It is not uncommon for celebrities to feature in music videos. More often than not, the celeb will have a starring role in the vid, which not only helps raise their profile, but provides wider appeal for the band or musician as well. Subsequently, some of the biggest music vids of all time have featured celebrities. But sometimes, famous people appear in music videos and you don't even realize it.
In some instances, these stars had a blink and you'll miss it cameo for savvy celeb-hunters to spot; in others, they were unknown at the time and thus totally unrecognizable. Keep reading to find out which 10 stars you totally missed in these music videos.
10 Ben Stiller In "Tribute" By Tenacious D
Jack Black recently found himself trending due to a body positive scene from 2003 hit School of Rock, a movie which was pretty much Black living out his rockstar fantasy.
But away from being an on-screen funnyman, Black actually has a band of his own: Tenacious D. Their 2002 song "Tribute" was accompanied by a hilarious music video, and if you pay really close attention, you can spot Ben Stiller as a mall shopper being harassed by the rock-obsessed Black.
9 Zooey Deschanel In "She's Got Issues" By The Offspring
As the kooky Jess Day on sitcom New Girl, Zooey Deschanel was an instigator of the "adorkable" womanchild trope. It makes sense, then, that she appeared in an equally quirky music video, 1998's "She's Got Issues" by pop punk band The Offspring.
While Deschanel is famed for her brunette locks, she is largely unrecognizable in this vid, sporting a punky red bob.
8 Malcolm McDowell In "Snuff" By Slipknot
English actor Malcolm McDowell and Iowa-based heavy metal band Slipknot are not two names you'd expect to be uttered in the same sentence.
But in 2008, the iconic A Clockwork Orange star briefly featured in the masked band's video for "Snuff", as a hotel employee.
7 Chloë Sevigny In "Sugar Kane" By Sonic Youth
In the '90s, New York-based experimental rockers Sonic Youth were the epitome of cool. Likewise, actress Chloë Sevigny was the chic it girl of the era, so it's only natural that the two would collaborate on a music video.
The 1992 video for "Sugar Kane" fleetingly features Sevigny, who is almost unrecognizable with a buzzcut.
6 Riz Ahmed In "Boys" By Charli XCX
While you almost certainly noticed Joe Jonas, Diplo, and various other big name musicians in the video for British singer Charli XCX's "Boys", there was another A-lister in a blink and you'll miss it cameo.
Having recently been nominated for an Oscar for his highly acclaimed role in Sound of Metal, back in 2017 actor Riz Ahmed appeared in the "Boys" video. He can be spotted cuddling a giant pink teddy bear.
5 Courtney Cox In "Dancing In The Dark" By Bruce Springsteen
As we all eagerly await the Friends reunion, perhaps it's time to reflect on how the show's venerable stars gained the superstar status that they now enjoy. For Courtney Cox, it all started with a cameo in a music video for none other than The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.
Sporting cropped hair, Cox plays an enthusiastic fan in the 1984 video for "Dancing in the Dark" and she even gets invited on stage to dance with Springsteen.
4 Aubrey Plaza In "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" By Father John Misty
Parks And Recreation star Aubrey Plaza is know for his laconic, deadpan humor, so she fits right in with hipster musician Father John Misty.
Plaza leads the 2012 video for Misty's song "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" and it mostly features her acting unhinged during a hipster party - eating flowers, smearing makeup across her face, and making out with bearded guys.
3 Tracy Morgan In "Notorious B.I.G." By The Notorious B.I.G.
Released posthumously following the tragic and still unsolved death of Biggie Smalls in 1997, the video for "Notorious B.I.G." stars SNL and 30 Rock alum Tracy Morgan as a security guard.
Though young and unknown at the time, Morgan exhibits his hilarious comic timing in the vid, as he confronts Sean Combs (then known as Puff Daddy), one of The Notorious B.IG.'s closest friends.
2 Georgina Chapman In "Common People" By Pulp
After divorcing her sex offender husband Harvey Weinstein, fashion designer Georgina Chapman has been persona non grata, though she has tried to rebuild her luxury brand, Marchesa.
Long before she became synonymous with the disgraced Weinstein, Chapman had a passing cameo in the classic video for "Common People" by British indie rockers Pulp. A very young Chapman can be spotted dancing in a blue crop top.
1 Aaron Paul In "Thoughtless" By Korn
Long before he found fame as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad, a fresh-faced Aaron Paul starred in the music video for "Thoughtless" by nu-metal band Korn.
Despite being conventionally handsome in the vid, Paul plays the obligatory "weird kid" who is inexplicably being picked on by high school jocks and eventually exacts his revenge.