Thursday Movie Picks: Actors or Actresses Playing Themselves

September 9, 2021

Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies.

Today’s theme is Actors or Actresses Playing Themselves, so here are my choices!

BULL MURRAY (ZOMBIELAND)

I read that other actors were considered for this cameo in Zombieland, including Patrick Swayze (who was too ill to film) and Mark Hamill. But Bill Murray was perfection as… Bill Murray. He’s not infected, but he disguises himself as a zombie so he can get around town safely. It’s a brief cameo but hilarious.

JULIA ROBERTS (OCEAN'S TWELVE)

This seems to be a somewhat polarizing scene in Ocean’s Twelve. People either love it or really hate it! To get close to the Fabergé Egg they’re attempting to steal and swap, Linus (Matt Damon) has Danny’s wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), pose as… Julia Roberts. It might have worked if not for the presence of Bruce Willis as himself, realizing “Julia” isn’t quite Julia. Tess also talks to Julia Roberts on the phone – Julia’s voice. Got it? Cool. Anyway, it’s a bit silly, but you can tell the cast had fun with it.

THE CAST OF THIS IS THE END

I can’t lie; this movie cracked me up. It was so ridiculous, but I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. It probably helped that everyone in this movie played exaggerated versions of themselves. Michael Cera has a hilarious “cameo,” and Emma Watson kicks some butt. This is one of those movies that I’ll get sucked into watching anytime I see it’s on.

Ocean's Twelve - This is the End - Thursday Movie Picks - Zombieland