Here are the top celebrity cameos in Tales from the Crypt

Tales from the Crypt is an anthology series that lasted from 1989-1996 on HBO. Over time, it became a beloved series among horror fans, and because it aired on HBO, it could get away with more blood, guts, gore, and dark humor than a typical cable TV show. Beginning May 1, the anthology will land on Shudder, marking the first time it’s ever been available on streaming.

Tales from the Crypt will likely find a new audience soon, and part of what makes the series so fun is the number of celebrity cameos. Here are the top A-lister Tales from the Crypt cameos.

Demi Moore (Season 2, Episode 1, “Dead Right”)

Long before Demi Moore starred as the aging actress Elizabeth Sparkle in The Substance, she was an 80s icon. So, it makes sense that Tales from the Crypt would recruit star power for the first episode of its second season. In “Dead Right,” Moore plays Cathy Marno, a selfish secretary who heeds a fortune teller’s advice. This causes her to marry a man who’s apparently about to come into a huge sum of money and die shortly after. The fortune teller’s prediction indeed comes true, but because this is a Tales from the Crypt episode, that doesn’t mean Cathy gets what she desires.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Season 2, Episode 2, “The Switch”)

In the early 90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his star power, so it’s a testament to Tales from the Crypt’s popularity that the Terminator directed an episode and made a cameo in it as well. His brief role in “The Switch” occurs in the intro as the Crypt Keeper lifts a weight made out of bones. Schwarzenegger motivates the ghoulish host to keep pumping.

Michael J. Fox (Season 3, Episode 3, “The Trap”)

Michael J. Fox is best known as Marty McFly from the Back to the Future movies. Since then, he’s starred in several other movies and TV shows and he’s voiced well-known characters, such as Stuart Little from the Stuart Little franchise. He directed Season 3’s episode “The Trap.” The episode follows an abusive husband who can’t maintain a job. He comes up with a plan to fake his own death to collect life insurance money. However, his plans go haywire after his wife and brother, sick of his abuse, turn on him. Fox doesn’t play the main character, but he does make an appearance as the prosecutor.

Kirk Douglas (Season 3, Episode 14, “Yellow”)

Kirk Douglas, who passed away in 2020, was a Hollywood legend. Prior to his retirement in the late 2000s, he accumulated more than 90 acting credits. His roles included 1951’s Ace in the Hole, 1960’s Spartacus, and 1980’s The Final Countdown. In 1991, he was featured in the Tales from the Crypt episode “Yellow.” In it, he portrays General Kalthrob during World War I and gives an unsettling performance. General Kalthrob’s son, Lieutenant Martin Kalthrob, wants to quit the army, but his father refuses to discharge him. After Martin bails on an assignment, his father orders him court-martialed and the punishment is death by firing squad. Talk about dark!

Tom Hanks (Season 4, Episode 1, “None but the Lonely Heart”)

Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks directed and made a cameo in a Tales from the Crypt episode. The Forrest Gump and Cast Away star directed the Season 4 premiere “None but the Lonely Heart.” He’s not the main character in the episode, but he did make a cameo as Baxter, the owner of a video dating service. The main character is a con man who wants to marry and then murder a rich woman. He plans to use Baxter to achieve his goals, though Baxter is unaware of the man’s nefarious intent.

Brad Pitt (Season 4, Episode 9, “King of the Road”)

Like Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt is another household celebrity name. The star of Fight Club, Interview with a Vampire, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood remains a huge box office draw. In 1992, he starred in Season 4’s episode “King of the Road” as Billy, a “hot rodder” who becomes romantically involved with the daughter of Sheriff Garrett. We soon learn that Billy attached himself to the sheriff’s daughter because Billy has a long-standing grudge against him. This causes the sheriff to make a life-or-death decision.

Steve Buscemi (Season 5, Episode 3, “Forever Ambergris”)

Steve Buscemi has a lot of acting credits to his name. Most recently, he’s been featured on Netflix’s Wednesday series as Principal Dort. He’s also had roles in Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, Ghost World, and many other films. He’s even done voice acting as Randall from Monsters Inc. and Wayne in Hotel Transylvania. In Season 5’s “Forever Ambergris,” he pays Ike, a photographer who falls victim to a scheme from a competitor. The competitor plans to kill Ike and steal his wife.

Ewan McGregor (Season 7, Episode 6, “Cold War”)

The celebrity cameos continued during Tales from the Crypt’s final season. Ewan McGregor is best-known now as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise. Prior to picking up the blue lightsaber, he appeared in Season 7’s “Cold War” and played Ford. Together with his girlfriend, Cammy, Ford commits crimes across London to survive. However, one of Ford and Cammy’s friends dies during a botched robbery, leading to the couple’s break-up. In a fit of rage, Ford decides to murder Cammy’s new boyfriend.

Daniel Craig (Season 7, Episode 9 “Smoke Wrings”)

And finally, we have one more celebrity cameo. Daniel Craig, aka James Bond, was also featured in Tales from the Crypt’s final season. The Knives Out star played Barry in “Smoke Wrings.” He’s a young man who possesses a “strange device.” An advertising company exec hires Barry but doesn’t realize what he’s getting into after hiring Barry, especially since Barry is working with the executive’s revenge-thirsty ex-partner.

The first season of Tales from the Crypt will land on Shudder on May 1. Additional seasons will drop each Friday through June 12.

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