There is nothing fans love more than seeing their favorite actors able to make fun of themselves; that's part of the appeal of watching people host Saturday Night Live, after all. The postmodern, self-referential irony of playing oneself in a performance shows an audience that the actor is a real person and is able to joke around; it paradoxically increases a celebrity's likeability when they can be seen less like a celebrity and more like a 'regular' person. Fans adore having the knowledge that their favorite actor is even slightly down-to-earth, and it in turn colors the perception people have of their acting performances. This is why the roles that require an actor to play themselves can sometimes be their most well-known or beloved.

Update February 27th, 2023: This article has been updated following the release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and features even more fun performances where actors play themselves.

Technically, people play themselves every day, but some actors take playing themselves to a whole new level. While the idea of playing yourself in a movie seems simple, it can be done in ways in which the actor is challenged for the role. In order for people to play themselves well in a movie, they must be able to laugh at themselves and be the butt of the joke, requiring thick skin and the ability to recognize one's public persona and make fun of the image the public associates with it. This kind of meta-performance often seems easier than it actually is, which may be why many actors never do it. However, it often reaps many creative awards, as attested to in the following films. Here are some great films in which actors play themselves.

8 Nicolas Cage - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Lionsgate Films

One of the latest entries on this list, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was a real career comeback for Nicolas Cage. Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself, caught in a similar scenario the real-life actor found himself in after spending a decade forced to do cheap direct-to-video films and being seen as a joke. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent leans into Cage's movie star persona while also showcasing the emotional depth that made the actor such a prominent figure for so many decades. The film certainly helped revitalize the star's career, as he is now set to play Dracula in Universal's Reinfeld, with Cage's performance as the famous vampire being the film's main selling point.

7 John Malkovich - Being John Malkovich

A sea of people holding John Malkovich signs in Being John Malkovich
USA Films

John Malkovich plays the titular role of himself in Being John Malkovich. In this film, Malkovich not only plays himself but also somehow plays many other characters in the film. The setting of the film is the consciousness of actor John Malkovich, and the characters in the film (John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and others) find a way to enter into it and attempt to control it. In Malkovich's mind, he sometimes plays every character-- men, women, and children all have John's face, and simply say the word "Malkovich!" The film may not be a laugh-out-loud comedy to many but is instead a meta-fictional think-piece.

Related: These Are the Best John Malkovich Movies, Ranked

This role would have been extremely challenging for most actors in Hollywood, but Malkovich appears like he doesn't even try, tapping into his weird public persona as one of the most well-known character actors in Hollywood who is able to thrive on playing challenging parts. Malkovich is what makes this film, and his ability to shift performances based on the characters who control his consciousness is utterly brilliant. If this film were about anyone but Malkovich, well, it wouldn't have a title.

6 Debra Messing - Bros

Debra Messing in Will and Grace
NBCUniversal

Debra Messing plays a small role in the film Bros, playing herself as a potential sponsor for the LGBTQ+ museum the film's lead character, Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner) is trying to open. Messing clearly has a fun time riffing on her time as Grace from the hit television series Will & Grace, where she freaks out when Bobby tries to talk to Messing about his personal life, and she affirms that she is not her character Grace. Messing has always been a great comedic actress, so it is great to see her really cut loose in Bros in one of the film's many highlights.

5 Jean Claude van Damme - JCVD

JCVD
Peace Arch Entertainment
Gaumont

Jean-Claude van Damme is one of the most iconic action stars of the 1980s, yet by the 2000s his career seemed to be stalled as the star was not only aging but the type of action movies he made a name for himself on had fallen out of fashion. 2008's JCVD steers into that, where van Damme plays a fictionalized version of himself as a down-and-out washed-up action star who finds himself in the middle of a real-life heist. JCVD was critically acclaimed and allowed van Damme to show his range as a dramatic actor and might just be his best movie.

4 Neil Patrick Harris - Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

Neil Patrick Harris in Harold and Kumar
New Line Cinema

Neil Patrick Harris' role in the original Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle may have been very minimal, but was monumental for Harris as an actor. Up until this film, Harris was known as a child actor and was lovingly referred to as "Doogie" in reference to his childhood role. However, in the first Harold and Kumar, Harris plays a version of himself who is the polar opposite of his Doogie persona in every way — this version of Harris is dirtier, messier, and constantly seeking out coke and strippers.

Related: The Career Evolution of Neil Patrick Harris

This satirical version of himself allowed Harris to shed the childish persona he previously had and move into adult acting, allowing Harris to get his infamously charming scumbag role in How I Met Your Mother and hilarious, extended performances in the ensuing Harold and Kumar films. Without Harris being able to play himself here, he may have never had an acting career after Doogie Howser MD.

3 Ben Affleck and Matt Damon - Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Dimension Films
Miramax

Ben Affleck had been a regular in Kevin Smith films since Mallrats, and in 1999 brought Matt Damon along with him to star in Dogma after the duo had become Academy Award winners for writing the script for Good Will Hunting. In 2001, Affleck and Damon cameoed as themselves in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back filming Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season (Affleck pulls double duty, also reprising his role as Holden from Chasing Amy). The scene featuring the two is a great piece of comedy, both playing up how big a film Good Will Hunting had become, parodying overdone sequels, and also the two stars' personas. Affleck in particular seems to have fun playing against his media image at the time as a pretty boy actor.

2 Bill Murray - Zombieland

Bill Murray cameos in Zombieland
Sony Pictures

Bill Murray's cameo in Zombieland is one of the most iconic cameos and a brilliantly brief and memorable example of an actor playing themselves. When people think of an actor playing themselves, this particular role is the one that comes to mind. In Zombieland, Murray plays himself but is able to do so in a very comical manner. Murray's version of himself pretends to be undead in order to survive the zombie apocalypse, hanging out in his massive mansion and having a grand ol' time.

Not only is this objectively hilarious, but it is also something that many fans could see Bill Murray doing in real life. As per usual, Murray's comedic timing is impeccable and, despite not being a main character in the film, he makes a major impact on all who watch. His exit from the film is just as funny.

1 The Entire Cast of This Is the End

Michael Cera in This is the End
Sony Pictures

In most films where actors appear as themselves, it's usually a singular cameo, but This Is the End allows every actor to play heightened, insane versions of themselves. The film's basic plot revolves around a large group of celebrities who have come together to have a debauched party when suddenly the apocalypse strikes. The cast all plays satirical versions of themselves, but the most impressive part of the film is how the actors are able to build off one another in improvisatory ways.

The cast was very tightly-knit, so the actors on set not only worked well together but were able to comically bounce off of each other. This made the film a million times funnier and allowed the cast room to create hysterical, realistic banter. The best part about this film is being able to glimpse the amount of fun that such a large group of actors had making fun of the personas that they (and the movie-going audience) had crafted.