10 Funniest Cameos In Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Ranked – Screen Rant
Weird is a fun ride from start to finish as it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The several cameos alone are enough to keep audiences laughing.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was released on November 4 by the Roku Channel. The film stars big names such as Daniel Radcliffe, Rainn Wilson, and Evan Rachel Wood and tells the story of Al's upbringing and prominent career moments that may or may not have actually happened.
Weird is a fun ride from start to finish as it doesn't take itself too seriously. The several cameos alone are enough to keep audiences laughing. Celebrities and friends of Al such as Michael McKean, Quinta Brunson, and Josh Grobin make appearances among many others.
Thomas Lennon may be most well-known for his roles in The Odd Couple and 17 Again. He and Weird Al appear to be good friends. He stars in Reno 911 which Al has guest-starred in a few times, and he made a cameo in Weird Al's "Foil" music video.
In Weird, Lennon plays an accordion salesman who suddenly appears at the door one day to pitch an accordion sale to Al and his family. When Al's father realizes what's going on, he beats the man close to death. Lennon is immediately recognizable in this scene. While his beating is initially disturbing, Lennon's lines add juxtaposition to the scene that undoubtedly will make audiences laugh. His sense of humor is perfect for the character he is portraying.
Dot Marie-Jones is primarily known for Glee and the several other comedic projects she's contributed to before Weird. Most recently, she starred in Billy Eichner's romantic comedy, Bros. She doesn't appear to have much of a connection to Weird Al, but her knack for comedy would likely complement the parody songwriter's humor.
Any comedian aficionado will easily recognize Dot in Weird. During Al's performance of "I Love Rocky Road," the crowd goes wild. Playing a bar patron, Dot demands a bartender to get her some ice cream and threatens him when she's told they don't have any. The enthusiasm she exhibits for the song – and ice cream in general – is simultaneously surprising and hilarious. She is known to play characters who are outwardly tough and strong, so seeing her play a similar role, but with special attention to ice cream is amusing.
James Preston Rogers is a former professional wrestler and actor. He's worked with many stunt teams, and he has earned small roles in projects such as Frontier and Pixels. He fittingly plays Hulk Hogan in this film, a WWE superstar since 1977.
It's nearing the end of the biopic, and Weird Al is at an awards show. The category he's nominated for is up. Diana Ross and Hulk Hogan take the stage and announce him as the winner. Hogan rips his button-up shirt open and flexes his muscles ahead of the results. Rogers' get-up is spot on. Audiences know right away who he's portraying thanks to the costuming and his hilarious, yet accurate demeanor.
Known for School Of Rock, the Jumanji sequels, and Kung-Fu Panda, Jack Black is also a friend of Weird Al's. He can be seen in the "Tacky" music video lip-syncing to Al's words. He plays Wolfman Jack in this new film, a DJ with no known connection to the famous accordion player.
After meeting Dr. Demento at his bar performance, Weird Al is invited to a pool party and introduced to several comedians and stars of the time. Wolfman Jack, among many others, is there, and he's doubtful about Al's presumed talent. He challenges him to come up with a parody on the spot, and Jack is shocked when Al is able to do it. Jack Black just appears to be playing himself. He's over the top, and his voice fluctuations are perfect. Even his outfit is brilliantly extravagant and adds to an already hilarious scene.
Arturo Castro is an amazing comedian who also has experience in dramatic projects. Most recently, he worked on The Terminal List and Yes Day. He had his own sketch show on Comedy Central, and he has worked with Funny Or Die before, the production company that brought the concept of a Weird Al biopic to life.
During an Oprah segment, audiences are introduced to Arturo Castro's Pablo Escobar. He appears again when he lures Weird Al to his birthday party by kidnapping Madonna. While the inclusion of this character may be questionable and controversial, Arturo plays the role with a sense of humor that works well with the rest of the film, and surely prompts laughter from most viewers. His fanboying over Weird Al in particular is unexpectedly funny.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a profound talent and a master at his musical craft. He's known for writing Hamilton, In The Heights, and the music in Encanto. Miranda has said several times that he's a huge fan of Weird Al. They became good friends, as they shared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, which led to Weird Al creating the "Hamilton Polka," a medley of Miranda's biggest hits in the musical.
In Weird, Madonna's actions send Al to the hospital when he crashes his car. Miranda plays the doctor who tries and initially fails to save Al. He appears in the flash-forward opening scene of the movie, then again later on when the story gets to that point. His cameo so early on was unexpected and the surprise on his face when Al awakens is priceless.
Patton Oswalt is a great friend of Al's. He was on the premiere episode of The Weird Al Show, and he played a lizard person director in the "Foil" music video. He even played Dr. Demento in the decade-old Funny Or Die skit that inspired this film.
Al decides to get in front of a live audience, so he goes to a bar to sing his newest song. Oswalt is a member of the crowd, enjoying himself by heckling the performers and initiating a club riot. When Al performs, however, he sings and dances along. It's a funny scene, and his shift in mood throughout it hits the mark.
Will Forte is a comedic icon known for Saturday Night Live and fun projects such as The Last Man On Earth and MacGruber. In Weird, he plays Ben Scotti, a music producer who owned a record company with his brother until 1998.
After "My Bologna" becomes big on the radio, Al brings the tape to the Scotti brothers in hopes to get a record deal. Forte brings his genius to his character here, and it's brilliantly hilarious. He repeats his brother a lot, which in itself is a funny joke, but when he goes on his own tangent, he verbally abuses the parody songwriter. He calls him the "most untalented, pathetic loser" he's ever met, among other insults. This garners a strong reaction from the real Weird Al who shares the screen with Forte, and likely a strong reaction from viewers who love this type of meta-humor.
Speaking of this amazing scene, Weird Al cameos here as Tony Scotti, Ben's brother and fellow music producer. If anyone was going to play a small part in a biopic about them, it was going to be Weird Al.
Al is nearly unrecognizable with a wig on, but it's certainly him that joins Forte and Radcliffe in this scene. Interestingly, this was the same type of producer role that he held in the Weird Al Funny Or Die skit. Hearing him bash himself is fantastic, and it shows what a great sense of humor he has. Of course, he seems to believe Forte takes the insults a bit too far.
Jorma is another one of Weird Al's friends. He's a part of a comedy group called The Lonely Island with Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer.
Jorma appears in the pool scene as Pee-Wee Herman. His impression of Herman is hilariously spot-on, and the main actors in several press tours confess that his actions on and off camera often led to everyone repeatedly breaking character. Jorma has expressed love for the character in the past, so it's likely he's been working on his impression for decades.
Elizabeth Lemieux graduated from SNHU with a BA in Communication. Since she was young, she’s enjoyed writing, reading, and geeking out about her favorite fictional characters and stories. She has always had an affinity for the MCU and Disney properties. Elizabeth started her freelance career with Screen Rant in March 2022. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to blend her passions of writing and entertainment. She can be found on Twitter at @eklemieux where she shares her work and posts about her favorite movies, shows, and pop culture icons.
