Jimmy Buffett is making margaritas in the great beyond now, having passed away on Friday, Sep. 1, 2023, with the cause of death being Merkel cell skin cancer. The 76-year-old may have been most famous for his tropicalia-infused rock music and all-around good vibes, but he also brightened several movies and television series with his sunny presence. From tiny hidden cameos to multi-episode arcs on TV, these are some of the best Jimmy Buffett appearances in film and television.
Rancho Deluxe (1975)
Remember Rancho Deluxe? That's okay, most people don't. Surely now, after Buffett's passing, the film will gain a bit more cult appeal, and it deserves to. Rancho Deluxe has a stacked cast that's delightfully toned down — Jeff Bridges, Sam Waterson, Harry Dean Stanton, Slim Pickens, and more, including Buffett as himself.
The musician also contributed the soundtrack and score to this odd little film about some comically indifferent people who get involved in a cattle theft scheme. Rancho Deluxe is a humorously detached and apathetic Western comedy film that The New York Times called "so cool that it is barely alive."
Repo Man (1984)
The punk rock sci-fi comedy Repo Man may not seem like the kind of film Jimmy Buffett would take part in, but the singer shared a similar sense of absurdist humor as the film, and his zen-like acceptance of the world's chaos feels spiritually akin to the Alex Cox film. Buffett briefly appears as a secret agent in this bonkers movie about two employees of a car repossession company (Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton) on the hunt for a Chevy Malibu that contains something otherworldly in its trunk.
Hook (1991)
Steven Spielberg's fancy adaptation of the Peter Pan story follows a grown up Peter Pan with no memories of his childhood, who gets whisked away to Neverland when he tries to rescue his children from the titular pirate captain. You may have forgotten just how many stars were in Hook (Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith), including a hilarious cameo from Jimmy Buffett as a shoe-stealing pirate.
Congo (1995)
In the Michael Crichton adaptation Congo, a group of people descend into the Congolian rainforests after a previous expedition went missing. They each have different reasons, from searching for a missing ex-fiance to seeking out diamonds, and they get more than they bargained for when they realize that extremely intelligent and murderous gorillas are guarding a secretive lost city.
Yeah, it's a goofy one, but Tim Curry fits in perfectly as a scheming weasel, and Jimmy Buffett makes a comically random cameo as a pilot, reflecting his real-life skills as an actual pilot, who could often be seen in his seaplane around Florida.
Hoot (2006)
A young Brie Larson stars alongside Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, and Logan Lerman in the family-friendly film Hoot, about a man and his family fighting to protect endangered owls in Florida. Of course, it wouldn't feel quite like Florida without Jimmy Buffett, who takes on a relatively prominent role (compared to his usual appearances) as the friendly science teacher Mr. Ryan. He also co-produced the film, which was unfortunately a box office bomb.
Jurassic World (2015)
Eagle-eyed viewers spotted Jimmy Buffett in Jurassic World, a continuation of the Jurassic Park film franchise, resulting in some wonderful memes. Buffett is seen heroically saving two margaritas purchased at the very real Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, while escaped flying dinosaurs pick off tourists at the Jurassic theme park in the film.
The Beach Bum (2019)
If there was ever a film title that fit Jimmy Buffett like a glove, it's The Beach Bum, so it's fitting that he'd appear as himself in the film and grace it with his music and on-set presence. Matthew McConaughey turns up the stereotypical "alright, alright, alright" side of his personality to a comically weird extreme in this equally bizarre film from Spring Breakers and Trash Humpers auteur Harmony Korine. The film is basically half hedonistic party movie and half indie character study, and Buffett seals the deal.
Hawaii Five-0 (2010 - 2020)
Buffett's biggest role in film and television (outside the many titles which featured his music) was Frank Bama, a pilot in the rebooted Hawaii Five-0 series. In seven episodes across nine years, appearing in every season except the first and sixth, Buffett's character would help out on various missions whenever a helicopter was needed.
Talking to Hawaii News Now at the time, Buffett said, "It just worked out perfectly that I was headed over here, anyway, for a little vacation, and I didn't mind doing two days of work like this in the middle of my vacation!"
Enjoy your vacation, Jimmy Buffett. You will be missed.
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