The epidemic of cameos in movies is destroying the integrity of modern-day films. Movies like Bullet Train (2022), which necessitate less acting skill because the plot works on its own, are created for the exciting appearance of nonacting celebrities. But in the context of a serious movie, or one that doesn’t require special skills, is casting non-actors still an okay choice? When it comes to celebrities and the arts they create, each should stay in their lane. Real musicians and athletes can perform roles that need their special talents outside of acting but should otherwise not be cast in significant roles. Musicians especially are often gaining acting roles that aren’t really in their wheelhouse of ability. Lisa from BLACKPINK recently starred in season three of The White Lotus (2025). IMDb wrote “ahead of the release a US media outlet hinted at the disappointing use of the BLACKPINK member in the series.” While she was chosen to play the character of Mook to represent her Thai heritage, she was not the right choice for the role.
One fan, interviewed by News 18, said, “she’s mostly just there to increase traffic to the show and to feature a huge star from that country.” Fans considering her tone “robotic” is further evidence of the fact that she did not possess the talent required to stay on par with the witty actors already present. This disrupted the flow of the show, ruining the experience for long-term fans.

Adding new non-actor celebrities to shows just to draw in their fans is not a sacrifice worth making. Especially when it comes to a series like While Lotus with multiple seasons and an ongoing plot.
Conversely, for musical productions, hiring musicians is the only good option. We see clear evidence of the success in hiring singers as actors in the movie renditions of Wicked (2025) and West Side Story (2021). With both Ariana Grande, a long-time singer songwriter, and Rachel Zegler, a professional opera singer, pouring emotion into the music to create meaningful and investing films. The consequences of not casting musicians are clearly seen in the absolute flop of the movie musical Mean Girls (2024). Angourie Rice, who was cast as Cady, the main protagonist, had many Broadway fans saying her delivery didn’t live up to the original. The strained vocals and autotune were clear even to fans without singing experience. Not to mention, duets, like the one between characters Aaron Samuels and Regina George in the song Someone Gets Hurt, were cut from the movie altogether. Most of this was due to the fact that Christopher Briney, the actor for Samuels, did not have the skillset to sing that duet.

While musicians might have a reason to act, most athletes do not. Some movies might circulate vaguely around a sport, but the core function of those films relies on the emotions shown between the characters.
Even athletes whose sport requires them to do some semblance of acting, like dancers, learn to do so in an exaggerated way that does not reflect well in on screen acting. A prime example of this is the young Dance Moms star, Maddie Ziegler. Trained in dancing since she was two years old, her fame came from a reality television show about her dance studio. When casted correctly, she thrived in roles like Velma from West Side Story, alongside Rachel Zegler, where the focus was on scenes like the dance at the gym scene. However, she does not have the skill level to successfully perform a real acting role and, as a result, The 23-year-old dancer faced particularly extreme backlash for her role in Music (2021).
Music was directed and produced by famous popstar, Sia, a woman who considers Ziegler to be her ‘muse’ and selected her to play the non-verbal autistic girl that the film centers around. Ziegler’s inexperience in acting made the mockery of a neurotypical actor playing an autistic character all the more ridiculous. This way of progressing into acting is common among musicians and some athletes, but it is most common among models. Figures like Kiyle Jenner and Bella Hadid gain acting opportunities through media presence, nepotism and not talent, leading to bad portrayal of characters.

Bella Hadid is an example of what the press calls a ‘classic model turned actor.’ Her performance in Ramy (2022) tended to have either a dead, unemotional delivery or be overly aggressive. Ryan Murphy, the director of her most recent movie The Beauty (2026), was even criticized for assembling “the most unlikeable cast possible” Bella Hadid included. Musicians and athletes are necessary additions to films when it comes to skills that not everyone possesses. However, the acting industry, just like any other industry, requires protection from unpracticed outsiders. Skills like acting, music, and sports take time to develop and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Expecting actors to be able to create good music and possess an athlete’s skill level is unrealistic, but it’s disrespectful to the audience to cast random celebrities in movies, instead of real actors who have perfected their art form.