Cameo Analysis: Which Celebrities Offer the Most (and Least) Bang for Your Buck?

Have you ever dreamed of a personalized shoutout from your favorite actor, athlete, musician, or reality TV star? Thanks to the internet, that shoutout can be yours for the right price.

Cameo is a popular website where people pay their favorite celebrities to record personalized videos. With supply chain issues and labor shortages, a Cameo video could make for the perfect gift -- whether you're looking for NSYNC's Lance Bass to serenade your Valentine or NFL quarterback Drew Brees to give your best friend a birthday shoutout.

We pulled data on the costs and careers of some of the most popular celebrities on the platform. From there, we were able to find which celebs cost the most and least overall, which ones offer the best value, and more.

Key Findings

• The worst value on Cameo is Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who charges $300 per video ($60 per popularity point).
• Reality TV stars Tom Brooks (90 Day Fiancé) and Jonny Fairplay (Survivor) represent the best values on Cameo, charging less than 55 cents per popularity point and less than $20 per video.
• Only three celebrities charge more than $500 per Cameo: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary aka “Mr. Wonderful” ($1,500), How to Get Away With Murder star Conrad Ricamora ($999), and Harry Potter cast member Tom Felton ($599).
• When comparing the average costs of Cameos featuring actors from popular TV shows, those from The Office ($187), Gilmore Girls ($150), and Outlander ($145) charge the most.

The best and worst overall values on Cameo

10 best values on Cameo
Celebrity	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Tom Brooks	$19	36	$0.53	Reality TV - 90 Day Fiancé
Jonny Fairplay	$15	28	$0.54	Reality TV - Survivor
Big Lenny	$20	30	$0.67	Athlete - Bodybuilding
Dorinda Clark Cole	$30	44	$0.68	Musician - Gospel singer
William Hung	$23	30	$0.77	Reality TV - American Idol
Stephen Christian	$20	26	$0.77	Musician - Anberlin
Kanye East	$20	24	$0.83	Musician - Rapper
Matty Mullins	$20	24	$0.83	Musician - Memphis May Fire
Chris Fronzak	$27	32	$0.84	Musician - Attila
Dylan “Swoggle” Postl	$25	29	$0.86	Athlete - Professional wrestling

For this analysis, we collected data on the 100 celebrities who have received the most reviews in each of four categories: actors, reality TV stars, athletes, and musicians.

For each celeb, we found the minimum cost fans can pay for a Cameo, as well as the average Google Trends search volume for that celebrity over the previous 12 months. We then divided the cost for a Cameo by the average search volume to find the "cost per popularity point." Celebrities with lower costs per popularity point represent better value.

After evaluating all 400 qualifying celebrities, we found that the 10 listed above represent the best value for fans. Each Cameo costs less than a dollar per popularity point, and none cost more than $30 overall. Leading the way are 90 Day Fiancé’s Tom Brooks and Survivor’s Jonny Fairplay, both of whom charge less than 55 cents per popularity point and under $20 per video.

10 worst values on Cameo
Celebrity	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Pete Alonso	$300	5	$60.00	Athlete - New York Mets
Helio Castroneves	$106	2	$53.00	Athlete - Car racing
Conrad Ricamora	$999	22	$45.41	Actor - How to Get Away With Murder
Chris Diamantopoulos	$449	11	$40.82	Actor - Silicon Valley, Mickey Mouse
Chris Harrison	$350	9	$38.89	Reality TV - The Bachelor
Ice T	$450	13	$34.62	Actor - Law & Order: SVU
Aesha Jean	$69	2	$34.50	Reality TV - Below Deck Mediterranean
Tom Felton	$599	19	$31.53	Actor - Harry Potter
Michael Rapaport	$150	5	$30.00	Actor and comedian
Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful	$1,500	52	$28.85	Reality TV - Shark Tank

On the flip side, we also found the celebrities who are the worst value compared to their average Google Trends popularity score. New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso tops this list, charging $300 per Cameo despite averaging a Trends score of 5 out of 100 over the course of the last year, translating to a whopping $60 per popularity point.

This list also features the three most expensive overall Cameos in the entire analysis, with actor Tom Felton pricing himself at $599, actor Conrad Ricamora charging $999, and Shark Tank’s “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary pricing his videos at a minimum cost of $1,500. Of the 400 celebrities we evaluated, those are the only three charging more than $500 per Cameo.

The actors who are the best and worst value on Cameo

10 best values — Actors on Cameo
Actor	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Daniel Davis	$40	46	$0.87	The Nanny, Star Trek
Stan Yanevski	$25	26	$0.96	Harry Potter
Allisyn Ashley Snyder	$40	33	$1.21	AP Bio, Sonny with a Chance, So Random!
Manu Bennett	$50	41	$1.22	Arrow, Spartacus, The Hobbit
Greg Sestero	$49	39	$1.26	The Room
Kevin McDonald	$38	30	$1.27	Kids in the Hall
Drew Seeley	$55	42	$1.31	Another Cinderella Story
Chris Gorham	$25	19	$1.32	Insatiable, Ugly Betty, Once Upon a Time, Harper's Island, Covert Affairs
Mark Pellegrino	$50	36	$1.39	Supernatural, Dexter, Lost
Fred Stoller	$35	25	$1.40	Seinfeld

Daniel Davis spent six seasons playing Niles the butler on The Nanny, and he also comes in as the best value in Cameo’s Actors category. His videos cost less than a dollar per popularity point. Only one other actor, Stan Yanevski who played Viktor Krum in the Harry Potter franchise, costs less than a buck per popularity point.

10 worst values — Actors on Cameo
Actor	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Conrad Ricamora	$999	22	$45.41	How to Get Away With Murder
Chris Diamantopoulos	$449	11	$40.82	Silicon Valley, Mickey Mouse
Ice T	$450	13	$34.62	Law & Order: SVU
Tom Felton	$599	19	$31.53	Harry Potter
Michael Rapaport	$150	5	$30.00	Actor/comedian
Mario Cantone	$200	7	$28.57	Sex & The City
Christopher McDonald	$220	8	$27.50	Happy Gilmore
John O’Hurley	$199	8	$24.88	Seinfeld
David Sutcliffe	$125	8	$15.63	Gilmore Girls
Martin Kove	$184	12	$15.33	Cobra Kai, Karate Kid

Another Harry Potter alum makes the worst value list. Tim Felton clocks in as the fourth-worst value. There is one other media franchise with actors on both lists. Fred Stoller, the famous Soup Nazi from Seinfeld is number 10 on the best values list while John O’Hurley, who played Elaine’s boss J. Peterman, finished as the eighth-worst value among actors in this analysis.

Cameo cost by TV show
Show	Average cost
The Office	$187
Gilmore Girls	$150
Outlander	$145
Letterkenny	$130
Seinfeld	$128
Star Trek	$125
Parks and Recreation	$122
General Hospital	$119
Boy Meets World	$118
Supernatural	$98
Game of Thrones	$65

We also tracked the shows and movies in which the 100 most-reviewed actors appeared. For every television show with at least two cast members included in our evaluation, we found the average cost for a Cameo from anyone on the show.

At the high end of the spectrum, the average cost for a Cameo from someone who appeared on The Office is $187. On the low end, Game of Thrones fans are looking at an average cost of just $65.

The athletes who are the best and worst value on Cameo

10 best values — Athletes on Cameo
Athlete	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Big Lenny	$20	30	$0.67	Bodybuilding
Dylan “Swoggle” Postl	$25	29	$0.86	Professional wrestling
James Ellsworth	$19	21	$0.90	Professional wrestling
Tito Santana	$25	27	$0.93	Professional wrestling
Randy Couture	$50	46	$1.09	MMA, UFC
Forrest Griffin	$45	39	$1.15	MMA, UFC
Dean Blandino	$23	19	$1.21	Football, NFL, NCAA
Charles Wright	$40	33	$1.21	Professional wrestling
Coach Jason Brown	$44	35	$1.26	Football, Last Chance U
Sandman	31	24	$1.29	Professional wrestling

Looking at the best values in Cameo’s athletes category, combat sports dominate the list. Between professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, seven of the top 10 spots are combat athletes.

Two of the athletes on this list are true Hall of Fame values — both Randy Couture and Forrest Griffin are in the UFC Hall of Fame and charge $50 or less for a Cameo.

10 worst values — Athletes on Cameo
Athlete	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Pete Alonso	$300	5	$60.00	Baseball, New York Mets
Helio Castroneves	$106	2	$53.00	Car racing
Manolo	$500	23	$21.74	Golf
Adam Wainwright	$200	10	$20.00	Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals
Johnny Damon	$118	7	$16.86	Baseball, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees
Kali Muscle	$200	12	$16.67	Bodybuilding
Boban Marjanovic	$299	18	$16.61	Basketball, Dallas Mavericks
Ric Flair	$500	34	$14.71	Professional wrestling
Bruce Buffer	$282	21	$13.43	MMA, UFC, announcing
Brandon Graham	$140	11	$12.73	Football, Philadelphia Eagles

While the athletes who are the best values largely came from the world of fighting-based sports, there is much more diversity on the list of worst values. Eight different sports are represented in the top 10, with baseball being the only repeat.

Speaking of baseball, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso represents the worst value in any of the four categories we looked at, not just sports. Despite winning the 2021 Home Run Derby, Alonso averaged a popularity score of just 5 points out of 100 on Google Trends over the last year. At the price of $300 per Cameo, Alonso’s fans are paying $60 per popularity point.

The only other celebrity in the entire analysis to cost more than $50 per popularity is also an athlete, race car driver Helio Castroneves.

Cameo cost By sport
Sport	Average cost
Golf	$275
Hockey	$156
Skateboarding	$139
Basketball	$104
Soccer	$104
Baseball	$98
Football	$95
Bodybuilder	$94
Pro Wrestling	$92
Car Racing	$91
Sports Media	$75
MMA	$71
Olympics	$54

When looking at sports represented by athletes in our analysis, golf athletes charge the highest average cost for a Cameo at $275. That is over five times more expensive than the cost for Olympic athletes, who are the least expensive.

Cameo cost by team
Team	Average cost
Green Bay Packers	$175
St. Louis Cardinals	$148
New York Mets	$137
Chicago Cubs	$131
Cleveland Browns	$122
Philadelphia Eagles	$117
Chicago Bulls	$85
Boston Red Sox	$78
Chicago Bears	$73
Philadelphia Phillies	$48
Houston Astros	$33

When looking at average costs by team, Green Bay Packer players and alums top the list with an average cost of $175. Athletes associated with the Houston Astros charge just $33 per Cameo, the least of any team.

The musicians who are the best and worst value on Cameo

10 best values — Musicians on Cameo
Muscian	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
Dorinda Clark Cole	$30	44	$0.68	Gospel music
Stephen Christian	$20	26	$0.77	Anberlin
Kanye East	$20	24	$0.83	Rap music
Matty Mullins	$20	24	$0.83	Memphis May Fire
Chris Fronzak	$27	32	$0.84	Attila
Lena Scissorhands	$20	23	$0.87	Infected Rain
Laura Jane Grace	$38	38	$1.00	Against Me!
Peter Noone (Herman)	$50	47	$1.06	Herman's Hermits, songwriting, producing
Gary Holt	$35	31	$1.13	Slayer, Exodus
Ryan Cabrera	$60	52	$1.15	Singer

Seven of the 10 most affordable musicians on Cameo cost a dollar or less per popularity point. This list covers a wide range of musical genres, from gospel music to rap to metal, showing that music fans have a lot of options for finding an affordable Cameo to match their musical tastes.

10 worst values — Musicians on Cameo
Musician	Cameo cost	Popularity on Google Trends (0-100 scale)	Cost per popularity point	Famous for
D Randall Blythe	$70	3	$23.33	Lamb of God
Ted Nugent	$300	13	$23.08	Singer
Dee Snider	$250	12	$20.83	Twisted Sister
Rebecca Black	$500	27	$18.52	Singer
Tommy Lee	$500	33	$15.15	Mötley Crüe
Mark McGrath	$68	5	$13.60	Sugar Ray
Adam Duritz	$200	15	$13.33	Counting Crows
Kenny G	$263	21	$12.52	Saxophone player
Arlo Guthrie	$199	17	$11.71	Folk music
Debbie Gibson	$225	21	$10.71	Singer

There's also an interesting collection of musical genres — including pop, folk, and heavy metal — making up the worst values. The most expensive Cameos belong to two very different artists who charge $500 per video: Rebecca Black and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

Cameo cost by musical genre
Genre	Average cost
Singer/songwriter	$151
Pop music	$146
Rock music	$129
Rapper	$107
Country music	$87
K-Pop	$72
Gospel music	$35

The most affordable genre of musical artists in Cameo’s 100 most-reviewed musicians are those who specialize in gospel music. Gospel artists charge just $35 per Cameo on average. That’s less than half of what the next least-expensive genre, K-Pop, charges.

Cameo cost by band role
Role	Average cost
Saxophonist	$151
Frontman	$110
Guitarist	$78
Drummer	$68
Bassist	$40

In terms of an artist's role in a band, our analysis shows saxophonists charge the most on average, even more than frontmen. Among different band members, bass players are the most affordable artists on Cameo.

Tips on how to save on gifts

Cameos could make great gifts for Valentine's Day, birthdays, or any special occasion. With a little research, any gift-giver should be able to find a fun and memorable Cameo to fit their budget. But whether you’re buying friends or loved ones a shoutout from their favorite celeb or purchasing more traditional presents, here are some tips on how to save on gifts:

• Turn points into the gift of an unforgettable experience. While many people are familiar with earning credit card points for flights and other travel perks, some rewards cards also allow users to earn tickets to concerts, sporting events, and more. Check to see if your rewards cards offer a program like that so you can learn how to gift unforgettable experiences using credit card rewards.
• Earn free gift cards when you shop. Between apps and credit cards, there are lots of ways to earn rewards just for making your regular purchases. Whether buying groceries or gifts, there are ways to earn free gift cards or cash while shopping.
• Get rewarded for the gifts you buy. Many credit cards offer cash back or other rewards on everyday spending. By using one of the best reward credit cards at the checkout, it can feel like you’re giving yourself a gift every time you buy a present for someone else.

Methodology

The FinanceBuzz team evaluated the 100 celebrities with the most reviews on Cameo in each of the following categories listed on the site: Actors, Reality TV, Athletes, and Musicians. For each celebrity, we found the minimum cost they charge for a Cameo video. This data was collected Nov. 17-19, 2021.

We also collected Google Trends search data for each celebrity. We looked at the average weekly search volume in the United States for each celebrity over the last 12 months. Trends data is represented as a measure of popularity on a 0-100 scale and is normalized by Google to account for factors such as geography, population size, and search volume relative to other terms. Google Trends data was collected from Nov. 29 - Dec. 6, 2021.

When calculating the average costs in different categories, we only included categories where there were at least two celebrities represented in our analysis.