The Gimmicky Cameos Are Back! (Minor Spoilers)

[Captaindemotion]

The difference is that in 20 years or whatever, people watching Vincent and the Doctor will either know that Bill Nighy is/ was a well-known actor or will just see him as one of the cast. His acting will stand the test of time.

Whereas when they see, for example, Alan Sugar playing Alan Sugar, they'll go 'Who's Alan Sugar and what's the in-joke here meant to be?'

His cameo is a 'contemporary' cameo for modern viewers, which will be completely lost on many or most future viewers.

[Sci]

Dimesdan wrote:

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Who?

That's exactly what I said when Sir Patrick Moore appeared in "The Eleventh Hour."

Clearly some gimmicky cameos are aimed at audiences on specific sides of the Atlantic.

Captaindemotion wrote:

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The difference is that in 20 years or whatever, people watching Vincent and the Doctor will either know that Bill Nighy is/ was a well-known actor or will just see him as one of the cast. His acting will stand the test of time.

Whereas when they see, for example, Alan Sugar playing Alan Sugar, they'll go 'Who's Alan Sugar and what's the in-joke here meant to be?'

His cameo is a 'contemporary' cameo for modern viewers, which will be completely lost on many or most future viewers.

So when Alfred Hitchcock appeared in his films, that wasn't a cameo just because we still remember who he was decades later?

[Mister Fandango]

Sindatur wrote:

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The reasons I gave such as "being a Doctor Who Fan", were explanations of why they would take such a small role.

Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy were the stars, starting their Acting careers, that's entirely different then a "one Off" cameo.

And no, I didn't say, if an actor is getting a role, its because they're an actor. What I said was if an Actor is a career actor, it's what their job is, it's not a stunt to offer them a job, even if it is a small role.

First, that's not what you said, but I won't bother with that anymore. Regardless, your statement does mean that Bones showing up at the end of Encounter at Farpoint wasn't a ''gimmicky cameo'' since DeForest Kelly is a professional actor. Or Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis in The Expendables. What about Edward Norton in The Invention of Lying? Paul Glaser and David Soul in the Starsky and Hutch remake? I can go on and on.

But according to your statements, I must be mistaking because those couldn't possibly have been cameo appearances since they all feature professional actors who were offered a role.

[Sindatur]

Mister Fandango wrote:

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First, that's not what you said, but I won't bother with that anymore. Regardless, your statement does mean that Bones showing up at the end of Encounter at Farpoint wasn't a ''gimmicky cameo'' since DeForest Kelly is a professional actor. Or Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis in The Expendables. What about Edward Norton in The Invention of Lying? Paul Glaser and David Soul in the Starsky and Hutch remake? I can go on and on.

But according to your statements, I must be mistaking because those couldn't possibly have been cameo appearances since they all feature professional actors who were offered a role.

Why are you mixing "Cameo" with "Gimmicky Cameo"? No one is disputing that Cameo is a small part and they're offered and accepted all the time, it's the "Gimmicky" part we are disputing

And no, Bones wasn't a Gimmicky Cameo, it was a legitimate "Passing of the Torch" Moment

[Sci]

^^ A cameo is by definition a gimmick, since its strength relies on the audience being aware of the actor's importance over the role's importance and it by definition undermines verisimilitude for the sake of "winking" at the audience.

[Cutter John]

I'd have to say that John Cleeese's cameo in City of Death was a hell of a lot gimmicky than anything the new series has done. Mainly because there really was no point to his appearance other than, "Hey look who it is!"

[Captaindemotion]

Sci wrote:

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That's exactly what I said when Sir Patrick Moore appeared in "The Eleventh Hour."

Clearly some gimmicky cameos are aimed at audiences on specific sides of the Atlantic.

So when Alfred Hitchcock appeared in his films, that wasn't a cameo just because we still remember who he was decades later?

I didn't say that they weren't cameos. But I'm saying that there's a difference between cameos from well-known actors playing fictional roles and non-actors turning up to play fictional versions of themselves.

The Hitch thing is a separate category again. The director in his own movie, in non-speaking roles (often just recognised by his silhouette) which became a motif of his movies.

They're all types of cameo but all I'm saying is that I personally would view the Alan Sugar type ones as more of a gimmicky and silly type than the Bill Nighy type. Bill Nighy's character served the story and would have worked regardless of who played the role. The famous people playing themselves have clearly been chosen so that viewers will go 'Oh, there's Famous Person as Famous Person!'

[Timofnine]

I don't mind gimmicks. Gimmicks are cool.