Music videos have never gone out of style. What has gone out of style though, is having just the artist feature in their own video; it has become quite commonplace for Hollywood A-Listers to do cameos in music videos - and here are just 12 of the best.
Megan Fox And Dominic Monaghan
When Eminem and Rihanna joined lyrical forces to release 'Love The Way You Lie' in 2010, it was one of the biggest collaborations we'd seen for quite some time. The music video for the track featured an unlikely pairing of Megan Fox (who was riding the 'Transformers' movie franchise wave at the time) and Dominic Monaghan (who had wrapped on the final season of 'Lost') as a couple at the end of their tethers.
The song and music video failed to win any Grammy awards despite having been nominated five times.
Danny DeVito
The music video for 'Steal My Girl' introduced a great actor to a new generation of fans. Playing the visionary director of One Direction's music video saw Danny DeVito hanging out with Louis Tomlinson while he played with his monkey (not a metaphor), and joining in with the boy band while they danced in the rain. Not only did DeVito's involvement make it a great music video, it was also one of the final times we got to see the boy band together on screen. If you've wondered who's made the most money out of the five since their hiatus, we've done the figures for you here.
Alexander Skarsgård
The Lady Gaga era was well and truly underway by the time 'Paparazzi' rolled around for release in 2009. The single, which was included on Gaga's breakthrough album 'The Fame,' was a commentary on celebrities relying on the flash of a camera to stay relevant. And to further underline the topic, the music video featured Alexander Skarsgård as Gaga's fame-hungry boyfriend. Skarsgård had just broken onto our screens in 'True Blood' and has gone on to star in incredible roles since.
The music video was very well-received and is currently ranked as number 40 on Billboard's list of the best music videos since 2000.
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jackson's 'Remember The Time' was the second short film from the 'Dangerous' album which, yet again, concreted his film-making ideas and abilities. The nine-minute epic sees Pharaoh Eddie Murphy and his Queen Iman, seek new entertainment to pass their luxurious lives, and are presented with basketball player Magic Johnson's top picks. After a failed attempt, a cloaked man enters the chamber attempting to leave the performance with his head still attached to his body. Jackson's dance performance ends with him turning into gold-dust, that blows away with the wind. Ah, the 90's.
Natalie Portman
James Blake's work is soothing, calming on the mind, and infectiously catchy; and has marked him as one of our generation's best singer/songwriter and music producers. He's also quite private and unassuming, so much so that you wouldn't think he'd be putting any cameos in music videos - but you'd be wrong. A heavily pregnant Natalie Portman is the focus of 'My Willing Heart,' and the music video is just beautiful. Portman also gave birth just a few days after the video was filmed, to her second child Amalia.
Ali G
A stroke of genius, this one, which worked out for everyone. Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Da Ali G Show' took over our lives in the late '90s and early 2000s and thanks to Madonna, the character eventually made it across to the States by appearing in 'Music.' A little known fact - Chris Rock was originally lined up to star in the music video, but since Madonna was a big fan of Ali G, she convinced the team to put in Cohen's unknown character instead. We don't think having a car with a license plate saying "Muff Daddy" would have worked as well otherwise.
Rupert Grint
It's a bit hard to believe, but 'Lego House' is eight years old this year. Always a delight to see a Harry Potter-alum on our screens, Rupert Grint playing an obsessive fan of Sheeran's was a bit worrying, to say the least. Whilst Grint is a great actor, his role slightly mars our eagerness to play with Lego anymore to be honest. To help you forget, there was an incredible shot-by-shot Lego version of the music video created, which you can view here.
Melissa Joan Hart
'Sabrina The Teenage Witch' was one of the highlights of growing up in the '90s. Remember the episode when Britney Spears gives Sabrina some worldly advice? Well, Britney returned the favour to Melissa Joan Hart, and had her appear in her music video for '(You Drive Me) Crazy' and it was nearly too much awesomeness for us to take back in 1998. Another cameo comes from Hart's co-worker at the bar, Adrian Grenier, who went on to become the star of the TV show 'Entourage.'
Tom Hanks
Carly Rae Jepson's comeback single 'I Really Like You' caught our attention for one very important reason - Tom Hanks. It turns out the idea for a lip-syncing Hanks to appear in the music video was all his idea too; we'll forgive him if it was also his idea for Justin Bieber to awkwardly turn up at the end...
Anna Kendrick
It's Anna Kendrick as you've never seen her before. LCD Soundsystem's 'Pow Pow' saw Kendrick play a woman who has the ability to "collect the souls of the Wicked Men" that pairs nicely with the Brooklyn group's electronica beat. If you cast your mind back to 2010, when the music video was released, the actress was pretty unknown at the time. Her biggest acting gig was starring in 'Up In The Air' with George Clooney; well, it was either that or the role she blocked from her mind - the 'Twilight' movie saga. We wish we could block those movies from our mind too.
Channing Tatum
Pink knows how to make a great music video, and cross-dressing with Channing Tatum probably tops the list for one of the best cameos in music videos for years to come. Of course, Tatum's best cross-dressing role has to be when he performed 'Run The World' as a (thankfully) bronzed version of himself as Beyonce on 'Lip Sync Battle' - here's the link.
Millie Bobby Brown
'Stranger Things' breakout star Millie Bobby Brown is going to be everywhere for years to come. In the music video for The xx's 'I Dare You' the young actress plays a student who bunks off school and heads off in the car with her sister and boyfriend. Not only did Brown appear in the music video, but Michael Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson did too, as well as 'Moonlight' actor Ashton Sanders, and Calvin Klein models Lulu and Ernesto Cervantes.
