10 Major Actors You Forgot Were In Sci-Fi Movies

Warning: contains major spoilers for the included films on this list.

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A beloved staple of popular culture, the best sci-fi movies of all time have featured some of cinema’s most prominent and acclaimed actors. The genre has featured the work of some of the most successful performers of all time, from legends of the screen like Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver to modern sci-fi icons in the vein of Zoe Saldaña and Pedro Pascal. However, the genre also plays host to a number of cameos featuring major actors that many fans may have forgotten or missed altogether, given the fleeting nature of their appearance.

Whether it takes the form of an uncredited blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo or a supporting character who is swiftly relegated to little more than a footnote, a number of science fiction’s foremost outings feature some of Hollywood’s more famous faces in exceedingly minor roles. From movies that effortlessly blend horror and sci-fi to the best R-rated futuristic genre offerings, cinema features a veritable laundry list of major actors that many viewers will have forgotten were in sci-fi movies.

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10 Sean Harris

Prometheus (2012)

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58 8.2/10 Prometheus R Sci-FiHorrorActionAdventureDramaMystery

2012’s Prometheus is the fifth installment in the Alien franchise and was directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce, the film acts as a direct prequel to 1979’s Alien.

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*Availability in US Director Ridley Scott Release Date June 8, 2012 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast Charlize Theron , Noomi Rapace , Idris Elba , Guy Pearce , Michael Fassbender Runtime 124 Minutes Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Jon Spaihts , Damon Lindelof Expand

An accomplished character actor with an instantly recognizable voice, Sean Harris is best known to mainstream audiences for his role as Solomon Lane in the Mission: Impossible movies. Renowned for his work in prominent historical dramas like The King, Macbeth, and The Green Knight, the Englishman also features in Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise, playing a minor role in prequel outing Prometheus.

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Harris plays Fifield in the 2012 sci-fi horror movie, a temperamental geologist brought along on the mission to obtain rock samples from the Engineers’ purported home world. Boasting a red mohawk haircut to complement an array of futuristic facial tattoos, Harris is virtually unrecognizable in his role as Fifield. It’s a state of affairs that decidedly doesn’t improve after his character is duly infected, turned into a feral monstrosity, and incinerated with a flamethrower.

9 Tom Felton

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

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6.2/10 Rise of the Planet of the Apes pg-13Action Sci-FiDrama

A prequel and reboot to the Planet of the Apes franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes stars James Franco as pharmaceutical chemist Will Rodman. While working with apes, Rodman befriends Caesar (Andy Serkis), a particularly intelligent chimpanzee. Not all humans are as gentle with the apes as Rodman, however, and Caesar is destined to start the line of super-intelligent apes that will one day inherit the Earth.

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*Availability in US Director Rupert Wyatt Release Date August 5, 2011 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast James Franco , Andy Serkis , Tom Felton , John Lithgow Runtime 105 Minutes Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Pierre Boulle , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver Expand

A reboot of the Planet of the Apes movie series, 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes sought to modernize the franchise by depicting the origins of Andy Serkis’ Caesar, a genetically enhanced chimpanzee who eventually goes on to lead an ape uprising against humanity. Featuring James Franco in the leading role, the film also boasts an unlikely cameo appearance from one of the stars of the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise.

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Landon’s surname is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the astronaut of the same name from 1968’s original outing,
Planet of the Apes.

Tom Felton, the man charged with bringing the live action depiction of Draco Malfoy to life, appears in the movie as Dodge Landon. Much like his wizarding counterpart, Felton’s dramatic charge isn’t any more pleasant this time around; the Englishman’s character is a sadistic caretaker who amuses himself by cruelly abusing the animals he is responsible for. Landon meets his end at Caesar’s hands after he is electrocuted trying to prevent the chimp’s escape.

8 Barkhad Abdi

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

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9/10 Blade Runner 2049 RSci-FiActionDramaMystery

Set thirty years after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi neo-noir film by the director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve. The film follows LAPD replicant officer K, who discovers a devastating secret that could throw society into total chaos. To stop a potential war between replicants and humans, he’ll need to locate missing former blade runner Rick Deckard and uncover the truth.

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*Availability in US Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date October 6, 2017 Studio(s) Alcon Entertainment , Columbia Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Bud Yorkin Productions , Torridon Films , 16:14 Entertainment Cast Ryan Gosling , Harrison Ford , Jared Leto , Ana De Armas , Robin Wright , Lennie James , Dave Bautista , Carla Juri , Hiam Abbass , Barkhad Abdi , David Dastmalchian , Mackenzie Davis , Sylvia Hoeks Runtime 163 Minutes Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Michael Green , Hampton Fancher Expand

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Introducing the Somali-American performer to a global audience, Barkhad Abdi’s Academy Award nominated bow as the pirate Abduwali Muse in 2013’s biographical action drama Captain Phillips served as the actor’s breakout role. Propelled into the mainstream by his superb performance, Abdi went from a completely unknown commodity to an instantly recognizable Hollywood face virtually overnight.

Blade Runner Rotten Tomatoes rating
Blade Runner (1982)	89%
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)	88%

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The actor’s celebrated work in Captain Phillips led to a number of roles in standout Hollywood offerings, including a brief appearance in the acclaimed Blade Runner sequel, 2017’s sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner 2049. Abdi can be seen fleetingly in an electric cameo as Doc Badger, a black-market pawn shop operator who can allegedly obtain anything for the right price. Ryan Gosling’s K encounters Badger while attempting to analyze the origins of a mysterious wooden horse.

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7 Anya Taylor-Joy

Dune: Part Two (2024)

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44 8.9/10 Dune: Part Two PG-13Science FictionAdventure

Dune: Part Two continues the epic saga of Paul Atreides as he allies with Chani and the Fremen. Pursuing retribution for his family’s devastation, Paul grapples with a significant decision impacting his personal desires and the universe’s future, attempting to avert a dire destiny that only he anticipates.

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*Availability in US Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date February 27, 2024 Studio(s) Legendary Pictures Cast Timothée Chalamet , Zendaya , Rebecca Ferguson , Javier Bardem , Josh Brolin , Austin Butler , Florence Pugh , Dave Bautista , Christopher Walken , Lea Seydoux , Stellan Skarsgård , Charlotte Rampling , Souheila Yacoub , Roger Yuan , Babs Olusanmokun , Giusi Merli , Kait Tenison , Tara Breathnach , Akiko Hitomi , Imola Gáspár , Elbooz Omar Ahmed Fathie , Abdelkarim Hussein Seli Mohamed Hassanin , Joseph Beddelem , Xavier Alba Royo , Rachid Abbad Runtime 167 minutes Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Denis Villeneuve Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand

Instantly marking herself out as a name to watch with a mesmerizing turn in Robert Eggers’ 2015 folk horror outing The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy has swiftly become one of Hollywood’s most prominent and sought after young performers. Still only just twenty-eight, the actress is best known for her acclaimed bow as chess prodigy Beth Harmon in Netflix’s 2020 miniseries The Queen’s Gambit, in addition to her lauded performances in the likes of Emma, The Menu, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

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Apparently unsatisfied with her lengthy and enviable list of credits, the British-American Emmy nominee also boasts an uncredited cameo appearance in 2024’s smash hit Dune: Part Two. Taylor-Joy appears as Alia Atreides, the unborn sister to Timothée Chalamet’s lead protagonist Paul, and a significant character who goes on to play a prominent role in Dune‘s future canon.

6 Tom Berenger

Inception (2010)

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13 8.5/10 Inception PG-13Adventure Sci-FiThrillerAction

Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.

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*Availability in US Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 16, 2010 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Elliot Page , Tom Hardy , Ken Watanabe , Dileep Rao , Cillian Murphy , Tom Berenger , Marion Cotillard , Pete Postlethwaite , Michael Caine , Lukas Haas , Tai-Li Lee , Claire Geare , Magnus Nolan , Taylor Geare , Johnathan Geare , Tohoru Masamune , Yuji Okumoto , Earl Cameron , Ryan Hayward , Miranda Nolan , Russ Fega , Tim Kelleher Runtime 148 minutes Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Christopher Nolan Main Genre Action Expand

Best known for his Oscar-nominated bow in 1986’s Platoon, actor Tom Berenger is renowned for breathing life into one of the best war movie villains of all time in the terrifying Sergeant Robert “Bob” Barnes. While Berenger is also known for his work in the likes of Training Day and the Sniper franchise, the American’s acclaimed work in Oliver Stone’s seminal war offering remains his most celebrated and widely recognized role to this day.

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Berenger plays Peter Browning in Christopher Nolan’s
Inception
, a father figure to Cillian Murphy’s Robert Fischer who is used as a patsy by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Dom Cobb to gain the billionaire’s trust.

While Platoon may be the film that Berenger finds his name inextricably linked with, the actor also features in a minor role in one of the finest sci-fi movies of all time. Berenger plays Peter Browning in Christopher Nolan’s Inception, a father figure to Cillian Murphy’s Robert Fischer who is used as a patsy by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Dom Cobb in an effort to gain the billionaire’s trust.

5 James Franco

Alien: Covenant (2017)

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7/10 12 9/10 Alien: Covenant RThrillerAdventureSci-Fi

Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover an uncharted planet. Initially seeming like a paradise, the planet soon reveals dark secrets. Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, and Billy Crudup lead the cast in this science fiction horror film, which serves as a direct sequel to Prometheus and continues to explore the origins of the Alien species.

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*Availability in US Director Ridley Scott Release Date May 19, 2017 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast Michael Fassbender , Katherine Waterston , Billy Crudup , Danny McBride , Demián Bichir , Carmen Ejogo , Jussie Smollett , Callie Hernandez , Amy Seimetz , Nathaniel Dean , Alexander England , Benjamin Rigby , Uli Latukefu , Tess Haubrich , Lorelei King , Goran D. Kleut , Andrew Crawford , Tom O’Sullivan , James Franco , Guy Pearce , Noomi Rapace Runtime 123 Minutes Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers dante harper , John Logan , Jack Paglen , Michael Green Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand

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While James Franco has somewhat faded from the public eye following a string of disturbing controversies and allegations, the 127 Hours star remains one of Hollywood’s most famous and instantly recognizable faces. The Academy Award-nominated actor usually receives top billing in the majority of his roles, meaning that a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in one of cinema’s most storied sci-fi franchises often goes overlooked.

Franco features briefly in 2017’s Alien: Covenant, the follow-up outing to 2012’s Prometheus and the second film in Ridley Scott’s Alien movie prequel series. Franco plays Jacob “Jake” Branson, the Covenant’s original captain and partner to Katherine Waterson’s lead protagonist, Daniels. Branson tragically perishes in a fiery blaze during the film’s opening sequences after his pod malfunctions during a solar burst. Franco can also be seen as Branson in a short promotional prologue released in the lead-up to the film’s debut.

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4 Mahershala Ali

Predators (2010)

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5/10 Predators rAction Sci-FiThriller

The third movie in the Predator franchise, Predators follows a group of humans who find themselves stranded in a mysterious jungle and hunted by a powerful race of technologically-advanced aliens. Mercenary Royce (Adrien Brody) is a former member of a Special Ops unit, and he finds himself leading the group through the jungle and protecting them from the Predators hunting them. Lawrence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, and Alice Braga all star alongside Brody in supporting roles.

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*Availability in US Director Nimród Antal Release Date July 3, 2010 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast Adrien Brody , Alice Braga , Topher Grace , Oleg Taktarov , Laurence Fishburne , Walton Goggins Runtime 107 Minutes Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers Michael Finch , Alex Litvak , Jim Thomas , John Thomas Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand

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The first movie in the Predator franchise to take the action off world, 2010’s Predators plays host to an enviable ensemble cast tasked with bringing the movie’s rag-tag group of elite soldiers, mercenaries, and general savages to life. Starring Adrien Brody in the leading role, the film’s cast also features the big-name likes of Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, and Danny Trejo.

Ali will star in the next installment of the
Jurassic Park
franchise,
Jurassic World: Rebirth
.

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In addition to arguably being the most underrated film in the Predator franchise, Predators also happens to boast a cameo from a multiple Academy Award-winning actor during the story’s early stages. Moonlight and Green Book star Mahershela Ali plays the minor role of Mombasa, a Revolutionary United Front death squad soldier from Sierra Leone who features briefly before being brutally killed during the group’s first confrontation with the Predators in the movie’s early goings.

3 Elijah Wood

Back to the Future Part II (1985)

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6/10 Back to the Future Part II PGAdventureSci-FiComedy

Taking up where the first movie left off, Back to the Future Part II sees Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the year 2015, where their efforts to fix the future end up causing even bigger problems as Biff Tannen wreaks havoc across the timeline with the help of a stolen sports almanac. Martin J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd return in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s second installment of their iconic trilogy.

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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date November 22, 1989 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Cast Lea Thompson , Elisabeth Shue , Christopher Lloyd , Michael J. Fox , Thomas F. Wilson Runtime 108 minutes Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Bob Gale Expand

The follow up to 1985’s seminal sci-fi offering Back to the Future, 1989’s feel-good sci-fi outingBack to the Future Part II is widely regarded as one of the finest sequels ever made. Chronicling Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown’s attempts to undo the damage done to the timeline by the oafish Biff Tannen, the second film in the trilogy introduced new faces to the franchise in the vein of Elisabeth Shue and Jeffrey Weisman.

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Back to the Future Rotten Tomatoes rating
Back to the Future (1985)	93%
Back to the Future Part II (1989)	63%
Back to the Future Part III (1990)	81%

Back to the Future Part II also features a cameo from an eight-year-old actor making his first career film appearance. The young actor would go on to have a starring role in another one of cinema’s most successful and celebrated film trilogies with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. Elijah Wood, the man tasked with bringing the hobbit Frodo Baggins to life, plays one of the young boys that Marty encounters playing video games in the diner when he travels to 2015.

2 Hiroyuki Sanada

Life (2017)

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10/10 Life R Sci-FiThrillerHorror

Life, directed by Ted Demme, follows two strangers, portrayed by Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, who are wrongfully convicted in 1932. Their journey through the American penal system leads them to develop a strong friendship inside prison, enduring challenges and changes throughout the 20th century.

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*Availability in US Director Daniel Espinosa Release Date March 24, 2017 Studio(s) Sony Cast Ryan Reynolds , Alexandre Nguyen , Rebecca Ferguson , Hiroyuki Sanada , Ariyon Bakare , Olga Dihovichnaya , Jake Gyllenhaal Runtime 104 Minutes Distributor(s) Sony Writers Paul Wernick , Rhett Reese Main Genre Sci-Fi Expand
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Hiroyuki Sanada found himself the toast of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards following his lauded bow as Yoshii Toronaga, the titular character of FX’s critically acclaimed historical drama Shōgun. A character actor credited with a diverse range of roles across different genres, Sanada’s best movies include bows in the blockbuster likes of The Wolverine, Army of the Dead, and Bullet Train.

The actor plays Sho Murakami, a systems engineer aboard the International Space Station, with Sanada forming part of an ensemble cast that boasts the big-name likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds.

The Japanese thespian’s extensive filmography also features a fleeting appearance in 2017’s sci-fi horror Life. The actor plays Sho Murakami, a systems engineer aboard the International Space Station, with Sanada forming part of an ensemble cast that boasts the big-name likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds. Remarkably, Life isn’t Sanada’s only obscure sci-fi appearance, with the actor also featuring in a supporting role in Danny Boyle’s 2007 offering, Sunshine.

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1 Helena Bonham Carter

Terminator Salvation (2009)

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6/10 6/10 Terminator Salvation PG-13 Sci-FiAction

In post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is one of the leaders of the human resistance fighting against the ever-growing army of machines intent on wiping out mankind. After young Kyle Reese befriends Marcus Wright, a former death row inmate, John Connor discovers Skynet’s plan to terminate Reese before he can travel back in time. The military leader is forced to scour the war-torn wasteland to find his teenage father to ensure his own survival.

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*Availability in US Director McG Release Date May 21, 2009 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Cast Sam Worthington , Moon Bloodgood , Christian Bale , Bryce Dallas Howard , Anton Yelchin Runtime 115 minutes Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Michael Ferris , John Brancato Expand

Renowned for her film collaborations with her former husband, Tim Burton, Academy Award-nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter is one of cinema’s most instantly recognizable faces. As well as her frequent appearances in Burton movies, the English film star has featured in some of the most acclaimed and celebrated films in recent memory, with prominent roles in the likes of Fight Club, The King’s Speech, and the Harry Potter franchise.

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Bonham Carter’s lengthy list of credits even includes the storied Terminator franchise, with the actress playing a minor role in 2009’s Terminator Salvation. The Les Misérables star plays Serena Kogan, a terminally ill doctor who persuades Sam Worthington’s Marcus Wright to sign over his body for medical research following his execution during the movie’s opening scenes. Bonham Carter’s charge also appears during the film’s climactic sequences, with the Skynet computer using Kogan’s likeness to communicate with Wright.

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