The Ghostbusters Star Who Had A Cameo In Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Regardless of bettering its status over time, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” stays infamous in its personal manner. The prequel to 1981’s “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark” noticed Indy staff up with a brand new sidekick, Brief Spherical (Ke Huy Quan), and Kate Capshaw’s nightclub singer Willie Scott for a decidedly darker story than its predecessor. Although it has since been reappraised, “Temple of Doom” was met with a combination of confusion and consternation upon its 1984 launch, even whereas it turned a field workplace success. None of this could have been all that shocking for director Steven Spielberg, nevertheless, seeing as the unique “Temple of Doom” author was scared away by the story he and George Lucas had in thoughts.

Now, some 40 years after it first debuted, “Temple of Doom” occupies an odd area within the “Indiana Jones” lineage, concurrently overcoming its preliminary response whereas nonetheless trailing some controversy, particularly over its notorious banquet scene and y’know, the kid homicide stuff. Which is why, typically, it is good to neglect all of the controversy and simply nerd out over a number of the movie’s Easter eggs and hidden particulars. One such instance which can have escaped even diehard followers of the franchise is a short “Temple of Doom” cameo by a “Ghostbusters” star that lasts all of 18 seconds.

Earlier than Indy and his cohorts descend into the depths of the Thuggee cultists lair, “Temple of Doom” opens with a now basic sequence that sees Henry Jones Jr. flee from a Shanghai nightclub referred to as Membership Obi Wan — itself one of many first Easter eggs within the movie — after crime boss Lao Che tries to kill him. The following automotive chase ends with Indy, Brief Spherical, and Willie pulling as much as the airport and being shepherded to a cargo airplane by a British navy officer by the title of Artwork Weber. “Ah, Dr. Jones,” calls Weber in a hearty British accent because the trio pull up, “I am Artwork Weber, I spoke along with your assistant, we have managed to safe a free seat.” Weber then informs the group they’re going to be driving on a cargo airplane stuffed with stay poultry, and that is the final we see of the character, who’s, it seems, performed by none aside from “Saturday Evening Reside” alum and “Ghostbusters” star Dan Aykroyd.

Even those that paid shut consideration to this second might have missed Aykroyd, the star of a few of the very best 80s comedies. The actor stays pretty removed from the digicam all through his transient cameo and his face is obscured by a mustache — to not point out his accent, which is by some means each a good and horrible interpretation of a basic RP intonation.

Because it seems, Aykroyd and Steven Spielberg had remained associates since engaged on the WWII comedy “1941” — one among Spielberg’s lowest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes — and all it took was a fast cellphone name for Aykroyd to land his cameo.

Requested by The AV Membership how he ended up in “Temple of Doom,” Dan Aykroyd revealed that he truly referred to as Steven Spielberg personally, explaining:

“I mentioned, ‘I might like to work on this film. Something I can do.’ Simply because I like these guys and I like the franchise. And so they introduced me on, good sports activities that they had been. I simply mentioned, ‘Can I please have an element on this film?’ [Laughs] I begged for it!”

If you’re a type of viewers who did handle to catch Aykroyd’s fast cameo in “Temple of Doom,” you might properly have missed some even harder-to-spot cameos in the exact same scene. Creator George Lucas, govt producer Frank Marshall, producer Kathleen Kennedy, and Spielberg himself seem as missionaries within the background of the Shanghai airport the place Weber meets Indy, Brief Spherical, and Willie.

“Temple of Doom” is way from the one Spielberg film to characteristic plentiful cameos. “E.T. The Further-Terrestrial” was initially purported to characteristic cameos from Indy himself, Harrison Ford, and Spielberg himself had a secret cameo in “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark.”