Celebs You Wouldn't Expect On Cameo

When the Internet finally became a tool for everyday life in the mid-'90s, it was supposed to usher in a new era of information to bring the world together. We can argue about if that's actually happened or not, but as we all wait to arrive at the answer, you can get a celebrity to send you a personalized message with the video-sharing platform Cameo. Once COVID-19 hit America and social distancing entered our everyday vernacular, Cameo flourished. Like, really flourished. As Cameo CEO and co-founder Steven Galanis told Refinery29 in April 2020, sales "doubled over the last three weeks."

So how did this service come about? We'll let Galanis fill you in. "We had the idea that selfies were the new autograph. We were trying to figure out: how do you take a selfie with someone without actually being there with them? And this was our solution to that," he explained to Refinery29. "Looking back at it, obviously we weren't expecting to enter a world of social distancing, but in many ways this is kind of the perfect product for an era where every meet and greet, fan convention, and Comic-Con is cancelled. This is a way for the talent to have a Comic-Con in the palm of their hands."

And there is a lot of talent to choose from. In May 2020, Galanis told Newsday that Cameo boasts a roster of over 30,000 celebrities not-so in your area ready to connect with you. Here are a few you might not expect.

Love him or hate him, Floyd "Money" Mayweather is one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. With a career record of 50-0 (including 27 knockouts), the outspoken fighter earned an estimated $1 billion over the course of his career, but according to The Sun, he blew most of it by gambling and living an over the top lavish lifestyle. However, don't feel too bad for Mayweather. He still has an estimated net worth of $450 million and still remains (at the time of this writing) the fifth-highest paid athlete in sports history.

But for the low, low price of $999, you can get a personalized cameo from Money Mayweather himself. As in, one of most iconic athletes of all time. As in, 12-time World Champion and currently undefeated boxing icon Mr. 50-0. For commercial requests, hit the "book for a brand or business" button," his Cameo profile reads, where he currently holds a 5-star review rating.

So why is Mayweather on Cameo? What can we say, the man just loves ducats as his name suggests. "The fact I speak about money doesn't make me a bad person. I like to have the good things in life; money doesn't make me, I make money," he told the Disruptive Entrepreneur podcast (via Marca). "I like to feed my family, we can't feed our family by just saying, 'I love you.'" No arguments here.

At the time of this writing, quarterback Drew Brees is the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns to Tom Brady. To say he's had a remarkable and lucrative career would be an understatement. With $269.7 million in career earnings, Brees is also (at the time of this writing) the NFL's highest-paid player in history.

After 20 seasons and one Super Bowl victory, Brees decided to call it a career and retired in 2021. "After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback," he wrote on Instagram. "Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us."

So with all this free time and money, why is Brees charging $750 on Cameo? To support his foundation, of course. "Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Joining Cameo to connect with all my amazing fans," his Cameo profile reads. "100% of proceeds will support the Brees Dream Foundation. Looking forward to connecting with you and thanks for all your support."

Big cat activist Carole Baskin became a household name in 2020 with the release of the Netflix documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. Portrayed as the arch-nemesis of the titular Joe Exotic, Baskin also came under scrutiny over the disappearance of her husband Don Lewis. 

The feud between Baskin and Joe Exotic was central to the documentary and Baskin made sure to carry that to her Cameo profile. "You know me as 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic's intended murder victim but my real life's work has been at Big Cat Rescue for a world where all wild cats live free," she writes. "Please be a voice for cats: BigCatAct.com."

So for $299, you can get personalized video from Baskin and help her big cat rescue. She currently boasts a 5-star review rating and you can expect cat puns if you decide to purchase. "Carole delivered a lovely personalized message for my sister-in-law who is battling cancer (and now covid-19)," one reviewer wrote. "Carol was thoughtful, encouraging and included a few great cat-based puns (cause, what else?!). My sister-in-law and I bonded over Tiger King at the start of the pandemic last year and I knew she'd be blown away to receive a personalized message from the big cat queen herself, Carole Baskin. Boy, did it lift her spirits. Thank you so much!"

Michelle Wolf joined The Daily Show with Trevor Noah in 2016 and had her first HBO standup special in 2017 with Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady. But the comic achieved national attention in 2018 when performed a controversial set at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Her joke about former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' propensity to not be entirely truthful during her briefings became a lightning rod of controversy. "I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful. She burns facts, and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smoky eye," Wolf quipped. "Like maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies. It's probably lies."

This caught the ire of the Trump administration, his supporters, and some in the media. Co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski tweeted, "Women who use their government positions to spread lies and misinformation deserve to face the same withering criticism as men. But leave our looks out of it. Watching from home, I hurt for Sarah, her husband and her children."

Wolf landed a Netflix talk show off of her newfound fame, but it was canceled after one season. Now she's on Cameo. "Send requests for me to be your alarm clock, ringtone, voicemail, I can roast or compliment your friends, whatever you need!," her profile reads. For a mere $200, you can get her to roast you or your loved ones. Sounds like a sweet deal.

Cedric Antonio Kyles, known to the world as Cedric The Entertainer, can do it all. Whether it be filling arenas to do standup, starring in sitcoms like the The Neighborhood, lending his voice talents to blockbuster animated movies like Ice Age, or flexing his dramatic chops in the indie film First Reformed.

You'd think with so much on his plate that Cedric The Entertainer wouldn't have time for Cameo, but he's the man of the people. For a mere $200, you can get one of the Original Kings of Comedy to brighten your day. "Actor, Producer, Kang of Comedy. Star of the CBS comedy The Neighborhood," his Cameo profile reads.

What can you expect from the legendary comedian? Exactly what you think. "Cedric the Entertainer absolutely outdid himself with our Cameo! My sister was FLOORED when she heard him call her name. It was personalized & Ceddy's charisma was felt by everyone," one reviewer wrote. "Hands down, this was the BEST present ever!"

ALERT: The Nanny is on Cameo. Fran Drescher, who rose to fame by inhabiting the iconic role of Fran Fine in the '90s classic The Nanny, could be sitting back and cashing those residual checks, but the cancer survivor is on the platform to raise money for cancer research.

"Best known as 'Miss Fine' on The Nanny, as well as the star & creator of Happily Divorced, & numerous film & TV productions, Fran is on Cameo to connect with fans & raise money for her foundation, CancerSchmancer," her Cameo profile reads. "Request a Cameo for you or your loved one, & for more information on the charity, go to cancerschmancer.org!"

But please don't think this is a cash grab designed as charity. "I am anti-capitalist. I really think we need a new hybrid of systems. I'm not anti-making-money, don't get me wrong. I don't think making money is a bad thing, per se. But it has to be calibrated within the spectrum of what's a true value," Drescher told Vulture in 2017. "What I really tell people is, you might be the first ones at a global-warming rally, but meanwhile, do you know what's in your investment portfolio? We need to not be supporting these companies at all." So for $500 you can help fund cancer research and hear Nanny Fine nag you. Can't go wrong.

Who doesn't know Tony Hawk? The legendary skateboarder's name is about as iconic as Michael Jordan, even if people don't recognize him. His Cameo profile is classic Hawk: "Professional skateboarder (yes, still), video game character, public skatepark advocate & world traveler. Have phone, will Cameo. Hit me up for requests, big or small... or strange."

For $250, you can get Hawk to compliment your kick flip or encourage your budding skateboarder to keep trying. "Thank you so much Tony! Your words meant the world to him. He was so excited and happy and we haven't stopped smiling all night. I'm so grateful," one reviewer wrote. "He told me he actually bought some skate shoes last week so is definitely going to get back out again!"

On March 18, 2021, Hawk performed the trick he made famous — the 540 ollie — for the last time at the age of 52. "In 1989 I started trying ollie 540's as a joke, since it seemed there was no way to keep a skateboard on your feet throughout 1 1/2 spins in the air," he wrote on Instagram. "But they've gotten scarier in recent years, as the landing commitment can be risky if your feet aren't in the right places. And my willingness to slam unexpectedly into the flat bottom has waned greatly over the last decade. So today I decided to do it one more time... and never again."

In 2008, Alaska's Sarah Palin became the first female Republican nominee for vice president. Since then, Palin's had her share of family drama, a publicized divorce, and an appearance on The Masked Singer as "a walking middle finger to all the haters." The brand isn't going down without a fight, folks. And the brand is extending to Cameo.

"NYT Best Selling Author 1st Female GOP VP Nominee Governor/Mayor/Oil & Gas Comm News Sports Commentator TV Host Ballsy Masked Singer Slowest Runner MOM NANA in God's Great Outdoors!" Palin's Cameo profile states. For an easy $199, Palin will be happy to tell you about God, guns, or own the lib of your choosing.

The outspoken conservative has over 170 reviews at the time of this writing and currently holds a 5-star rating. "Sarah did an amazing job. I appreciate most that her effort and message was genuine and heartfelt. My mother is going to really enjoy this," one reviewer wrote. Thanks, Obama.

During the '90s there was TLC and there was every other girl group. With four No. 1 singles and nine top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas sold over 65 million albums during their peak. However, after the death of Lopes, the band struggled to recapture the magic they once had. What's more, despite their historic success, the women of TLC didn't see a vast majority of the money they earned as a band, leading them to file for bankruptcy. Yes, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time really went bankrupt. As Lopes famously quipped in their Behind the Music special (via IMDb), "This is how a group can sell 10 million records and be broke, and everyone get ready to do your math."

The math wasn't great for the trio. "I will never forget the day we were millionaires for literally five minutes," Watkins told The Guardian in 2017. "Because the cheque was written to us and we had to sign it over, back to [Pebbles, their former manager]. But we won't get into that since we're still in a lawsuit."

Nowadays, T-Boz is on Cameo. For $200, you can request that she tell you or a family member to stick to the rivers and lakes that you're used to. "Finally on Cameo and so excited to connect with you all! Send in your requests," her profile reads.

It's rare that you can get an Olympic gold medalist to send you a personalized message. But thanks to Cameo, you're in luck: McKayla Maroney is available. Part of the U.S. women's gymnastics dubbed the "Fierce Five," Maroney took home the gold and silver during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her Cameo profile is short and sweet: "2012 Olympic gold & silver medalist." That's what they call a flex. For $250 we have to say that's a flipping good deal.

But if Maroney took longer than usual to get back to you in February 2021, there was a very good reason — she was hospitalized with kidney stones. "Tuesday I was throwing up all day, with severe pain in my back and stomach," Maroney wrote on her Instagram story (via People). "Had to come to ER at 3am because pain kept getting worse, and I couldn't stop throwing up." She added, "Just got my CT scan back. I have a few kidney stones."

However, when she does answer a request, she goes for the gold. "Sometimes we need help from the very people we don't know yet to move forward with our lives and thats what happened for me," one reviewer wrote. "I was in a dark place and you helped me stay up. I fell into a darker place from losing someone close to me recently and rewatching your video, and rereading your message helped in bringing me back up from that too." It sounds like this Olympian really sticks the landing.