Seth MacFarlane’s 2014 Western rom-com A Million Ways to Die in the West features a stacked ensemble cast and a number of fun, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos. A Million Ways to Die in the West is directed by Seth MacFarlane, who also co-wrote the screenplay with his frequent collaborators, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, and stars in the lead role of Albert Stark, a wimpy frontiersman and incompetent sheep herder who hates the deadly existence and subsequently miserable lifestyle inherent to the Old West.

Although the reviews for A Million Ways to Die in the West are not great, it still has some redeeming qualities. All the Western references in A Million Ways to Die in the West add to the appeal, but it’s the comedic performances from the talented ensemble cast that really carry the Seth MacFarlane movie. A Million Ways is also punctuated by a ton of notable celebrity cameos from A-list movie stars, iconic character actors, and a few of MacFarlane’s frequent collaborators. Some of these cameos involve a few lines of dialogue, while others last only a split-second.

Seth MacFarlane As Albert Stark

Date Of Birth: October 26, 1973

• Active Since: 1995

Actor: Born in Kent, Connecticut, Seth MacFarlane is best known as the creator and lead voice actor of Family Guy. MacFarlane also co-created and voices characters on the animated series American Dad! and the Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show. In 2012, MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut with Ted, in which he voiced the titular foul-mouthed teddy bear. A sequel, Ted 2, was released in 2015, followed by a prequel series in 2024. In 2017, MacFarlane created his first live-action series, The Orville, in which he also played the protagonist, Ed Mercer.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, MacFarlane plays the protagonist, Albert Stark, a cowardly but sweet sheep farmer who despises life on the American frontier.

Charlize Theron as Anna Barnes-Leatherwood

Date Of Birth: August 7, 1975

• Active Since: 1995

Actor: Born in Benoni, Transvaal, South Africa, Charlize Theron broke big as an actress in the ’90s before receiving widespread critical acclaim for her performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003), which earned Theron her first Oscar win. Theron went on to receive two more Best Actress Oscar nominations for North Country (2006) and Bombshell (2020). Theron is also well known for her action movie roles, most notably as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Cipher in several Fast & Furious movies.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, Theron plays skilled gunslinger Anna Barnes-Leatherwood, a mysterious newcomer who befriends Albert Stark. Anna offers to teach Albert how to shoot while failing to mention that she’s the notorious Clinch Leatherwood’s wife.

Amanda Seyfried as Louise

Date Of Birth: December 3, 1985

• Active Since: 1996

Actor: Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Amanda Seyfried broke big in her feature film debut as Karen Smith in Mean Girls (2004). Seyfried gained further prominence as Sophie in the film adaptation of Mamma Mia! (2008) and the sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). She also starred in films like Jennifer’s Body (2009), Dear John (2010), Letters to Juliet (2010), Les Misérables (2012), and reunited with MacFarlane for Ted 2 (2025). She received her first Oscar nomination for Mank in 2021 and won several major awards for her performance as Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu miniseries The Dropout (2022).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, Seyfried plays Albert Stark’s ex-girlfriend, Louise, who breaks up with him at the beginning of the movie.

Liam Neeson as Clinch Leatherwood

Date Of Birth: June 7, 1952

• Active Since: 1976

Actor: Born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Liam Neeson first rose to prominence for his Oscar-nominated performance in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993). Neeson went on to play Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), returning for cameos and voice roles in later installments of the Star Wars franchise. Neeson is also known for playing Henri Ducard / Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins (2005), Bryan Mills in the Taken movies (2008-2014), and Zeus in Clash of the Titans (2010) and the sequel, Wrath of the Titans (2012).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, Neeson plays ruthless outlaw Clinch Leatherwood, Anna’s abusive husband and “the most vicious gunfighter in the territory.”

Neil Patrick Harris as Foy

Date Of Birth: June 15, 1973

• Active Since: 1988

Actor: Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Neil Patrick Harris broke big as the titular teen doctor in Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-1993). As an adult, NPH is best known for his role as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother (2005-2013) and for playing Count Olaf on Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017–2019). He is also known for playing a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar movies and Patrick Winslow in the Smurf movies. NPH has also starred in films like Starship Troopers (1997), Gone Girl (2014), and The Matrix Resurrections (2021).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, NPH plays Moustachery owner Foy, the smug and wealthy man Louise left Albert for.

Giovanni Ribisi as Edward

Date Of Birth: December 17, 1974

• Active Since: 1985

Actor: Born in Los Angeles, California, Giovanni Ribisi got his start as a child actor before landing his breakout role as Phoebe’s half-brother Frank Jr. on Friends. He went on to star in films like Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Gift (2000), Lost in Translation (2003), and Avatar (2009). Ribisi played Donny in both Ted and Ted 2 and starred in the sitcom Dads, created by A Million Ways to Die in the West and Ted co-writers (and MacFarlane’s frequent collaborators), Wellesley Wild and Alec Sulkin. He also played the titular role in the crime drama series Sneaky Pete (2015-2019).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, Ribisi plays Albert Stark’s best friend, Edward.

Sarah Silverman as Ruth

Date Of Birth: December 1, 1970

• Active Since: 1991

Actor: Born in Bedford, New Hampshire, Sarah Silverman got her start as a stand-up comedian and had a brief stint as a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live for the 1993-1994 season. Silverman co-created her own eponymous Comedy Central sitcom, The Sarah Silverman Program, in 2007. She has appeared in films like School of Rock (2003), Rent (2005), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Battle of the Sexes (2017), and Maestro (2023). Silverman is also known for voicing Vanellope von Schweetz in Wreck-It Ralph (2012), and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018).

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In A Million Ways to Die in the West, Silverman plays Edward’s girlfriend, Ruth, who is also a sex worker at the local brothel.

A Million Ways To Die In The West Cameos In Order Of Appearance

John Michael Higgins has a cameo as “Dandy #1,” who waves his handkerchief at Albert in the saloon and says, “Well, hello to you, too!” He then says to “Dandy #2” (played by comedy writer and MacFarlane collaborator Julius Sharpe), “James, I found the friendly locals.” Higgins is best known for his roles in Christopher Guest mockumentaries like Best in Show (2000) and A Mighty Wind (2003).

Rupert Boneham appears as one of the extras during the bar fight that breaks out in the saloon after Lewis kills the pastor’s son. Boneham got famous as a contestant on multiple seasons of Survivor.

Dennis Haskins makes a few cameos as Dr. Von Plume, the snake oil salesman at the County Fair who tries to sell Albert and Anna an elixir with concerning ingredients. Haskins is best known for his role as Principal Richard Belding in Saved by the Bell (1989-1993) and the spinoff, Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993-2000).

Alec Sulkin has a cameo as one of the attendees at the County Fair who is awestruck by the dollar bill Foy fives Albert. Sulkin and his writing partner Wellesley Wild co-wrote and executive produced A Million Ways to Die in the West with Macfarlane, along with Ted (2012), Ted 2 (2015), and Family Guy. Sulkin also voices Jesus Christ and various other characters on Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.

Ewan McGregor has a cameo as one of the cowboys who mocks Albert at the fair by laughing at Foy’s “how-do-you-do” joke. When Albert asks him specifically why he finds the joke funny, McGregor says he only laughed because the man next to him did. McGregor is best known for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and later installments.

Bill Maher has a cameo as a traveling comedian who hosts the Barn Dance. Maher is best known as the host of his political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher.

Mike Henry is the man smiling in the photograph that Albert gives Anna to thank her for helping him learn to shoot in A Million Ways to Die in the West. Like Sulkin, Henry is a frequent collaborator of MacFarlane’s. Henry voiced the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy until 2021 and on The Cleveland Show (2009-2013) during its run, the latter of which he also co-created with MacFarlane and Richard Appel. Henry also voiced characters on American Dad! and played Dan on The Orville (2017-2022).

Christopher Lloyd makes a cameo as his Back to the Future character, Doc Brown, in A Million Ways to Die in the West. When Albert stumbles upon Doc working on the DeLorean time machine in a barn, he claims it’s just “a weather experiment” and proceeds to utter his signature catchphrase “Great Scott!” when Albert leaves. Lloyd is also known for playing Jim Ignatowski in Taxi and Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (1991) and the sequel, Addams Family Values (1993).

Ryan Reynolds has an uncredited cameo as the man Clinch Leatherwood shoots and kills in the saloon while trying to find the man who kissed his wife Anna. Reynolds is best known for playing the titular character in the Deadpool movies from the X-Men franchise.

Gilbert Gottfried plays Abraham Lincoln in the flashback to Albert’s graduation during his drug trip. Due to his distinctive, shrill voice, the late stand-up comedian is well-known for his voice work, particularly his role as Iago the parrot in all animated installments of the Aladdin franchise.

Patrick Stewart has an uncredited voice cameo as the super tall, long-legged sheep Albert hallucinates during his drug trip. Stewart is best known for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise.

Jamie Foxx makes a cameo as his Django Unchained character, Django Freeman, in A Million Ways to Die in the West’s mid-credits scene. Django who shoots the owner of the “Runaway Slave” game at the County Fair, reiterating Albert’s point that “people die at the fair.” Fox is also well-known for playing Ray Charles in Ray (2004).