10 Celebrities You Forgot to Appear in 'Back to the Future' Movies

Back to Cameo!

Everyone's favorite '80s time travel trilogy, Back to the Future, is best known for starring big names like Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson. But in addition to these Hill Valley icons, there are many famous names that you've probably never heard of that make an appearance on film.

From some famous rock stars to pop star impersonators to some unexpected Western cameos, the Back to the Future movies are not only classics because they feature some fan-favorite actors in their roles, but also Includes the ultimate cameo movie featuring three stars.

Billy Zane

Actor Billy Zane is remembered for playing Caledon Hockley in 1997's Titanic, but many may not know that he made his debut as one of Biff's gang in Back to the Future. Besides the one with the 3D glasses and that buzzcut who is rightly called a skinhead, there's Zane as Match.

Zane's character appears to have been nicknamed because he always held a match in his mouth, and appeared in the first two films of the trilogy, ultimately launching the actor's decades-long career.

E'Casanova

In Michael J. Fox's double assignment as Marty McFly and his future son In Back to the Future II, Marty Jr., Biff and Griff run wild through a futuristic valley, and you might have missed a special cameo from a pop culture legend.

In the cafe, a waiter appears on screen who happens to be 80s pop star Michael Jackson. While the actual King of Pop doesn't appear in the movie, that role is played by E'Cassanova, also known as the world's greatest Michael Jackson tribute artist.

Dub Taylor, Pat Buttram And Harry Carey Jr.

If you happen to be a fan of old Westerns, then you might recognize names like Dumb Taylor, Pat Buttram, and Harry Carey Jr. But you might have missed these actors' special cameos in Back to the Future III.

Dub Taylor was known as Cannonball in the 1940s Wild Bill Elliott western, while Pat Buttram is a western actor remembered for inventing the Golden Boot, and Harry Carey Jr. played John Ford in the 1940s Westerns. All three actors appear in the third film as longtime friends of Sharon.

Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen, best known as the leading rock band Van Halen, played a memorable and oft-overlooked role on Back to the Future. it's time to Marty shows up in George's bedroom in the middle of the night, dressed as an alien creature, and blasts tapes labeled "Edward Van Halen" into his future father's ear.

What many may not know is that, according to the star's Futurepedia page on Fandom.com, those loud, piercing guitar riffs were provided by the rocker himself, who wrote and performed them for free for the film this song.

Elijah Wood

The Frodo actor has had a long and notable career, from The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit, but it all started with Elijah Wood when he was just 8 years old in Back to the Future II " debuted in .

Wood's first role was in a scene in Back to the Future II, when Marty tries to impress two young boys with his gaming skills from the arcade game Wild Guns, Dubbed "Video Game Boy #2" because Wood's character criticized Marty's playing.

Flea

The bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers known as Flea had a surprise appearance in both Back to the Future II and Back to the Future III as a character named Douglas J. Needles, commonly known as as a "needle".

In the second film, the musician-turned-actor plays future Marty's boss, who camouflages his face to the audience with prosthetics to make him look older. Flea returned as the same character in the third film, changing his future when he challenged Marty to drag racing.

Huey Lewis

Huey Lewis and The News are known to be responsible for BTTF's haunting soundtrack, which includes songs like "The Power of Love" and "Turn Back in Time". But some may forget that the band's lead singer makes a cameo in the film.

When Marty and his band, The Pinheads, auditioned for the school's rock version of "The Power of Love", they were rudely dismissed by the judge played by Huey Lewis as an inside joke added to the film.

Jason Scott Lee

Before martial artist and actor Jason Scott Lee memorably portrayed Bruce Lee in: The Bruce Lee Story, and long after he voiced the beloved Lilo and Stitch character David, in Back to the Future II as G. Members of Reeve's gang play a minor role.

Lee as Chester Noguera, nicknamed "Whitey" by the gang, unlike his 3D glasses-wearing grandfather, doesn't wear anything specific to earn such a nickname, but supposedly got it as a reference after Leave It To Beaver The bully character Hubert "White" Whitney on the sitcom.

Mary Ellen Trainor

From "Forrest Gump" to "The Goonies" to "Die Hard," the late character actress Mary Ellen Trainor has a long career spanning 30 years. It did all of that, including a cameo in Back to the Future II for a very specific reason.

1989 was the year of Treynor's sequels, not only in Ghostbusters II and Lethal Weapon 2, but also in the BTTF sequel due to his 20-year marriage to film director Robert Zemeckis. Trainor stars as Officer Reese, the Hill Valley police officer who arrests Flea's Needles after he crashes his truck.

ZZ Top

Known for their top hats and long beards, rock band ZZ Top has been active around the globe for over 50 years, and in Back to the Future III, the three founding members of the band rock the Old West.

The band would later appear in film and television several times, but in their first acting role, ZZ Top Cameoing in a town dance scene, they performed a country version of their song "Doubleback" at the invitation of director Robert Zemeckis, a song for the final film in the series.