This one would be hard to miss, but it would be mystifying to most Yanks: Norman Wisdom's cameo in AS LONG AS THEY'RE HAPPY(1955, UK)with Jack Buchanan and Brenda De Banzie.
And military advisor Dale Dye, too! That's a sign you've watched too many DVD extras: when you recognize Dale Freakin' Dye! Coincidentally, I just watched "Born" for the 1st time in decades - and I recognized Stone immediately. Not sure if I did so in 1989 - probably not...
Along the same lines as Stone in "Born": Coppola as a director in "Apocalypse Now". I'm sure I had no idea who that was in 1979 - I was 12! - but Coppola is completely obvious now, so I don't know how many "miss" his cameo!
Vincent Price in Beach Party & Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein. George Harrison in Monty Python's Life Of Brian & Shanghai Surprise Does Mark Hamil in Force Awakens count? Are there any other examples of someone who gets second billing for a cameo?
Just thought just I’d mention this... Harrison Ford in ET “How could anybody miss Harrison Ford, the internationally recognised star of Indiana Jones and Star Wars, in such a classic as E.T.? But while it is difficult to locate, the scene definitely does exist, featuring Ford as the headmaster of young hero Elliott's school. In the scene it's only possible to see a dark silhouette, but Ford's voice is unmistakably recognisable as he reprimands the protagonist about his behaviour in a science lesson and accuses him of underage drinking. Ultimately Spielberg cut the scene as he wanted to avoid having any appearances from adults (aside from Elliott's mother) in the film until the very end, but in 2002, he released an extended version of the film including scenes that, in 1982, had not worked visually for the director and so were remodelled using updated special effects. The Ford scene was still left out as the director felt that it would reshape the film too drastically. As such, the only known legitimate appearance of the scene (so, not including YouTube) is on the E.T. Laserdisc boxset from the 90s, for anyone who wants the challenge to hunt it down“ 10 Famous Uncredited Roles You May Not Have Noticed
I hope you don't mind me bending the rules and suggest a 2 part made for tv biopic. I Know My Name is Steven was the true story of Steven Stayner who at age 7 was kidnapped and abused over a 7 year period. At age 14 he managed to escape and was reunited with his family. This biopic was made when he was age 21. Steven was given a cameo as the police officer who told his parents that he had been found. Unfortunately shortly after filming Steven died in a motorcycle accident.
Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame makes a cameo as an elf in Lord of the Rings, but appears as another character in The Hobbit.
A young Kurt Russell with Elvis in It Happened At the Worlds Fair: Kurt would go on to play Elvis in a biopic.
I guess we should mention Val Kilmer as Elvis in True Romance, though everyone knows that one most likely.
While Hamill's role in "Force Awakens" indeed comes and goes quickly, I don't think it's a cameo that's "often missed"!
I think you violated your own thread rules! I don't see how Ford's cameo could be "missed" when it's not actually in the movie. Everyone who's actually seen the scene knows it's him...
So a cameo people missed... is a cameo where the movie flashes the actor's name on the screen when he appears and plays a snippet of one of said person's most famous songs.
