Alfred Hitchcock's 10 Most Memorable Cameos, Ranked

The legendary director’s self-referential appearances in his own films have become the stuff of legend.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Even though Alfred Hitchcock made his last film in 1976, he remains one of the best-known and most beloved directors of all time. Films such as Psycho (1960) and Rear Window (1954) have been remade and referenced again and again in film and television. Hitchcock is also known for his sometimes-cheeky, sometimes-foreboding self-references in his own movies, making brief appearances that have become the stuff of legend.

Why it matters

Hitchcock’s cameos often speak to the development of his artistic style or shed light on who he was in real life. From his heavy drinking in Notorious (1946) to his fourth-wall-breaking gaze in Marnie (1964), these cameos have become an integral part of the director’s enduring legacy.

The details

Hitchcock’s first cameo appearance was in his 1927 film The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, where he sat at a desk with his back to the camera in a newsroom scene. Over the years, his cameos became more creative, from appearing as a silhouette in The Wrong Man (1956) to arguing with a costar behind a closed door in his final film, Family Plot (1976). Some of his most memorable cameos include rushing for a bus in North by Northwest (1959), sitting on the London Underground in Blackmail (1929), and appearing in a newspaper ad for weight loss in Lifeboat (1944).

  • Hitchcock’s first cameo appearance was in his 1927 film The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog.
  • His cameo in North by Northwest (1959) occurs early in the film, before the opening credits have even finished.
  • Hitchcock’s cameo in Frenzy (1972) takes place just after the credits and again a few moments later in the film.
  • Family Plot (1976) was Hitchcock’s final film, and his cameo in it, where he appears as a silhouette arguing behind a closed door, feels particularly foreboding.
  • Hitchcock’s cameo in The Birds (1963) occurs within the first five minutes of the film.

The players

Alfred Hitchcock

The legendary British film director known as the "Master of Suspense" and renowned for his innovative techniques, distinctive visual style, and cameo appearances in his own films.

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What they’re saying

“This is Alfred Hitchcock speaking.”

— Alfred Hitchcock (The Wrong Man)

The takeaway

Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearances in his own films have become an integral part of his enduring legacy as one of the most influential directors in cinema history. From his early, unplanned cameo in The Lodger to his more deliberate and thematic appearances in later films, these brief self-references showcase Hitchcock’s wit, self-awareness, and mastery of the medium.