There is nothing better than a "hold on, wait a minute" feeling when you're playing a video game because a familiar face shows up on your screen. It's always exciting when you find out your favorite rapper, actor, or other famous person you enjoy makes a surprise cameo appearance in your video game.
Just like ordinary people, celebs can be big gaming nerds, too. Several big-name and A-list stars, like Eminem, Ariana Grande, Fred Durst, Samuel Jackson, and many others, have taken their love for the game and ventured off into becoming a part of the video game industry. Let's take a look at 10 celebrity video game cameos you probably forgot happened.
10 Ice Cube - 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops'
Member of hip hop supergroup N.W.A. and Westside Connection, Ice Cube joined Activision and Treyarch for their 2010 Call of Duty: Black Ops. Ice Cube plays the role of Chief Officer Joseph Bowman, one of the protagonists in the game and a sidekick to Alex Mason.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is available on PC, Nintendo DS, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii.
9 Snoop Dogg - 'True Crime: Streets Of LA'
It's no secret that Snoop Dogg is more than just a rapper: he's a cook, a wrestler, an actor, a gospel album writer, a friend to Martha Stewart, and much more.
In 2003, Snoop Dogg became one of the few unlockable characters in Luxoflux's open-world action game, True Crime: Streets of LA. He also presented musical companions, including Westside Connection, Lil Eazy, E-40, Ice-T, and many more.
8 Eminem - '50-Cent: Bulletproof'
Video games may not be his forte, but Eminem actually came out with an impressive voice-acting debut in 2005's 50 Cent: Bulletproof alongside his Shady Records signee, 50 Cent.
In this game, Eminem plays the role of a corrupt and greedy police officer who provides vital information for 50 Cent in exchange for some money.
7 Dr. Dre - 'Grand Theft Auto Online'
Rap mogul and record producer, Dr. Dre made a surprising appearance with Interscope boss Jimmy Iovine in Rockstar's latest GTA Online update, titled "The Cayo Perico Heist."
In fact, Dre's Grand Theft Auto cameo isn't his first cameo in video games. Dr. Dre was also featured in the 50 Cent: Bulletproof video game, alongside Eminem, as an arms dealer.
6 Cara Delevingne - 'Grand Theft Auto V'
Supermodel Cara Delevingne is also among the list of stars we almost forgot were in Grand Theft Auto V. Despite not having a physical appearance in the game, Cara provides a lengthy commentary for one of the in-game radio stations, "Non-Stop Pop FM," as DJ Cara.
Thanks to her cheeky and exuberant on-air persona, getting five wanted stars in GTA V has never been so much fun.
5 Ariana Grande - 'Final Fantasy Brave Exvius'
In 2017, Square Enix teamed up with Ariana Grande for Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the popular franchise's first free-to-play title. The singer, named 'Dangerous Ariana' in the game, is seen as a pixel character with her iconic "Dangerous Woman Tour" outfit.
"Ariana has a keen interest and love for Japanese culture which also encompasses Final Fantasy, among other things," says Hiroki Fujimoto, the game's producer, as reported by AList Daily.
4 Logic - 'The Last Of Us Part 2'
Now-retired rapper Logic has always been an avid fan of video games, having signed an exclusive seven-figure deal with streaming giant Twitch. The Last of Us is among his all-time favorite games, and in 2020, the Young Sinatra III rapper made a brief cameo in The Last of Us Part 2.
In case you played the game and didn't notice, Logic is one of the two soldiers who ambushed Ellie in Santa Barbara while she's on her way to find Abby.
3 Phil Collins - 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'
2006's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was a big game in its time, so it wasn't too surprising that Grammy-winning legend Phil Collins appears in the game.
In the gameplay, the singer is in the city for a concert, before everything goes south when the Italian mafia wants to assassinate him.
2 Fred Durst - 'Fight Club'
Remember Fred Durst from nu metal band Limp Bizkit? Durst was actually an unlockable character from the Fight Club video game on PS2, Xbox, and mobile.
The frontman was at the height of his career when the game came out. It's almost impossible to miss his signature red hat and slimmed-down physique as he unleashes his pent-up anger in the gameplay.
1 Samuel Jackson - 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'
Lastly, we have Samuel Jackson from cult-classic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Before joining the Marvel superhero family, Jackson portrayed the villainous antagonistic character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas named Officer Frank Tenpenny.
He's a corrupt officer who tries to reign control in the territory before our favorite GTA hero, Carl Johnson, stops him. GTA fans loathe Jackson's character a lot, but this wouldn't have been possible without Jackson's top-notch bad-guy portrayal.
