Since it made its first appearance in 2003, Call of Duty has established itself as one of the greatest first-person shooter franchises to ever grace a console or PC. With a plethora of titles in its 20-year lifespan that have covered famous wars in history as well as imagining warfare in the far future, Call of Duty has continued to provide fans of the FPS genre with exciting and highly replayable content with each new release.
With its popularity, Call of Duty has attracted some of the biggest stars in the sports and entertainment industries looking to etch their name in the franchise's history. With the recent announcement of NBA superstar Kevin Durant making an appearance in Call of Duty: Warzone 2, it is worth looking at the most iconic names affiliated with a CoD title.
10 Kiefer Sutherland
A part of an elite group of acting talents that reprised more than one role in the Call of Duty franchise, Kiefer Sutherland featured in Call of Duty: World At War as Sergeant Roebuck and as Gideon Jones in the Zombies DLC "Dead of the Night" from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
While his first role took place in 2008, his most significant role was in Black Ops 4 as a playable character alongside the likes of Helena Bonham Carter. His likeness was more accurately captured, which is no surprise given the time that has passed since his first appearance as Sergeant Roebuck.
9 Idris Elba
In a career that will undoubtedly cement him as one of the best on-screen talents to come out of the UK, Idris Elba has done just about everything there is to do. With a number of sensational projects on his CV, from playing the title character in Luther to reprising Nordic god Heimdall in Marvel's Thor, Idris also added Call of Duty to that list as a member of the Modern Warfare 3 cast.
Elba's character Sergeant First Class Truck was a major player in the storyline of the game and proved loyal to the death. His demise was one of the more emotional moments in the franchise's history, as he gave up his life to save his comrades.
8 Ice Cube
Hip-hop icon and Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Ice Cube is best known for his music career, notably as a member of the legendary rap group N.W.A, but he has several impressive performances as an actor in films and games. His trademark snarl and eyebrow have been his calling card in films such as 21 Jump Street and the XXX series, but he also made a virtual appearance in the Call of Duty franchise.
Taking on the role of Joseph Bowman in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Ice Cube played a secondary role in Alex Mason's story. Bowman would, unfortunately, meet a gruesome fate, which begs the question: did the rap icon snarl at the wrong member of the development team?
7 Jeff Goldblum
With some of the highest-grossing films of his era to his name, Jeff Goldblum is a familiar face for film enthusiasts young and old. Rising to superstardom from his appearances in the likes of Jurassic Park and Independence Day, Goldblum's career has spanned nearly 50 years of on-screen highlights.
Goldblum lends his likeness and vocal talents to Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 as Nero Blackstone, one of the four playable characters in the game's Zombie map "Shadows of Evil." The only thing more impressive than his performance in the role was how he kept his mustache so well-groomed while facing the undead hordes.
6 Helena Bonham Carter
Adding to her impressive portfolio of iconic roles, Helena Bonham Carter added Call of Duty to her list of appearances as a playable character in Black Ops 4 Zombie DLC "Dead of the Night". Playing the role of Christina Fowler, better known by her stage name Madame Mirela, Bonham Carter takes on the role of a fraudulent psychic and con artist.
To coincide with her famous roles as Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter franchise and multiple roles in a host of Tim Burton films, Bonham Carter was the perfect casting choice for the quirky fortune-teller.
5 Jason Statham
His likeness may not be the most obvious, but that is easily overlooked given Jason Statham made his video game debut in the supporting cast of the very first Call of Duty game back in 2003. Statham is a household name for his appearances in a plethora of hard-hitting action films, such as TheTransporter franchise, so needless to say the Brit is certainly at home in military garb with a weapon in hand.
Providing his vocals to bring Sergeant Waters to life in Call of Duty's debut, Statham's character would go on to be a pivotal part of the narrative after being rescued by the player.
4 David Hasselhoff
The beaches of Los Angeles and Hawaii were kept safe by Mitch Buchanon and his crew of lifesavers as David Hasselhoff achieved celebrity status as a member of the slow-motion jogging Baywatch team. But that wasn't his only famous role, as he was a prominent member of the casts of Knight Rider and The Young and the Restless. Alongside these popular television programs, "The Hoff" has also had a cameo in Call of Duty.
Popping up in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's Zombie map "Zombies In Spaceland" as the resident DJ, Hasselhoff adds to the quirky retro theme of one of the most popular renditions of the franchise's survival mode. A lesser-known fact about Hasselhoff's role in the game is that he can be recruited as a supporting player by completing enough N3IL challenges.
3 Kit Harington
Having risen to stardom as a key member of the Game of Thrones cast, British actor Kit Harington appeared in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. His character, Admiral Salen Kotch, is far removed from the beloved Jon Snow of The Night's Watch that captured the hearts of GoT fans.
Harington's character was a vital element of the Infinite Warfare story mode as the narrative's main antagonist. Contrasting with the gentle and kind nature of his Snow character, Harington showed his range as the ruthless Cydonian leader.
2 Gary Oldman
From James Gordon to Sirius Black and Count Dracula, Gary Oldman is truly one of the great acting talents of the last 50 years, portraying some of the most recognizable characters in films. To add to his impressive resumé, Oldman added Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops as Sergeant Viktor Reznov.
Reznov is a key player in the Black Ops story and is responsible for brainwashing Alex Mason into becoming a sleeper agent and completing Reznov's mission of revenge. Given the significant impact he had on the main character of the title, he is one of the best celebrity contributors to the FPS franchise.
1 Sam Worthington
Following his success in 2009 films Terminator: Salvation and, most notably, Avatar, Sam Worthington made the first of six appearances in the Call of Duty franchise as marquee character Alex Mason in Call of Duty: Black Ops. As the focal point of one of the strongest storylines in the franchise's history, Worthington is certainly worthy of a nod as one of the best celebrity appearances in the game.
The Australian actor brought to life one of the franchise's most complex characters who underwent an unprecedented amount of mental trauma. Mason appealed to the wider Call of Duty community and established himself as one of the most popular personalities in the franchise.