(Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery spoilers will be found below.)
In Rian Johnson’s newest witty whodunnit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Daniel Craig returned as Benoit Blanc, the savvy detective with a thick southern accent and talent for solving mysteries, alongside a new cast of deceptive suspects played by Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, and Kathryn Hahn. But beyond the principal cast is a series of impressive and unexpected cameos that made the movie feel almost like a Where’s Waldo of world-famous celebrities with familiar faces popping up around every corner.
In case you missed it with all of the excitement (there was a lot), here is a quick overview of all of the impressive cameos so you can keep an eye out when the movie hits Netflix next month.
The biggest cameo moment came from the legendary Angela Lansbury in her last appearance before her death this past October. The iconic former amateur sleuth herself made a quick cameo as one of Blanc’s gaming buddies (!!) along with Natasha Lyonne and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Director Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly it was “very, very special.” He added, “With Angela Lansbury, she’s extraordinary in so many ways in her connection to the genre. She’s just a hero.”
Not only did Lansbury get to grace the screen, but another legend also appeared in the scene: composer Stephen Sondheim, who was a “mystery nut” according to Johnson. This was Sondheim’s final on-screen appearance since he passed away last November.
On the other hand, Marvel just so happened to be filming Moon Knight right next door to the Glass Onion set, so Ethan Hawke popped over to play a COVID-conscious character who disinfects visitors before they enter the island. Of all the ways to add COVID into a movie, it could be worse!
Possibly the biggest cameo is a short but memorable moment with Hugh Grant portraying Detective Blanc’s partner in a flashback scene. It was rumored that Blanc would have a potential love interest, and Johnson even confirmed that Craig’s character is queer earlier this year.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the Cameo King himself, played a small but vital role: he voiced the hourly “dong” clock sound. It was a pleasant but expected cameo, as Gordon-Levitt has appeared in nearly every Rian Johnson movie. World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma also makes an appearance early on in the film, while Jeremy Renner gets a very ironic shout-out via his (fake) celebrity-branded hot sauce. It’s topical!
Finally, Serena Williams appeared as one of those futuristic workout instructors who watch you from a mirror, which would normally be creepy, but it’s Serena Williams, so it’s okay!
After a short stint in select theaters, Glass Onion will premiere on Netflix on December 23rd.
(Via Entertainment Weekly and US Weekly)
