There are a handful of hallmarks of Sam Raimi‘s movies that horror fans always love to spot, with familiar camera techniques and even actors often popping up no matter the genre of film. Of course, it’s simply not a Sam Raimi movie without an appearance from Bruce Campbell, but Campbell isn’t the only original Evil Dead actor to frequently appear in Raimi’s movies.
Sam Raimi has a tendency to never leave his friends behind and never forget his roots, making every single Raimi movie a fun “Where’s Waldo?” of sorts for his longtime fans.
While we wait to (potentially) see Bruce Campbell in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, here are five times original Evil Dead stars had cameos in other Sam Raimi movies!
Bruce Campbell – Darkman
It seems only right to begin this list with Bruce Campbell, who of course has appeared in pretty much everything Sam Raimi has made over the years. The Evil Dead star, for starters, made cameo appearances in all three of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, but the cameo we want to spotlight here today is Campbell’s appearance in Raimi’s dark superhero movie, Darkman.
Released in 1990, Darkman saw Raimi blending the comic book superhero movie with the Universal Monsters movie, creating a brand new character in the process. Liam Neeson played Peyton Westlake throughout the entirety of Darkman, but the character’s ability to change his appearance leads to a final moment wherein he becomes a new man entirely.
In the film’s final moments, Bruce Campbell pops up as the titular character. Unfortunately, though two sequels were made, Campbell never ended up reprising the role. Sigh.
Danny Hicks – Spider-Man 2
Danny Hicks was a mainstay in the early films of Sam Raimi, memorably starring as Jake in Evil Dead II. The sequel was the very first on-screen appearance for Hicks, who subsequently had a starring role in the 1989 slasher Intruder, which Raimi also appeared in.
Danny Hicks later appeared in Raimi’s Darkman as well as Spider-Man 2, making a cameo appearance as a train passenger in the iconic battle between Spider-Man and Doc Ock.
Sadly, Danny Hicks passed away in 2020 at the age of 68.
The Ladies of The Evil Dead – Oz the Great and Powerful
Prior to his return with this year’s Doctor Strange sequel, it had been just about ten years since Sam Raimi had directed a movie, and that was Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful.
The 2013 movie essentially served as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, with Raimi and the team putting their own spin on the classic tale. Of course, Bruce Campbell made a cameo appearance in that movie as well, and so too did the original Ladies of The Evil Dead!
Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly cameo as Quadling characters in Oz the Great and Powerful, seen briefly during the sequence set at Munchkinland.
The trio played Cheryl, Linda, and Shelly in the original The Evil Dead.
Timothy Patrick Quill – The Quick and the Dead
A longtime friend of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s, Timothy Patrick Quill appeared in Raimi’s debut feature It’s Murder!, along with several early shorts from the Raimi crew including Three on a Couch, No Dough Boys, and Six Months to Live. He later played the Blacksmith in Army of Darkness, subsequently appearing in all of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies.
Timothy Patrick Quill popped up for cameo appearances as “Wrestling Arena Guard” in Spider-Man, “Train Passenger” in Spider-Man 2, and “Crane Operator” in Spider-Man 3.
Sam Raimi’s 1995 Western The Quick and the Dead similarly featured an appearance from Timothy Patrick Quill, playing “Man in Bar,” and he was also in Oz the Great and Powerful.
Sadly, Timothy Patrick Quill passed away in 2021 at the age of 63.
Ted Raimi – For Love of the Game
It’s not a Sam Raimi movie without Bruce Campbell and it’s also not a Sam Raimi movie without Ted Raimi, who is of course Sam’s little brother in real life. Ted Raimi memorably played the demonic Henrietta in Evil Dead II, later seen in Raimi movies including Darkman, Army of Darkness, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and Oz the Great and Powerful.
Remember For Love of the Game? Sam Raimi’s 1999 baseball movie also featured a cameo from brother Ted, credited as “Gallery Doorman” in the Kevin Costner-starring film.
Of course, Ted Raimi’s career in horror extends far beyond his brother’s movies, starring in Shocker, Candyman, Maniac Cop 3, Wishmaster, The Grudge, and The Midnight Meat Train.
As an added bonus, we can’t not mention the iconic 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 from The Evil Dead, which has gone on to become a recurring character in Sam Raimi’s movies.
The car has appeared in almost all of Sam Raimi’s movies over the years, including A Simple Plan, The Gift, Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell, and even the Evil Dead remake!
Will it pop up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We’ll find out this weekend!
