows John Bonham of Led Zeppelin in the role of a (you guessed it!) drummer, notably in the background. 

You might be confused as to why they’d shell out the cash to bring a famous rock star and have him play such a minor role. When it comes down to it, this is a massive superstar-packed film. Ringo Starr plays Merlin, after all. Bonham, along with Peter Frampton, Klaus Voormann, Leon Russell, and Keith Moon, all play supporting roles as part of Count Downe’s band. They don’t make silly movies like they did in the 1970s anymore.

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

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