Daniel Craig Plays Among Us with Angela Lansbury, Stephen Sondheim, and More in Bizarre ‘Glass Onion’ Cameos

The sequel to Knives Out is now streaming on Netflix, which means I can finally openly scream about those bizarre Glass Onion cameos. (And if you haven’t yet watched the film, stop reading this article now—spoilers!)

I’m not talking about the scene where Hugh Grant shows up as Daniel Craig’s adorable, domestic boyfriend. (That cameo is flawless. No notes.) I’m talking about the scene where Benoit Blanc plays Among Us with Angela Lansbury, Stephen Sondheim, Natasha Lyonne, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

For the uninitiated, Among Us was an online video game that was a popular remote activity to play with friends during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The game resembles the party game known as Mafia or Werewolf: One person in the group is the “imposter,” and it’s everyone else’s job to find out who it is. The game was all the rage in 2020, and, apparently, even the world’s greatest detective Benoit Blanc (played by Craig) was playing it. In the bathtub. While on Zoom with his pals, who also happen to be cultural icons.

First, there’s Acadamy Award-winning, Golden Age Hollywood star Angela Lansbury, who died earlier this year at the age of 96. Lansbury, whose Zoom name is “Angie,” has apparently just caught Blanc red-handed as the imposter. “Blanc, I saw you go in the engine room!” Lansbury says, her teapot collection on display in the background. “You’re the imposter, we all know it. Case closed. We’re done.”

Then there’s eight-time Tony-winning composer and verified Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, who died in November 2021 at the age of 91. When Blanc doesn’t understand why he’s lost the game, Sondheim chimes in, “Sorry Blanc, you’re thrown out of the airlock. It’s a no-brainer.”

This is when 19-time NBA All-Star and former LA Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pipes up, to rub a little salt in Blanc’s wounds. “I’ve got to say, the world’s greatest detective—I thought you’d be better at this,” Abdul-Jabbar says.

Finally, Emmy-nominated actor Natasha Lyonne—from hit shows like Orange Is the New Black and Russian Doll—offers some words of comfort for Blanc, when he confesses that Among isn’t really his “thing.”

“Maybe we should try Quiplash! Or Codenames!” Lyonne says, suggesting two other trendy games for friend groups. Abdul-Jabbar adds that Blanc’s group of famous friends are concerned about his mental health. “Lockdown hasn’t been easy for any of us. But Phillip told me you haven’t left the bath for a week!” (Phillip, it is later revealed is, in fact, Hugh Grant.) Then a mysterious stranger knocks on Blanc’s door with a puzzle box, and the scene ends.

Look, I enjoy being surprised by famous people in movies as much as anyone, but something felt off about these cameos. For one thing, two of those four cultural icons are dead now. It’s weird to see famous people playing themselves after they’re dead! For another, it’s such an odd, eclectic group of famous people. Are these just famous people that Rian Johnson happens to like? Are they people who were promised roles in Knives Out 2 but were cut for time? Is Johnson hoping to underpay Lyonne in his next indie project? (Edit: Lyonne is, in fact, starring in Johnson’s upcoming series, Poker Face.) And who even plays Among Us these days, anyway?

Maybe I’m being unfair. But in my book, a good cameo is delightful, surprising, and makes sense within the world of the story. (Again, Hugh Grant! Perfect cameo! No notes!) These Glass Onion cameos were jarring, perplexing, and altogether bizarre. Now I’m thinking about Benoit Blanc at Stephen Sondheim’s funeral. I didn’t ask for this.