'Jem And The Holograms' Has Some Surprising Cameos

If you are a child of the '80s, then you have probably been waiting for a live-action adaptation of Jem and the Holograms from the moment Jerrica grabbed her pink star earring and said "Showtime Synergy!," transforming into a fabulous pink-haired pop star. Well, the wait is finally over. On Oct. 23, Jem (played by Aubrey Peeples of Nashville fame) will take the stage with her band of sisters, the Holograms, and fans will finally get to see them in all their truly outrageous glory on the big screen. As an added bonus, the Jem and the Holograms cameos, featuring people from the original cast, will definitely have diehard fans squealing with delight. The cameos are pretty quick and subtle, though, so if you're not paying attention, or more importantly, listening, you might miss them.

The first one to keep your eyes peeled for is Samantha Newark. Her name might not sound familiar, but her voice should be. She is the actress who voiced the original Jem from the Jem and the Holograms cartoon from 1985-1988. During one scene, Jerrica gets a makeover and needs help deciding on a pink wig. Newark, who has pink locks herself, pops into the scene as the hairstylist to tell Jerrica how much she loves the color. As soon as you hear her recognizable voice, you'll radiate with nostalgia.

Newark, however, wasn't the only actor to take on the voice of Jem. Actor and musician Britta Phillips (Frances Ha) provided the singing voice for the iconic '80s cartoon character Her cameo wasn't as subtle as Newark's; in March, director Jon Chu took to Twitter to reach out to Phillips, saying that he "would love to talk to her," hinting to fans about a potential cameo.

Phillips, who is one half of the music duo Dean and Britta with her husband Dean Wareham, responded to Chu, expressing interest. Yet nothing more was said about a potential cameo until a week later, when a fan asked Phillips if she was going to be involved in the film. Then, she gave the answer that everyone wanted to hear.

But that wasn't all; Phillips makes another blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance as a stage manager during one of the band's performances. It's yet another burst of nostalgia for Jem purists. In addition to these golden cameos, Jem and the Holograms features a few other famous faces that will stir up some nostalgia. Molly Ringwald plays cool Aunt Bailey and Juliette Lewis stars as the shady music mogul, Erica Raymond — who was originally Eric Raymond in the cartoon. An awesome, feminist change.

The movie also uses real-life social media video clips made by Jem fans as well as a cobbling of clips from TV shows and testimonies by real-life celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Alicia Keys, and Jimmy Fallon professing their love for the pop star. The funniest of these comes from Chris Pratt when he opens up about his "alleged" relationship with Jem.

Yet one cameo in the film might be the biggest shock of all. Fans of the original show might be wondering if the Misfits, the Holograms' rival band, show up in the movie. Sadly, they don't show up in the film — but they do make an appearance in a mid-credits scene. It's a pretty memorable moment, specifically when you realize that the green-haired lead singer is played by Miss "Tik Tok" herself, Kesha. It's a definite "what?!" moment that will leave any fan wanting more.

The movie may have a new take on Jem and the Holograms, but it's definitely great to hear — and see — the familiar voices from the original cartoon.

Image: Justina Mintz/Universal Pictures; Giphy