The Stephen King Cameo
Who is he this time?
Over the years Stephen King has made over 18 cameo appearances in Films, Television Shows and Commercials (and yes, even in Fictional Writing). Each time a new Stephen King video adaptation comes out, "constant readers" (as his fans are known) around the world gather together to watch and to find Mr. King's cameo appearance. How many do you recognize?
Image: Press Photo by Shane Leonard
Note: Some YouTube videos have restrictions which prevent them from being embedded into other web sites. For this reason I have provided direct links to the YouTube pages for available Stephen King cameo clips, as well as embedded versions for those that allow embedding.
Maximum Overdrive (1986) - Man At Cashpoint
The first time I recognized Stephen King in one of his Cameo appearances was while watching the opening to the film Maximum Overdrive (1986), where he appeared in the film as "Man At Cashpoint," at my hometown drive in theatre. Alas, this drive in theatre no longer exists, but this remains my favorite Stephen King Cameo to date.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive Videos - Cameo: Man At Cashpoint
Video: maximum overdrive chapter1. Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins approximately 1 minute, 23 seconds into this clip.
Warning: this video clip does contain a mild curse word.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
The Shining (1997) - Band Leader
There are those who, for their own reasons, strongly dislike the Stanley Kubrick version of The Shining. I, myself, have no qualms with it. I think that, as a movie, it is a perfectly good piece of cinematic history and well worth seeing. If you would ask me which is the better film, however, I would have to say that Stephen King's 1997 Mini Series of The Shining is both the stronger film (for a variety of reasons), as well as the more accurate adaptation of the Novel. Stephen King's Cameo appearance here as the Band Leader is probably my second favorite Stephen King Cameo.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's The Shining Videos - Cameo: Band Leader
A video of Stephen King's Cameo appearance in this film is not available at this time.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
King vs Kubrick
Which version of The Shining do you prefer?
Kingdom Hospital (2004) - Johnny B. Goode
Okay, I was a Fan of Kingdom Hospital years and years before it was ever created when I discovered a copy of Lars von Trier's The Kingdom in what was then one of my local video stores (I have since moved - though I have found a new local store with a copy as well). Quite simply, I thought The Kingdom to be one of the most brilliant things ever created on film. If you have not yet seen it, you absolutely must!
As you can imagine, I then had much trepidation when I learned that The Kingdom was being re-made in America - but I knew that if anyone could do it, Stephen King could. You could not imagine my pleasure when I saw my first episode of Kingdom Hospital. To put it simply, I believe Kingdom Hospital to be one of the two best creations Stephen King has ever placed on film (The other, of course, being The Stand). Kingdom Hospital is so completely unique that I do not even consider it to be the same as The Kingdom, although it has the same basic background story and characters.
Kingdom Hospital has a special, 2 for 1, Stephen King Cameo sequence which starts with the "lawyer ad" cameo from the broken television screen in Storm of the Century, then moves to Stephen King's Cameo as the great Johnny B. Goode.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital Videos - Cameo: Johnny B. Goode
A video of Stephen King's Cameo appearance in this film is not available at this time.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Pet Sematary (1989) - Minister
Although I had heard of Stephen King, and many of his works before, the first time I really took notice of the name was while reading a brochure-type flyer that my uncle had picked up for the novel Pet Sematary, which would later be made into a film of the same name. It was this brochure that would lead to my discovery of Stephen King's The Bachman Books at a local grocery store. As a result, I would become a fan and constant reader. What better cameo for Stephen King to play in the film version of Pet Sematary than a Minister? I place it at number 4 for my favorite Stephen King Cameos.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Pet Sematary Videos - Cameo: Minister
Video: Pet Sematary - Trailer. Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins about 28 seconds into this clip.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Set on the fictitious "Little Tall Island," Stephen King's Storm of the Century is an original screenplay created by Mr. King as a miniseries (or what he considers a "novel for television"). Storm of the Century features a cameo by Stephen King as a lawyer in a television add playing on the broken television set in the deceased Martha Clarendon's house. This advertisement later re-appears in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital (2004).
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Storm of the Century Videos - Cameo: Lawyer in Add
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for Storm of the Century. See Kingdom Hospital for a piece of this cameo.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
The Stand (1994) - Teddy Weizak
Stephen King pushes the boundary between cameo and full fledged acting role in The Stand, as Stephen King plays Teddy Weizak, a recurring character throughout this landmark mini-series directed by Mick Garris. This is one of my all time favorite adaptations of a Stephen King work.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's The Stand Videos - Cameo: Teddy Weizak
Video 1: The Stand "The Betrayal" Part 4 . Stephen King's Cameo appearances begin approximately 40 seconds into this clip, and again approximately 4 minutes and 23 seconds into this clip.
Video 2: The Stand "The Betrayal" Part 8. Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins approximately 5 minutes, 46 seconds into this clip.
Video 3: The Stand "The Stand" Part 10 . Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins approximately 2 minutes, 31 seconds into this clip.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Rose Red (2002) - Pizza Delivery Guy
Stephen King's Rose Red is a haunted house story unlike any you have ever seen before. Here, Stephen King plays a, perhaps too inquisitive, Pizza Delivery Guy. If you like Rose Red, I highly recommend watching The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, which gives a more detailed and intriguing look at the history of the house known as Rose Red.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Rose Red Videos - Cameo: Pizza Delivery Guy
Video: Stephen Kings- Rose Red
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Sons of Anarchy - Episode: Caregiver (2010) - Bachman
When you want to get rid of a body, you call in Stephen King. In Season 3, Episode 3, of Sons of Anarchy, Stephen plays Bachman, a biker who has a knack for making things disappear.
Stephen is said to have published several works over the years under the name Richard Bachman.
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for Sons of Anarchy.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Sleepwalkers (1992) - Cemetary Caretaker
I had the honor of briefly meeting director Mick Garris and his wife at a science fiction convention in Tacoma, Washington where they were promoting the then upcoming release of Sleepwalkers. I was already a fan of Stephen King, and having met the director of the film as well, I was extremely excited when Sleepwalkers arrived at my local theater. Rather than being elated, however, I found myself disappointed in the film. I even went back to the theater a second time, sure that I had missed some crucial piece of the story that would make the film the great film that I wanted it to be. Where I think the film suffered is that it did not have a sympathetic main character whom we could root for. The main character, instead, was an adolescent "Cat Person" who attacked the innocent high school cutie played by Twin Peaks' Madchen Amick. Even more disturbing was a scene later on in the film which suggested sexual relations between this boy and his mother - not much to root for there. I have managed to come to peace with the film over the years, and even been able to enjoy some of it's greater merits despite these flaws.
Sleepwalkers contains not only a cameo of Stephen King as a Cemetery Caretaker, but also features another well known horror writer of the time, Clive Barker.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Sleepwalkers Videos - Cameo: Cemetary Caretaker
Video: Sleepwalkers (1992) - Tobe Hooper, Stephen King, and Clive Barker's Cameos . Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins this clip.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Golden Years (1991) - Bus Driver
Stephen King's Golden Years was a great television series about a janitor who is in a laboratory accident and starts to get younger. I was greatly disappointed when the series was cancelled, and even more disappointed when they tacked on the new ending for video to try to give it some closure. They should have just left it well enough alone.
Here, Stephen King plays a Bus Driver.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Golden Years Videos - Cameo: Bus Driver
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for Golden Years.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Creepshow (1982) - Jordy Verrill
In Creepshow, Stephen King plays Jordy Verrill in the segment entitled "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill." Jordy Verrill, a country bumpkin, discovers a meteor on his property and soon finds himself, and his entire home, consumed by meteor sh. . . uh, stuff.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Creepshow Videos - Cameo: Jordy Verrill
Video: CREEPSHOW (1982): Meteor Sh**! .
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
"Meteor Sh**"
Creepshow 2 (1987) - Truck Driver
Being a huge Stephen king fan, when I learned from my brother (who worked for the theater company that ran both our local walk-in theater and drive-in theater) that Creepshow II was only going to be shown at our local drive-in, I (not having a car yet) talked my uncle into taking me to the drive-in theater to see the film. I was greatly disappointed with the film. But the visit to the drive-in theater was well worth the price for another reason.
The film that played before Creepshow II that night was a then little known film by a then little known director and starring a then little known actor. That film was Evil Dead II, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell.
In Creepshow II, Stephen King played a Truck Driver in the segment entitled The Hitchhiker.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Creepshow 2 Videos - Cameo: Truck Driver
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for Creepshow 2.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Thinner (1996) - Dr. Bangor
What Thinner suffers from, at least for me, is a case of the "It's not as good as the book," phenomena. In particular, Taduz Lemke and Angelina Lemke were so completely different than I pictured them that it was difficult to look past them and get into the film. On the other hand, having listened to Thinner on tape (read by Joe Mantegna) on a road trip before I read the actual book, the character of Richard Ginelli (played by Joe Mantegna) was perfect.
In Thinner, Stephen King plays Dr. Bangor, a Pharmacist in the pharmacy outside of which Susanna Lemke is struck by a car. On a side note, Stephen King lives in the town of Bangor, Main after which his character is named.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Thinner Videos - Cameo: Dr. Bangor
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for Thinner.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
The Langoliers (1995) - Tom Holby
In The Langoliers, a 1995 made for TV movie based upon a Stephen King short story of the same name, Stephen King plays Tom Holby, the boss of Craig Toomy, who appears during Toomy's mental breakdown.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's The Langoliers Videos - Cameo: Tom Holby
Sorry, there is no Stephen King Cameo clip currently available for The Langoliers.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Frasier - Episode: Mary Christmas (2000) - Brian
This is just a brief voice over when Stephen King, as a man named Brian, calls in to Frasier's radio show. Not much meat to this one, but still a great piece of Stephen King cameo trivia.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Stephen King's Fraiser Videos
Video: Stephen King calls Frasier. Stephen King's Cameo appearance begins approximately 29 seconds into this clip,
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Stephen King Commercial
Video: Stephen King American Express commercial.
By clicking on this link you are choosing to view this subject matter of your own accord and you therefore agree that you are of appropriate age to view this subject matter, that you are not offended by this subject matter, and that you will not hold this lens or it's creator in any way responsible for the viewing of this subject matter.
Which is your Favorite Stephen King Cameo Appearance?
Select your favorite cameo appearance below:
Did you know? - Riding the Bullet (2005)
Stephen King was supposed to have a cameo as an art teacher in Mick Garris's Riding the Bullet, based on the Stephen King Short story of the same name. Due to illness, Mr. King was unable to play the part. George Romero was going to take over, but scheduling conflicts prevented this from occurring. Matt Frewer, who played the "Trash Can Man" in Stephen King's The Stand, finally played the part.
Image courtesy of Amazon.com
