Stephen King is one of the few authors who transcends the written medium. With his name also synonymous with film and television, King is almost a genre himself. Creating some of the most popular horror stories of all time, from Carrie to Cujo, King is one of the most respected people in the horror genre.

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The closest thing to horror's version of Stan Lee, King has had a cameo in a total of 24 productions across the big and small screen. Most of his appearances have been in adaptations based on his stories, though he has also been known to pop up in unrelated works. Like with Lee, it becomes a fun game to spot when King is going to appear, with the prolific writer usually appearing in the most unlikely of places.

'IT: Chapter Two' (2019)

Stephen King sipping from a cup with a straw

Picking up 27 years after the first film, IT: Chapter Two follows the adult members of The Losers Club as they remember their past shared trauma. Returning to their hometown to end Pennywise once and for all, they must face new threats and the emergence of old ones.

When successful author Bill (James McAvoy) remembers a fond memory of a childhood bike ride, he heads to the local pawn shop to buy back his old bicycle. There he haggles with the stern shopkeeper (King in his most recent appearance) over the price. It's a fun meta cameo for King, who refuses an autograph from Bill because he hates his books' endings. It is a clever nod to the same criticism that has been aimed at King over the years.

IT Chapter Two is available to stream on HBO Max.

'Knightriders' (1981)

Stephen King eating a hoagie next to his wife

Knightriders is an oddity in George A. Romero's filmography, as the zombie master moves away from the undead to instead focus on jousting bikers. Ed Harris stars as Billy, the leader of a biker gang who travels from town to town hosting jousting competitions at medieval fairs.

Despite not having any involvement in the production, King made his first screen appearance in this forgotten cult classic. He plays the legendary character Hoagie Man, a man enjoying his hoagie as he watches the jousters compete. The role is made special by having the author share the screen with his wife, Tabitha King.

Knightriders is available to stream on Tubi.

'Sleepwalkers' (1992)

Stephen King in Sleepwalkers

A unique entry in King's filmography, as it began life as a screenplay he wrote, rather than an adaptation of his pre-existing work. Sleepwalkers follows a pair of vampire-like creatures, a mother and son duo who also share an incestuous relationship. Feeding on virgin women, they settle on a remote town as their newest hunting ground.

Sleepwalkers is packed with cameos, with famous directors Joe Dante and Tobe Hooper appearing, while Mark Hamill plays a sheriff. King's scene sees him playing a cemetery caretaker, and he shares the screen with fellow legendary horror author Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and An American Werewolf in London director John Landis.

'Sons of Anarchy' (2008-2014)

Stephen King in Sons of Anarchy

When you need help burying some bodies, there's no one better to ask than Stephen King. Sons of Anarchy was one of the most popular shows on television during its original run. The series follows the members of a biker gang as they face conflict with rival gangs, the police, and each other.

In the third season episode "Caregiver," the members of SAMCRO call in the services of a cleaner to dispose of a dead body. Enter Bachman, a "disposal expert" who is played to creepy perfection by King. The character's name is a reference to Richard Bachman, a pseudonym that King used to write a series of books.

Sons of Anarchy is available to stream on Hulu.

'The Langoliers' (1995)

Stephen King in The Langoliers

A made-for-television miniseries, The Langoliers is based on the novella by King. Directed by (the non-Spider-man) Tom Holland (Child's Play), the two-part series follows ten passengers aboard a flight from LA to Boston. After a strange event causes everyone else on the plane to disappear, those who remain try to discover what exactly occurred.

One of the characters, Craig Toomy, is an unstable businessman who regularly discusses his frustration at missing an important meeting with his boss. When Craig finally loses his sanity, he hallucinates a vision of his boss, who is played by King. The tiny role allows King to again unleash his inner creep as his sinister smile is one of the last things Craig sees.

'Rose Red' (2002)

Stephen King as a pizza delivery man

Another miniseries, this time based on an original script from King and is one of his best television adaptations. Rose Red is a loose adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, and follows a team of psychics as they explore an abandoned mansion. As expected, all is not right in the house and the group is faced with all manner of life-threatening dangers.

Before beginning their night in the spooky building, the group decides to order pizza. When their dinner arrives, the delivery boy is revealed to be none other than King himself. It's only a small cameo, but it's an amusing appearance by the author which provides a funny moment before the dark proceedings.

'Maximum Overdrive' (1986)

Stephen King in Maximum Overdrive

The only movie directed by the man himself, King has disowned Maximum Overdrive, but it remains an enjoyable thrill ride from the '80s. When a comet passes by Earth and causes all the machinery to turn homicidal, a group of survivors hides out together at a remote service station.

With the film beginning on the eve of the machines going haywire, King plays a man visiting an ATM. Rather than discharging his cash, the machine instead insults the great man, causing him to turn to his wife and utter the immortal line "come on over here, Sugar-buns. This machine just called me an asshole." It remains one of the best cameos in horror.

'Creepshow' (1982)

A man covered in a grass like substance

Less of a cameo and more of a leading role, King stars in the second segment of this anthology film. He plays Jordy Verrill, a farmer living alone on his plot of land. When a meteorite crash lands on his property, Jordy hopes to sell the alien object to the local university. Instead, a grass-like substance begins to overtake both his farm and Jordy himself.

Creepshow is a collaboration between George A. Romero and King, who wrote all the short stories for the movie. It is a homage to the horror comics of the past and is one of the best horror anthology movies. Two sequels followed, while a television series following the same concept currently airs on Shudder.

'The Simpsons' (1989-)

Stephen King in The Simpsons

It is seemingly a rite of passage for every celebrity to make an appearance on The Simpsons, and King's moment came in the season 12 episode "Insane Clown Poppy." When Marge approaches the author at a book fair and asks him what he's currently working on, he declares he is leaving horror behind to instead write a biography of Benjamin Franklin. He then describes a series of horrific details he is going to shoehorn into the founding father's life.

Aside from voicing himself, there are many references to the writer in the legendary series. Several of his stories, such as The Shining, Carrie, and IT, have been parodied in some of the best Treehouse of Horror episodes, while The Simpsons Movie takes clear inspiration from his novel Under the Dome.

The Simpsons is available to stream on Disney+.

'Pet Sematary' (1989)

Stephen King as a minister
Image via Paramount

One of the best adaptations of King's work, Pet Sematary is infamous for its scene that depicts young child Gage being killed by a truck. When distraught father Louis buries his deceased son in an ancient burial ground rumored to bring back the dead, Louis' decision results in a series of terrifying events that haunt him and the rest of his family.

Based on his 1983 novel, King also wrote the screenplay for the film. He makes an appearance almost halfway through the movie, playing the minister presiding over a funeral. The cameo is played straight, not offering any self-referential humor that would be at odds with Pet Sematary's depressing tone.

Pet Sematary is available to stream on AMC+.

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