Top 15 Celebrities in Music Videos
Stars from film, television, sports, and fashion have long slipped into the spotlight of music videos, bringing ready-made storylines and instant recognition. Their appearances often add clear narrative hooks, boost visibility for the song, and create memorable pop culture moments that live far beyond a single release cycle.
This list gathers fifteen well documented cases where a recognizable face took center stage in a music video and left a factual trail worth noting. You will find release years, where things were filmed, who else appeared, and what awards or milestones followed, so you can trace exactly how each cameo or lead role fit into the artist’s rollout and the celebrity’s career timeline.
Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim ‘Weapon of Choice’
The video premiered in 2001 and features Christopher Walken dancing through the lobby and corridors of a Los Angeles hotel before taking flight in a wire assisted sequence. It was tied to the single from Fatboy Slim’s album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, and it quickly became one of the most replayed clips of the early internet video era.
At the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards the clip earned multiple trophies including Video of the Year. It also won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video, giving the project recognition from both television and recording academies.
Courteney Cox in Bruce Springsteen ‘Dancing in the Dark’
Released in 1984 and shot during a live performance, the video shows Bruce Springsteen pulling Courteney Cox from the audience to dance on stage. The footage was directed by Brian De Palma and was edited from a concert at the St. Paul Civic Center.
The single became Springsteen’s highest charting hit in the United States at the time. Cox’s appearance preceded her run on television and is frequently cited as an early screen credit that placed her in front of a national audience.
Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith ‘Cryin’’, ‘Amazing’, and ‘Crazy’
Alicia Silverstone appeared in three Aerosmith videos in 1993 and 1994, beginning with ‘Cryin’’ and continuing with ‘Amazing’ and ‘Crazy’. Director Marty Callner built narrative threads across the clips, and ‘Crazy’ paired Silverstone with Liv Tyler as they take a carefree detour from school.
The trilogy coincided with the sustained radio success of songs from the album Get a Grip. The heavy rotation of these videos on music television in those years helped keep the singles on playlists and cemented a consistent visual era for the band.
Robert Downey Jr. in Elton John ‘I Want Love’
Elton John released the song in 2001 with a single take video of Robert Downey Jr. walking through Greystone Mansion while lip syncing the lyrics. The staging relies on continuous movement through halls and rooms with steady camera work and no performance by the singer on screen.
The simple presentation aligned with a broader campaign for Elton John’s album Songs from the West Coast. The clip drew attention for its restraint at a time when heavily cut performance videos dominated rotation, which helped the song gain additional television exposure.
Shia LaBeouf in Sia ‘Elastic Heart’
Sia’s ‘Elastic Heart’ video arrived in 2015 and features Shia LaBeouf and dancer Maddie Ziegler performing an intense duet inside a large cage. Choreography by Ryan Heffington guided the movement language that Sia had been developing across her visual releases.
The song originally appeared on the soundtrack for the second Hunger Games film and later on Sia’s release schedule. The video generated high view counts within days and became a fixture in discussions of contemporary pop choreography and conceptual staging.
Megan Fox in Eminem and Rihanna ‘Love the Way You Lie’
The video premiered in 2010 and intercuts Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as a couple with Eminem and Rihanna’s performance. Filmed on a set house that burns in the final act, the production mirrors the theme of a turbulent relationship that cycles through conflict and remorse.
The single topped charts in multiple countries and the video accumulated hundreds of millions of views within its first year online. Its broadcast presence on music television networks also remained strong through the award season that followed the song’s release.
Bruce Willis in Gorillaz ‘Stylo’
Gorillaz released ‘Stylo’ in 2010 with Bruce Willis cast as a driver in a high speed desert pursuit. The clip combines live action with the band’s animated lore by placing the cartoon members into the chase through integrated visual effects.
The single supported the album Plastic Beach and the video served as a narrative bridge in the project’s storyline. Broadcast partners featured it heavily upon release, and it became a key piece of the group’s multimedia rollout that year.
Angelina Jolie in The Rolling Stones ‘Anybody Seen My Baby?’
In 1997 The Rolling Stones issued a video that follows Angelina Jolie as she abruptly leaves a set and wanders through New York City. The clip shows her passing through clubs and streets while the band performs, creating a cross cut between narrative and studio scenes.
The song came from the album Bridges to Babylon, and the video received strong rotation on international outlets. Jolie’s appearance aligned with a period of expanding film roles and gave the single an additional publicity angle across entertainment media.
Naomi Campbell in George Michael ‘Freedom! ’90’
George Michael’s 1990 video features Naomi Campbell alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Tatjana Patitz lip syncing the track. David Fincher directed the production and staged sequences of burning and exploding symbols associated with the singer’s previous persona.
The shoot delivered a fashion forward visual that music channels programmed throughout the decade. Its sustained airplay helped keep interest in the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 and provided a widely referenced example of crossover between runway culture and music television.
Tom Hanks in Carly Rae Jepsen ‘I Really Like You’
Carly Rae Jepsen released the video in 2015 with Tom Hanks lip syncing the lyrics during a morning walk through Manhattan. The narrative ends with a dance sequence that includes Jepsen and a crowd cameo from Justin Bieber.
The single served as a lead entry for a new album cycle and the clip offered an approachable premise that worked well on social platforms. Its visibility helped introduce the song to audiences beyond existing pop radio listeners through widespread sharing.
Keanu Reeves in Paula Abdul ‘Rush Rush’
Paula Abdul’s ‘Rush Rush’ arrived in 1991 and co stars Keanu Reeves as a love interest in a narrative styled after classic cinema. Key scenes were filmed at Los Angeles locations associated with mid century youth culture, including the Griffith Observatory.
The video aligns its wardrobe and car sequences with references to ‘Rebel Without a Cause’. The single reached high chart positions and the video supported repeated television play with its recognizable settings and storyline.
Michael Jordan in Michael Jackson ‘Jam’
In 1992 Michael Jackson released ‘Jam’ with Michael Jordan trading skills in a gym setting. The video shows Jackson attempting basketball moves while Jordan learns dance steps, interspersed with performance shots.
Cameos from Kris Kross and Heavy D appear throughout the clip. The release built momentum for Jackson’s album era in the early nineties and received steady rotation on major music networks and sports programming segments covering the collaboration.
Johnny Depp in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ‘Into the Great Wide Open’
The 1991 video casts Johnny Depp as Eddie Rebel, an aspiring musician whose rise and fall is narrated by the lyrics. Faye Dunaway appears as a manager figure guiding and manipulating the character’s career.
Julien Temple directed the production and structured it as a short film that tracks milestones from discovery to disillusionment. The treatment matched the storytelling of the song and provided a clear narrative arc that kept the clip in rotation on rock focused channels.
Kristen Stewart in The Rolling Stones ‘Ride ’Em On Down’
Released in 2016, the video follows Kristen Stewart driving a blue Ford Mustang fastback through Los Angeles streets. The narrative shows empty intersections and brief encounters that match the raw sound of the band’s return to blues covers.
The song supports the album Blue and Lonesome and the minimalist setup allowed for quick turnaround during the record’s promotional window. The clip was widely shared upon release and featured in coverage of the group’s late career studio projects.
Jake Gyllenhaal in The Shoes ‘Time to Dance’
French duo The Shoes issued ‘Time to Dance’ in 2012 with Jake Gyllenhaal portraying a character who stalks and attacks partygoers while wearing a fencing mask. The video was filmed in London locations that underline the storyline’s nighttime setting.
Director Daniel Wolfe built the piece around long takes and unsettling calm between bursts of action. The clip circulated on festival programs and music channels across Europe and introduced the band to audiences outside their home market.
Share your favorite celebrity music video appearance in the comments so everyone can compare notes and add more must watch picks.