12 Cameos In 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' That Made The Movie Even Better
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Vote up the cameos in Killers of the Flower Moon that were pleasant surprises.
Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese's movie based on the book of the same name, offers a theatrical rendering of an often-overlooked chapter in American history.
The film retells the story of the horror inflicted upon members of the Osage Nation during the early 20th century with veteran Scorsese actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo Dicaprio playing William “King” Hale and Ernest Burkhart, respectively. As a conspiracy against the Osage takes shape through Killers of the Flower Moon, members of Mollie Burkhart's family are targeted over and over again. Individuals connected to the conspiracy emerge woven through the story, many of whom are played by unexpected performers.
From beginning to end, cameos in Killers of the Flower Moon elevate the entire cast. Whether it's a short role by an acclaimed actor or a performer cast to increase the overall integrity of the movie, these cameos in Killers of the Flower Moon made the epic film better. The only thing left to decide is which ones offered the biggest pleasant surprises.
- Photo: Rubenstein (Martyna Borkowski) / Flickr / CC-BY 2.0
Not one to shy away from projects based on history (think Winston Churchill in The Crown), John Lithgow has played comedic characters and done voicework, too. He's won multiple Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, and Grammy Awards, among other accolades.
In Killers of the Flower Moon, Lithgow's role is relatively small but remains essential to the story. As prosecutor Peter Leaward, Lithgow offers a formidable counterpart to Fraser's performance as W.S. Hamilton.
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- Photo: Paramount Pictures254 VOTES
Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser plays lawyer W.S. Hamilton in Killers of the Flower Moon. As William “King” Hale's defense attorney, Hamilton not only appears on behalf of Hale in court, he works behind the scenes to persuade Ernest Burkhart to stay loyal to his client.
Fraser's performance has divided audiences. Intentionally bombastic and in line with how Hale's actual attorney behaved in the book Killers of the Flower Moon, Fraser's fans were both disappointed and impressed by his appearance.
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- Photo: Sardognunu / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 3.0327 VOTES
Charlie Musselwhite As Alvin Reynolds
Musician Charlie Musselwhite plays Alvin Reynolds, a man who provides essential information to the FBI about what he saw the night Mollie Burkhart's sister, Anna, was killed.
Musselwhite is known for his harmonica playing, but has a personal connection to the story about the Osage. His relative, also named Charlie Musselwhite, was in a shootout with outlaw Al Spencer connected to the conspiracy related to eliminating Bill and Rita Smith. This is in the book Killers of the Flower Moon, but not in the movie.
About his part in Killers of the Flower Moon, Musselwhite said he told Scorsese about his connection and, as a result, the director told him,
'You know, I'm using a lot of local Indian families here, descendants of the people in the real story, like the DeNoyas.' I said, ‘Well, my aunt Mary DeNoya is buried right here in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.’ He was filming it right on the (land) where it all happened.
- Photo: Paramount Pictures445 VOTES
In addition to his four Grammy Awards, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell's acting credits include an uncredited appearance in The Deadwood Movie in 2019.
In Killers of the Flower Moon, Isbell plays Bill Smith. Smith was married to Mollie Burkhart's sister, Minnie, but later wed Rita, another of Burkhart's sisters after Minnie's death.
Smith was skeptical of Ernest Burkhart and his intentions with Mollie and her money. He was also in line to inherit a large amount of Osage wealth due to his two marriages, a fact that ultimately contributed to his murder in 1923.
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Jack White might be best known for being one-half of the White Stripes, but he has numerous solo albums to his name. His given name is John Gillis, but he uses his music moniker for his acting gigs, too.
White doesn't have a vast acting portfolio but did appear in movies like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as Elvis Presley in 2007. In Killers of the Flower Moon, White is one of the radio show actors at the end of the movie.
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Musician Sturgill Simpson is generally considered to fall into the country genre, but his songs transcend any single classification. In addition to music, Simpson is an actor with appearances in television shows like The Righteous Gemstones and movies such as The Creator and Queen & Slim.
As Henry Grammer in Killers of the Flower Moon, Sturgill is the rodeo man who offers names of criminals who could assist William "King" Hale (played by Robert De Niro) in some of his actions against the Osage.
Despite being an accomplice to Hale, Grammer was likely a victim of his as well. As the conspiracy involving Hale unraveled, Grammer died under suspicious circumstances.
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He's the director of Killers of the Flower Moon, but Martin Scorsese also showed up on screen in his 2023 work. While appearing in his movies isn't new for Scorsese (he's had uncredited and credited roles in all of his movies), Scorsese's delivery of Molly Burkhart's obituary at the end of Killers of the Flower Moon is both powerful and purposeful.
Scorsese plays the producer of the radio show. When he stands up to the microphone, he reads the short obituary for Burkhart that appeared after her death. It made no mention of the Osage murders, simply stating “she had been ill for some time. She was a full-blood Osage.”
While Killers of the Flower Moon author David Grann did not speak to Scorsese about the delivery, he said:
I think he wanted to show how history gets told or mistold, how it kind of radiates out into culture and then... can be warped.
- Photo: Paramount Pictures821 VOTES
Tatanka Means As John Wren
Tatanka Means may be unknown to many viewers of Killers of the Flower Moon, but he is a Native American comedian and speaker. His previous film roles include Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and television shows such as Banshee.
As a representative of the Navajo, Oglala Lakota, and Omaha Nations, Means's appearance in Killers of the Flower Moon attests to Martin Scorsese's effort to cast indigenous performers. He is also the son of Russell Means, a Native American activist and actor who passed away in 2012.
Means plays John Wren, one of the FBI agents who goes undercover to investigate the murders of members of the Osage Nation.
- Photo: Paramount Pictures916 VOTES
Everett Waller As Paul Red Eagle
Everett Waller is a member of the Osage Nation and serves as the Chairman of the Osage Mineral Council. In Killers of the Flower Moon, Waller plays Paul Red Eagle, the leader of the Osage Nation during the early 20th century.
Paul Red Eagle was among the members of the Osage Nation who traveled to Washington, DC, in 1923.
- Photo: Paramount Pictures1032 VOTES
After his debut album musicforthemorningafter was released in 2001, Pete Yorn has continued to sing, write songs, and perform live around the world. When it comes to acting, musician Pete Yorn's connections to Hollywood prior to Killers of the Flower Moon include his collaborations with Scarlet Johansson. His brother, Rick Yorn, was a producer on Killers of the Flower Moon and is Scorsese's and Di Caprio's manager.
Yorn's role in Killers of the Flower Moon serves as his first appearance on the big screen. He plays Acie Kirby, one of Henry Grammer's associates. Kirby had knowledge of explosives and was enlisted to blow up the house occupied by Bill and Rita Smith.
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Larry Sellers As Non-Hon-Ahin-Ga
Seen here in a role that may be recognizable for many, Larry Sellers appeared in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, during the 1990s. The actor and stuntman was of Cherokee, Lakota, and Osage descent.
Sellers passed away in 2021. Prior to his death, Sellers served as a consultant and actor in Killers of the Flower Moon.
- Photo: Michael R. Holzworth, U.S. Air Force / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain1218 VOTES
Randy Houser As Scott Mathis
In Killers of the Flower Moon, Scott Mathis is the guardian who oversees Anna Brown's finances. When Anna's body was discovered, Mathis was the one who contacted Molly Burkhart about her sister's passing. He was also the owner of the local general store, the Big Hill Trading Company.
Mathis is played by musician Randy Houser. Houser is a country singer and songwriter whose previous acting credits include Ambush at Dark Canyon (2012) and The Hill (2023).
