The fantasy genre is one with a rich cinematic history, but it also holds more than a few surprises. Ever since the earliest days of cinema, fantasy stories have been a favorite with audiences everywhere. Adaptations of classic fairy tales have often proved hugely popular, and in the modern era, bringing popular works of fiction to life on the big screen has turned out to be an incredibly profitable endeavor. Many of the best fantasy movies have cemented their place not just in the hearts of fans but within wider pop culture, having proven both successful and beloved upon their cinematic release.
While the biggest names in the cast of most major fantasy movies are clearly billed, every now and then, fantasy movies hide huge stars. Across the genre’s history, there have been a handful of occasions on which major stars are quietly featured in uncredited or obscured roles, leaving some fans unaware of their involvement. The following fantasy movies all managed to hide these major cameos, allowing well-known actors to feature without their appearances being given much attention at all.
The Princess Bride is remembered not just as a fantasy movie that’s better than the book it’s based on, but also as one of the best representations of just how good the genre can be. Its fairy-tale story is excellent, and the comedic examination of specific fantasy tropes is even better. Furthermore, its cast is absolutely excellent, with Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, and Chris Sarandon all featured heavily, but it also featured a cast member who was deliberately obscured.
Billy Crystal’s brief appearance as Miracle Max is pretty well-known, as both his voice and his comedic performance clearly give him away. However, The Princess Bride actually goes to great lengths to hide him, burying him under considerable prosthetics that make it reasonably hard to recognize him. While it’s a cameo that everyone knows about, the movie still did its best to hide Billy Crystal from its audience.
Steven Spielberg’s 1991 movie Hook is one of the most beloved fantasy movies of all time, and one of Spielberg’s most underrated movies. Its imaginative spin on the story of Peter Pan proved hugely popular, especially as it was brought to life by an all-star cast led by Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, and Maggie Smith. However, it also featured several other stars in minor uncredited cameos, with arguably the biggest of these coming courtesy of acting legend Glenn Close.
Close appears for just 47 seconds, playing a pirate who is part of Captain Hook’s crew and is accosted by the titular villain after being accused of betting against him. With short hair and a large fake beard, it’s pretty hard to recognize Close in the role, and the cameo went largely unnoticed by many fans. It has since become a well-known piece of fantasy movie trivia that Close appears in the film, with her brief appearance as a bearded male pirate now well-known despite being relatively well-hidden.
Years before he rose to global stardom as the main antagonist of Stranger Things, Jamie Campbell Bower featured in one of the most iconic fantasy movie franchises of all time. Bower was briefly featured in the Harry Potter movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, where he played the young version of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. It’s a role he shared with several other actors, including Johnny Depp and Mads Mikkelsen, and while Bower’s screen time as Grindelwald was very fleeting, he still made an appearance.
Of course, it’s not so much that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 hid Jamie Campbell Bower, but rather that he was simply cast in a pretty minor role. However, considering he has since risen to global stardom as the Stranger Things antagonist Henry Creel — better known as Vecna — his brief appearance has now become a fun Easter egg. Considering the two franchises are among the most popular in the world, it’s impressive that Bower was able to secure roles in both of them.
The original Planet of the Apes movie, released in 1968, is a cinematic classic, and sadly, the same can’t be said for Tim Burton’s 2001 remake. While it’s technically sci-fi in nature, the 2001 movie in particular has the feel of a fantasy film, largely because the supposed science involved in its story is utterly nonsensical. The alternate Earth populated by advanced talking simians feels closer to fantasy anyway, and Burton’s movie also featured the original film’s star in an easy-to-miss cameo.
Charlton Heston is best known for playing the lead in the 1968 film, but he also appeared in the 2001 remake as Zaius, the elderly father of the movie’s antagonist, General Thade. The character is a well-established part of the franchise, and as he’s buried under a veritable mountain of ape prosthetics, it’s all but impossible to determine that it’s Heston playing the role. Add the fact that Heston’s appearance was uncredited, and it’s clear that Tim Burton did his best to hide the huge star in his excellent franchise cameo.
When it comes to fantasy movies that aged well, it’s worth noting that the many lesser-known actors that Stardust gambled on have since grown into major Hollywood stars. The likes of Charlie Cox and Henry Cavill have since become hugely popular actors, but Stardust also hid another acting legend in its cast. Alongside its star-studded ensemble featuring Robert De Niro, Ian McKellen, and Ricky Gervais, Stardust managed to secure the legendary Peter O’Toole for a brief appearance.
O’Toole, who is best known for his roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Caligula, appears as the unnamed dying king of Stormhold. The role itself is very short-lived, as the story is set in motion by the king starting the search for his successor. As he’s only featured for a short time and is therefore playing a fairly minor role, it’s easy to miss that the king is played by the incredible Peter O’Toole. Stardust might not have deliberately obscured him, but it certainly didn’t go out of its way to advertise his presence, either.
