Top 15 Celebrities in Music Videos

For years, celebrities from movies, TV, sports, and fashion have appeared in music videos, instantly bringing familiar faces and potential storylines. These cameos often make the song more engaging, attract wider attention, and create iconic moments that stay with audiences long after the song is released.

This collection features fifteen music videos with notable celebrity appearances, and details the impact those appearances had. For each video, you’ll find information like the release date, filming location, other featured stars, and any awards or achievements that followed. This allows you to see how each cameo or starring role helped both the artist and the celebrity involved.

Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim ‘Weapon of Choice’

The music video, released in 2001, shows Christopher Walken dancing his way through a Los Angeles hotel and then seemingly flying with the help of wires. It was created to promote the song from Fatboy Slim’s album, *Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars*, and quickly became a hugely popular video online in the early days of the internet.

The music video received several awards, including Video of the Year at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. It also won a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Short Form Music Video, earning praise from both the MTV and Grammy organizations.

Courteney Cox in Bruce Springsteen ‘Dancing in the Dark’

The music video, released in 1984, captures Bruce Springsteen inviting Courteney Cox, a fan from the audience, to dance with him onstage during a live concert. Directed by Brian De Palma, the video was filmed at the St. Paul Civic Center.

This song was Springsteen’s biggest hit in the US up to that point. The music video featured actress Courtne Cox before she became famous on television, and it’s often remembered as one of her first times appearing in front of a large national audience.

Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith ‘Cryin’’, ‘Amazing’, and ‘Crazy’

In 1993 and 1994, Alicia Silverstone starred in three music videos for Aerosmith: ‘Cryin”, ‘Amazing’, and ‘Crazy’. Director Marty Callner connected the videos with a continuing storyline, and in ‘Crazy’, Silverstone appeared alongside Liv Tyler as two schoolgirls taking a spontaneous road trip.

The release of the trilogy happened at the same time as the band’s songs from the album *Get a Grip* were consistently popular on the radio. Frequent airplay of the music videos on TV channels helped keep the songs playing and created a strong, recognizable visual style for the band during that period.

Robert Downey Jr. in Elton John ‘I Want Love’

In 2001, Elton John released a music video for the song featuring Robert Downey Jr. walking and lip-syncing through Greystone Mansion in one continuous shot. The video focuses on Downey Jr.’s movement through the mansion’s hallways and rooms, using smooth camera work, and doesn’t include any appearance by Elton John himself.

The straightforward music video fit into a larger promotional effort for Elton John’s album, Songs from the West Coast. It stood out because it was understated – most music videos at the time were fast-paced and heavily edited – and this helped the song get played on TV more often.

Shia LaBeouf in Sia ‘Elastic Heart’

In 2015, Sia released the music video for ‘Elastic Heart,’ which showed actors Shia LaBeouf and dancer Maddie Ziegler performing a powerful dance together inside a large cage. The dance moves were created by choreographer Ryan Heffington and built on the style Sia had been using in her other videos.

The song first appeared in the soundtrack for *The Hunger Games: Catching Fire* and was later included on one of Sia’s albums. The music video quickly gained millions of views and sparked conversations about modern pop dance and creative video concepts.

Megan Fox in Eminem and Rihanna ‘Love the Way You Lie’

The music video, released in 2010, alternates between scenes of Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as a couple and footage of Eminem and Rihanna performing. The video was filmed in a house that is ultimately destroyed by fire, visually representing the ups and downs of a troubled relationship – its fights and reconciliations.

The song quickly became a number one hit in many countries, and its music video gained hundreds of millions of views in just one year. It also continued to be featured on music television throughout the awards season after its release.

Bruce Willis in Gorillaz ‘Stylo’

In 2010, Gorillaz released the music video for ‘Stylo,’ which featured Bruce Willis as a driver in a fast-paced desert chase. The video cleverly mixed real-life footage with the band’s animated characters by using visual effects to include them in the action.

This song was released alongside the album *Plastic Beach* and continued the album’s story in its music video. It received significant airplay when it came out and was a central part of the band’s larger multimedia campaign that year.

Angelina Jolie in The Rolling Stones ‘Anybody Seen My Baby?’

In 1997, The Rolling Stones released a video featuring Angelina Jolie. It shows her unexpectedly leaving a film set and exploring New York City. The video alternates between scenes of her wandering through clubs and streets and the band performing in the studio.

The song was featured on the album *Bridges to Babylon*, and its music video was widely played on channels around the world. Angelina Jolie’s involvement happened as her acting career was taking off, giving the song extra attention from entertainment news sources.

Naomi Campbell in George Michael ‘Freedom! ’90’

The 1990 music video for George Michael’s song features supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Tatjana Patitz pretending to sing along with the track. Director David Fincher created the video, which includes scenes of burning and exploding images representing George Michael’s earlier image.

The music video was stylish and ahead of its time, becoming a staple on music channels for years. Its popularity kept listeners engaged with the album *Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1* and demonstrated how fashion and music videos could successfully blend together.

Tom Hanks in Carly Rae Jepsen ‘I Really Like You’

In 2015, Carly Rae Jepsen launched a music video featuring Tom Hanks playfully lip-syncing the song while walking through Manhattan. The video culminates in a dance scene with Jepsen and a surprise appearance from Justin Bieber as part of the crowd.

I have to say, this single was a smart move to kick off the new album. The music video’s concept was really relatable, and it *killed* on social media. It wasn’t just reaching the usual pop radio crowd, either – people were sharing it everywhere, which was fantastic for getting the song out to a much wider audience.

Keanu Reeves in Paula Abdul ‘Rush Rush’

Paula Abdul’s hit song ‘Rush Rush,’ released in 1991, featured Keanu Reeves in its music video, portraying a romantic interest. The video’s storyline was inspired by old movies, and many scenes were shot at iconic Los Angeles landmarks that evoke a sense of 1950s and 60s youth culture, such as the Griffith Observatory.

The video intentionally echoes scenes from ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ in its clothing and car choices. The song was a chart success, and the video’s familiar locations and story helped it get a lot of airtime on TV.

Michael Jordan in Michael Jackson ‘Jam’

In 1992, Michael Jackson’s ‘Jam’ music video featured a collaboration with basketball star Michael Jordan. The video playfully showed Jackson trying his hand at basketball and Jordan learning how to dance, mixed with scenes of them performing.

As a huge Michael Jackson fan, I always get a kick out of spotting Kris Kross and Heavy D popping up in the video! It really helped build excitement for his album when it came out in the early nineties, and it was *everywhere* – constantly on MTV, BET, and even during sports broadcasts covering the whole project. It was a total cultural moment!

Johnny Depp in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ‘Into the Great Wide Open’

In the 1991 video, Johnny Depp plays Eddie Rebel, a musician whose story of success and failure is told through the song’s words. Faye Dunaway plays his manager, who both helps and controls his career.

Julien Temple directed the music video, crafting it like a short film that follows the story from its exciting beginning to its eventual letdown. The video’s style perfectly complemented the song, creating a compelling narrative that kept it popular on rock music channels.

Kristen Stewart in The Rolling Stones ‘Ride ’Em On Down’

The 2016 video features Kristen Stewart speeding through Los Angeles in a classic blue Ford Mustang. The visuals-empty streets and quick interactions-complement the band’s stripped-down, blues-inspired sound.

This song was created to promote the album *Blue and Lonesome*. Its simple production allowed the band to quickly release it during the album’s promotion. The video gained a lot of attention online and was highlighted in articles about the band’s recent studio work.

Jake Gyllenhaal in The Shoes ‘Time to Dance’

In 2012, French electronic music duo The Shoes released the music video ‘Time to Dance’. The video, filmed in London, features actor Jake Gyllenhaal as a masked figure who terrorizes people at parties. The nighttime setting of the city plays a key role in the video’s unsettling story.

Director Daniel Wolfe crafted the video using extended, unbroken shots and a deliberately eerie quietness punctuated by moments of intense energy. The video gained attention at film festivals and on music channels throughout Europe, helping the band reach new fans beyond their home country.

Tell us about your favorite time a celebrity showed up in a music video! Share it in the comments so we can all see what everyone recommends and discover new videos to watch.

2025-09-16 14:46