Glass Onion on Netflix: The Untold story of ‘Star-Studded Cameos' in the ‘Knives Out’ Sequel

Spoiler Alert

It's time for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery!

The follow-up to writer-director Rian Johnson's 2019 mystery Knives Out debuted on Netflix this Friday. Daniel Craig reprises his role as detective Benoit Blanc for a fresh adventure with an entirely new star cast.

Along with Dave Bautista and Edward Norton, the movie also stars Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Kathryn Hahn. In addition to Craig's supporting cast, Johnson also secured a sizable roster of celebrities for cameo appearances throughout the movie.

Discover everything there is to know about each cameo in Johnson's latest mystery thriller by reading on.

Hugh Grant

When a box from billionaire Miles Bron (Norton) is delivered to Blanc's apartment, Hugh Grant answers the door, showing that Blanc is cohabitating with a male companion. Grant's cameo in ‘Glass Onion’ makes for quite the reveal.

"You are meant to represent life. And those individuals in my life are reflected in that relationship, "In a recent interview, Craig, 54, discussed the film's revelation that his character is gay.

"It's typical. But we don't turn it into a song and dance. The timing seems good "he continued.

Johnson told the Times that while Blanc's sexual orientation "simply made sense to Daniel and me," it wasn't intended to be a major plot point for the film.

"We didn't want to play the sly or innocent card. All we wanted was for it to be a character fact "Johnson, 48, explained.

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Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury

Glass Onion opens with the late Angela Lansbury being seen on a Zoom call with Blanc in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic. As the gang attempts to play the well-known online mystery computer game Among Us, Lansbury, who passed away in October at the age of 96, is remembered for her expertise in the mystery genre and her time on Murder, She Wrote.

Additionally, Blanc is joined on the Zoom call by the late Stephen Sondheim, who passed away at the age of 91 in November 2021. The two are playing the board game Among Us.

Regarding Sondheim and Lansbury's cameos in the movie, Johnson told news sources in November that "It means so much that they were in the movie." It means even more to me because I was given ten minutes with each of them to simply express my appreciation for their work, which was quite wonderful.

According to Johnson, Angela Lansbury "is unique in so many respects in her affinity to the genre." "She is merely a hero. Finally, Sondheim has a strong affinity for the murder-mystery subgenre. He loved riddles and mysteries."

Through the same Zoom call as the group play Among Us, NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne also made cameo appearances in the movie.

Ethan  Hawke

Glass Onion features Ethan Hawke only once, as an enigmatic figure who welcomes Blanc and Bron's guests at a Greek pier before they travel to the billionaire's private island.

As Bron's guests board a boat to the island, Hawke's character, Efficient Man, sprays a liquid into their lips that appears to immunise recipients against COVID-19, informing them they no longer need to wear a mask — or, as he simply explains to Blanc: "You're good."

Hawke's appearance was not planned, according to Johnson, who revealed this to news sources  in November. Rather, the actor travelled to Greece for one day to film the scene while Glass Onion was in production while he was in Budapest, Hungary, filming Moon Knight.

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Serena Williams

In a workout programme like a Mirror product that has been mounted on the wall of the mansion's gym, tennis legend Serena Williams makes an appearance.

Williams surprises the audience when she asks Craig and Monáe's characters if they are going to work out, revealing a live feed that demonstrates how Norton's billionaire has Williams on retainer as a personal trainer. Williams' cameo initially appears to be a pre-taped video for Norton's character to work out.

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Yo Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma, a well-known cellist, makes an early appearance in Glass Onion at a party held by Birdie Jay (Hudson). The musician helps Jay unravel the enigma of Bron's perplexing invitation to the group reunion on his private island.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

In Glass Onion, just Joseph Gordon-voice Levitt's is audible. The actor, who has starred in all of Johnson's films, delivers the sounds for the hourly chime that chimes on Bron's private island throughout the film in an uncredited voice cameo.

Currently, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix !

Also Read: Daniel Craig Said It ‘Just Feels Right’ That His ‘Glass Onion’ Character Is Gay: It's Ordinary