8 Celebrity Cameos in Video Games

With the recent reveal of Keanu Reeves joining the cast of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, I've put together a list of other celebrities whose likenesses have appeared in video games. Here are 8 that I found to be interesting or otherwise noteworthy, in no particular order:

1. Kevin Spacey - Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
   • Starring in both House of Cards (2013-2018) and Baby Driver (2017), Spacey lends his voice and likeness to Jonathan Irons, founder and CEO of the Atlas Corporation, a futuristic private military contractor that has assets all over the solar system.
2. Ellen Page - Beyond: Two Souls (2015)
   • Probably best known for her roles in Juno (2007) and as Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat in various live-action X-men films, Page portrays Jodie Holmes, a psychically gifted young woman that learns some dark truths about her past while working as a highly-trained CIA agent.
3. Nathan Fillion - Halo 5:Guardians (2015)
   • Star of the tragically short-lived Firefly (2002-2003) and Castle (2009-2016), Fillion finally lends his handsome visage to Gunnery Sergeant Buck for the first time, after only voicing the character in Halo 3: ODST (2009) and Halo: Reach (2010) prior. Don't be fooled by the handsomeness of Buck in Halo 5: Guardians, however. Fillion reportedly asked 343 Industries if they could make him a bit more handsome, which they claim they did.
4. Shawn Ashmore - Quantum Break (2016)
   • Likely best known appearing alongside Ellen Page as Bobby Drake/Iceman in various live-action X-men films, and equally less likely to be remembered as Jake, leader of the Animorphs (1998-2000), Ashmore brings his performance to Jack Joyce, a man who gains time-manipulation powers after being caught in an explosion from a failed time travel experiment.
5. Gene Simmons/KISS - Tony Hawk's Underground (2003)
   • The band KISS and their co-lead vocalist Gene Simmons bring their image and show off their skateboarding skills, once you complete the story mode on Normal difficulty, although only Simmons has any special tricks to show off.
6. Ariana Grande - Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (2015)
   • Aside from being an actress portraying a student hoping to be an actress in Victorious (2010-2013), and being a pop singer, Grande now appears as a playable character called "Dangerous Ariana" in this free-to-play mobile Final Fantasy title.
7. Keith David - Saint's Row IV (2013)
   • A seasoned actor, who as appeared in various films and TV shows ranging from The Thing (1962) to Agent Cody Banks (2003) and Night School (2018), there's no denying that David could portray just about anyone he wanted to. So why not play himself? Keith David plays Keith David, the Vice President to the gang leader-turned-President protagonist of the Saint's Row franchise.
8.  Shaquille O'Neal - UFC Undisputed 2010 (2010)
   • I know what you're thinking: "But wait, what about Shaq-Fu, or any of the hundreds of basketball games that were released during his career?" I say to that: "Good point, but I thought this was funny" Yes indeed, Shaquille "Kazaam*" O'Neal, also widely known as "Shaq," is a playable fighter in this mixed martial arts fighting game. Because why not.

This is not a full, comprehensive list, but simply appearances that I found interesting, funny, or worth mentioning for one reason or another. If you have any favorite celebrity appearances in video games, let me know! I look forward to seeing who your favorites are!

* Shaquille O'Neal portrays a 5,000-year-old genie that emerges from a magic boombox in the film Kazaam (1996). Yes, it's as dumb as it sounds.