PHOTO GALLERY: Actors Who Play Themselves

“Harry Potter” star Emma Watson has joined Seth Rogen (“50/50,” “Knocked Up”) and Evan Goldberg’s directorial debut “End of the World,” an apocalyptic comedy.  The kicker? She’ll be playing herself.

The “End of the World” centers on Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson, all playing themselves, stuck in Franco’s Los Angeles apartment during the apocalypse. The movie is based on a short film also starring Rogen and Baruchel dealing with the world’s demise.

Watson joins a slew of other actors, not just those in this film, who appear in projects as themselves. Celebrities and Hollywood stars playing themselves often provide a tongue-in-cheek portrayal that pokes fun at their “real life” character. Click through the gallery to see more actors who have taken on the role of “me.”

James Van Der Beek in “Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23”



The new ABC comedy that premiered April 11 starring Krysten Ritter, features James Van Der Beek of “Dawson’s Creek” throwing away his squeaky clean image and playing a version of himself on the show. He mocks his “Creek” roots, by portraying himself as an egotistical, slimeball.

This isn’t his first parody of himself that the actor has done: He was featured in the music video for Ke$ha’s song “Blow.”

Dean Cain (“Hercules”), Kevin Sorbo, and “Mad Men's” Sally Draper are all set to play themselves on the show as well.

Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban on Season One of “Glee”



These two performers play sleazier, self-centered versions of themselves on the Fox television show. Groban and Newton-John played celebrity judges who favored choirs singing their songs on the season finale episode of “Glee.” “They wanted to do something that played against what people think about them... to play against type,” the show’s creator Ryan Murphy told CinemaBlend in 2010.  “So we gave them an opportunity.”



For the third season of the FOX hit-show, the judge cameo role has been passed off to Lindsay Lohan and Whoopi Goldberg.

Liam Neeson in “Life’s Too Short”



Ricky Gervais’ television sitcom “Life’s Too Short,” a show about the hardships of show biz dwarf Warwick Davis (who plays a fictionalized version of himself), included a laugh-out-loud appearance by Liam Neeson.

Mocking the dead-serious personas he plays in “Schindler’s List” and “The Grey,” the Irish-born actor approaches Gervais and Stephen Merchant on the show with a list, asking for help learning the ropes of doing stand-up, improvisational comedy, anecdotes,  playing “crazy characters,” and slapstick. “You see this list?” he asks Gervais, seriously. “I’m always making lists. In fact, that’s probably why Steven Spielberg cast me as Oskar Schindler.” When Gervais and Merchant laugh at the end of a presumed “anecdote,” Neeson is puzzled -- “What’s funny?”

Bill Murray in “Zombieland”



The main characters of the Zomcom (Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Jesse Eisenberg) accidentally wander into Murray’s house to find him decked out in a zombie disguise, designed to make him blend in with the cohorts of flesh-eating drones. Murray meets his end when he tries to scare Eisenberg and he pulls out a shotgun and shoots Murray in the chest, leading to brilliant death scene by Murray. Yes, he’s still got it.

Louis C.K. in “Lucky Louie” and “Louie”



In “Lucky Louie” the comedian played a married father of two -- which he was, at the time.  (He’s now divorced, and he plays a divorced father in “Louie.”) Louis C.K. seemed to carry his “real life” into his work as an entertainer quite often. The neurotic, honest-to-a-fault comedian would offer up detailed accounts of fights with his wife and the annoyance of his children to the audience. “That’s really the attitude that keeps a family together, he says during one of his stand-up performances. “It’s not, we love each other -- It’s ‘f--- it, man”

Julia Roberts as Tess in “Ocean’s Twelve”



Julia Roberts’ character Tess pulls a “Looky Loo” and bring about a new sort of cameo. In the film, the character of Tess is thought to resemble Julia Roberts. She’s convinced to pose as a pregnant Roberts and the uncanny “resemblance” is so convincing, Tess manages to sneak past security to complete the heist. The script sets the scene up flawlessly, not letting the audience in on the actual plan until a hotel concierge, while speaking to his staff, confirms that “Julia Roberts is coming.”

Megan Fox in “The Dictator”



“The Dictator,” an upcoming comedy to be released May 16 and created by Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat”), features a short cameo from “Transformers” actress Megan Fox. The sneak peek in the trailer shows Fox’s not afraid to poke fun at herself. Cohen’s character attempts to pay her for a sexual encounter and presents her with a ruby, among other things. She ridicules him and references a familiar television personality. “A ruby? Is this a joke?” she asks in the trailer. ‘What am I, a Kardashian?”

Matt LeBlanc in “Episodes”



Matt LeBlanc didn’t just play himself. He won a Golden Globe in 2012 for playing himself in the British comedy “Episodes.” The series revolves around a British comedy writing couple who attempt to achieve sitcom stardom in the U.S. LeBlanc plays an exaggerated version of himself. “They write a Matt Le Blanc who let’s be honest is way more interesting and fun than the real thing,” LeBlanc said in his acceptance speech about the show writers. “I wish I was him.”