15 of Ed Sheeran's TV and film cameos
He's popped up all over the place!
Singing sensation Ed Sheeran is one of the biggest and most successful pop stars in decades and has never been one to turn down an opportunity - so it's no surprise that he's made a few appearances in TV and film over the years.
Throughout his career, Ed has popped up all over the place; from a cameo alongside Maisie Smith in Game of Thrones to voicing his very own Simpsons character.
Ed has even featured in movies, playing himself in Bridget Jones Baby alongside the iconic Renee Zellweger AND he even popped up in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Who would turn down those roles? With the news that he's written a song for That Christmas, a new Netflix animation, here's a definitive list of all of Ed's cameos over the years...
Check out Ed Sheeran's TV and film cameos:
2007 – Britannia High
Way before he was a household name, Ed Sheeran tried his luck auditioning for a boyband on TV talent show 'Britannia High' in 2007.
At the time, the show was looking for six talented teens to play the lead roles and 140 hopefuls from performing art schools across the country were selected to audition for the show. A young Ed is seen performing a solo dance routine to Justin Timberlake's 'Like I Love You' but judge Arlene Phillips was not impressed by his moves. She shakes her head and says he's 'not even an option' due to his lack of dance knowledge.
Of course, the clip resurfaced when Ed finally reached the big time (without the help of Britannia High) and haunts him to this very day.
2014 – Shortland Street
A man of many talents, Ed made his acting debut in American series Riverdale, when he gave teen Kane an impromptu guitar lesson on Shortland Street.
2015 – Home and Away
Just a year later, Ed appeared in Australian soap Home and Away. His character Teddy, one of the children Marilyn (Emily Symons) used to look after ended up being none other than popstar Ed.
2015 – Undateable
Adding another American comedy series to his acting credentials, Ed appeared on a special LIVE version of Undateable where he performed at an open mic night at the show's local bar. However, his singing wasn't enough to impress bar owner Justin who kicked Ed out of the joint unaware of who he is.
2015 – The Bastard Executioner
Ed bagged another role in FX drama, The Bastard Executioner in 2015, playing Sir Cormac, an ambitious and deadly protégé of a high-ranking church elder for five episodes.
The series was filmed in Ed's native UK and tells the story of a 14th century warrior whose life is forever changed when a divine messenger beseeches him to lay down his sword and lead the life of a journeyman executioner.
2015 – Jumpers for Goalposts: Live at Wembley Stadium
Taking footage from Ed's X tour in 2015, Jumpers For Goalposts was a home video and concert film.
2016 – Bridget Jones Baby
Probably one of the biggest moment of his career, Ed was lucky enough to make a cameo in Bridget Jones's Baby.
He shared his experience with fans on Instagram, writing alongside a selfie of himself with movie star Renee Zellweger: 'Spent the day being an actor in the new Bridget Jones movie.
'Loved it, you're gonna love it too.'
2017 – Game of Thrones
Ed's dreams came true in 2017 when he was invited to appear in the hit fantasy series Game of Thrones. He played a Lannister soldier in season seven of the hit HBO series, opposite series regular Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.
However, some fans of the show complained that Ed's appearance was so "glaring" instead of being "subtle." Ed later said his role in the show was "bittersweet".
2018 – The Simpsons
Achieving another one of his childhood dreams (he's a lucky guy, right), Ed voiced the musical character of Brendan Beiderbecke in the season 29 episode Haw-Haw Land.
2019 – Yesterday
In 2019, Ed played himself again in Richard Curtis film Yesterday, a story about musician Jack wakes up from an accident and to find out only he knows The Beatles. He then starts singing the band's song to gain fame. Without spoiling the film, Ed is seen offering Jack some advice.
2019 – Modern Love
Another TV series cameo saw Ed appear in episode seven of Amazon series Modern Love – based on the long-running New York Times column of the same name. Ed played Mick, a person experiencing homelessness who gets taken in by a couple and hangs around causing havoc.
2019 – Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Fulfilling another childhood dream, Ed was lucky enough to star in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, taking on the role of an alien member of the Resistance, and is also credited on IMDb as a Stormtrooper.
2021 - Red Notice
In November 2021, Ed revealed that he'd landed a cameo in Netflix film Red Notice, alongside Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot.
However, Ed admitted that filming his part wasn't as exciting as he first thought: "He listed the three wonderful people who are in the movie. I said, 'It'd be great to film a scene with them!' I turned up and they'd already shot their bits."
But it can't have been that bad, as Ed told us backstage at Hits Live Liverpool that there is a Red Notice sequel: "Well, I'm hoping that it's going to turn into like a Mike Tyson in The Hangover thing. They're going to do a sequel, so I'm hoping that at some point I get brought back to be even worse."
2021 - Saturday Night Live
Both Ed and Taylor Swift were confirmed as performers on Saturday Night Live, with Ed appearing on the show on 6th November 2021 and Taylor going on the show the following week.
Actor Kieran Culkin, brother of Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin hosted the SNL show the day Ed performed, Ed wowed the crowd with live performances of two songs from his new album '=', 'Shivers' and 'Overpass Graffiti'.
2023 - Sumotherhood
In January 2022 it was announced that Ed Sheeran would be appearing in Sumotherhood, which was released in October 2023. The film also stars Jennifer Saunders, and Danny Sapani.
Now read:
Ed Sheeran's career journey: From street busker to global superstar
30 songs you didn't know Ed Sheeran had written for other artists
Ed Sheeran's biggest and best collaborations to date 🎶