When Hollywood celebrities are under scrutiny from fans and tabloids every day, it takes a special level of courage and guts for them to embrace those same criticisms. Some take it to another level by not only embracing criticism but playing a character onscreen (sometimes playing themselves) in a way that pokes fun at themselves or makes them the butt of the joke.
Few actors have ever been willing to do this, but even fewer have done so to the same extent that John Malkovich once did in 1997 for the bizarre comedic movie, Being John Malkovich.
10 Being John Malkovich - John Malkovich Is Being Boring
Charlie Kaufman took a huge gamble in finishing his Being John Malkovich screenplay without ever having met its title character, not to mention not wanting another actor to take center stage - per Variety - on the off-chance that Malkovich said no.
Malkovich easily could've declined given that his character is portrayed as dull and obnoxiously normal despite his celebrity status, to the point that he has beer cans thrown at his head for being considered such a joke. Thankfully, the real-life Malkovich enjoyed the humor and agreed to partake in what would be a three-time Oscar-nominated movie.
9 Deadpool 1 & 2 - Ryan Reynolds Pokes Fun At His Superhero Failures
Both Deadpool movies have always been noted for their self-aware, tongue-in-cheek humor. More often than not, that humor is directed at Ryan Reynolds and his career - specifically his starring roles in two major box office and critical superhero movie flops: X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Green Lantern.
Both movies have built notorious reputations among the worst superhero movies ever made, and Reynolds is well aware of the criticism they received. Rather than ignore them, Reynolds takes every opportunity he can in the Deadpool films to poke fun at those movies himself.
8 Keanu - Anna Faris Is A Crazy Celebrity Drug Addict
Keanu is an absurd movie in its own right. Before he wrote and directed his Oscar-winning Get Out, Jordan Peele starred with his buddy Keegan-Michael Key as two cousins caring for a lost kitten who somehow fall into the crosshairs of the mob and are forced to sell drugs.
Things get even more absurd when one of their buyers happens to be Hollywood actress Anna Faris. Faris is well-known for playing ridiculous, unhinged characters, but for that character to actually be an extension of herself as a drug-addled and bloodthirsty lunatic makes things all the more hilarious.
7 Jack And Jill - Al Pacino Is Lovestruck With Adam Sandler
With all of his screaming, shouty, over-the-top performances in movies like The Devil's Advocate, Scent of a Woman, and Scarface, Al Pacino created the perception that he was crazy in real life, too. Pacino embraces that perception in Jack and Jill.
Kudos to Al Pacino for not only making fun of his own public image but taking part in a silly movie where he's playing himself as a hapless actor in love with Adam Sandler in drag, all while singing in a just as silly Dunkin' Donuts "Dunkaccino" commercial. This is the same Oscar-winning actor who took part in The Godfather, so it's refreshing to see him take a break from more serious pictures to have a laugh at himself.
6 Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back - Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Sell Out
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are actually good friends with Kevin Smith in real life. The two starred in Smith's Dogma in 1997, and prior to that, they personally asked Smith to direct Good Will Hunting before Gus Van Sant came on board. So, it's no surprise that they would provide cameos for Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
The bigger surprise for audiences may come in how the two mega-stars play as exaggerated versions of themselves who are openly sell-outs, as they film an over-the-top sequel to Good Will Hunting called Hunting Season. A special mention goes out to Gus Van Sant, who has a cameo as the director who could not care less what happens on the set.
5 JCVD - Van Damme Trashes His Career
At least, that's how Roger Ebert put it when he reviewed the movie in 2008. In Ebert's own words for his review, JCVD "trashes [Jean-Claude Van Damme's] career, his personal life, his martial arts skills, his financial stability, and his image."
This painfully self-aware crime drama sees Van Damme play himself, an aging former action star who can't find a new gig to save his life and is now broke and struggling against his ex-wife for custody of his child. His problems increase when he's in the middle of a post office heist as a hostage. Audiences gained a new level of respect for Van Damme with this role, not only for his surprisingly excellent performance but the fact that he was willing to share such an intimate depiction of his life.
4 Spy - Jason Statham's Not The Tough Guy He Thought He Was
Jason Statham has always willingly let himself be typecast into the prototypical action star role for his whole career. At first glance, he enters Spy in a similar role, but upon further review, he's actually cast against type.
Statham barely sees any action in this movie, somehow just missing everything each time he enters a scene. And whenever he does find himself in a dangerous situation, he either takes a backseat to Melissa McCarthy or exposes himself as a bumbling klutz. The movie is clearly aware of Statham's reputation, and Statham is in on the joke.
3 The Interview - Eminem Is Aware Of His Criticisms
For as long as he's had a career in the rap industry, the biggest criticisms against Eminem have been about his use of homophobic slurs in his songs. Eminem constantly defends himself by saying he's not homophobic and to this day tries to repent for his lyrics.
Eminem faces those critics head-on in The Interview, but instead of offering his usual scathing tongue, he offers a version of himself who actually is gay, coming out on live television to James Franco's David Skylark. The scene highlights Skylark as a journalist with a knack for getting the big scoops, and Eminem suggests that any gay lyrics of his were actually a hint to his own closeted homosexuality.
2 Happy Gilmore - The Price Is Wrong For Bob Barker
While not as disparaging as other performances on this list, Bob Barker uses his cameo in Happy Gilmore to poke fun at his own nice guy image. The man who spent 35 years telling contestants to come on down to the stage for The Price is Right had the demeanor of the kindest senior citizen on the planet.
However, Bob Barker in Happy Gilmore was an aggressively competitive golfer who beat up Adam Sandler in a one-on-one fight. Funnily enough, per Fox News, Barker only agreed to take part in the movie if he was guaranteed to win the fight.
1 Bill Murray - Most Of His Filmography Is Him Making Fun Of Himself
If anyone can take a joke, it's Bill Murray. A large portion of his career is dedicated to playing himself in movies, and most of these roles are not the most flattering of portraits.
Murray has played exaggerated versions of himself in Space Jam, She's Having a Baby, A Very Murray Christmas. Most notably was his role in Zombieland where he doesn't hesitate to poke fun at his participation in the critically panned Garfield movie, where he voices the title character.