The Most Epic Celebrity Pranks

Gotcha! Nick Cannon, James Corden, Adele and more stars have pulled off some seriously impressive pranks through the years

01 of 29

Nick Cannon Put His Face on Kevin Hart's Plane

nick cannon
nick cannon/ instagram

The Masked Singer host took his ongoing prank war with the standup star to the friendly skies by plastering his photo on Hart's private jet, in order to promote his talkl show.

Kicking the feud up a notch, he even added the inscription "Kevin Rides The Cannon" onto the aircraft.

"Gotcha back! #PrankWars," Cannon wrote in part on Instagram. (But does it top a llama delivery to Hart's house, or putting Cannon's phone number on a billboard about parenting advice?)

02 of 29

Michael Strahan 'Closed' His Tooth Gap

Michael strahan
Michael strahan/ twitter

Smile shocker! The Good Morning America co-anchor surprised audiences everywhere when he pretended to close the signature gap between his two front teeth for April Fool's Day one year.

Strahan said the stunt blew up to become much bigger than he ever expected, explaining on The Ellen DeGeneres Show he received "seven hundred text messages, 400 emails, everybody's trying to FaceTime me to see" after the fact.

Clearing the air, the Fox Sports commentator quickly clarified that it was just a joke.

"Gap Nation, I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere. April Fool's," he said.

03 of 29

James Corden Unveiled a Hideous Statue 'Honoring' David Beckham

James Corden, David Beckham

The Late Late Show host tricked his retired soccer legend friend into believing he'd been cast in less-than-flattering bronze at L.A. Galaxy's home stadium. Corden even enlisted an actor to play a kooky sculptor and enlisted L.A. Galaxy president Chris Klein, a former teammate of Beckham's, to go along with the gag.

Visibly dismayed when the work of art was revealed, Beckham admitted it was "slightly different" than what he'd signed on for.

"I mean, look at my chin. It doesn't really look like me. I mean, look at my eyes. The only thing that's good is that hair and that's about it…. I really don't see how this can go out," he said.

Luckily for Beckham, a forklift (not-so-)accidentally knocked over the figure and Corden revealed himself — and the ruse.

04 of 29

Scott Disick Prank-Called Kris Jenner as Todd Kraines

Image

Auntie Kris, it's me, Todd Kraines!

In a long-running stunt on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Disick would call Jenner and pretend to be a distant, longtime family friend named Todd Kraines who was desperate to get in touch with the family matriarch. The silly stunt never failed to amuse Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian, but the tables turned when the real Todd Kraines joined the famous family for their annual trip to Vail, Colorado, during season 12.

"A long time ago when we started prank-calling Kris with the whole Todd Kraines thing, I never even knew who the person was, and then it became an ongoing joke," Disick told the camera. "I never thought I'd actually go on a ski trip with him!"

05 of 29

And Kris Jenner & Family Prank-Called a Bunch of A-Listers

Kylie jenner
Kylie jenner/ tik tok

Proving that she can dish it as well as she can take it, Kris Jenner assembled daughters Kylie, Khloé, Kim, Kourtney and Kendall to prank their A-list friends by Facetiming them ... and then sitting in stern, judgmental silence when their pal picked up.

They then compiled the truly epic reactions (ranging from confused to alarmed) into a video. Standard response: "What the f--- — am I in trouble?!"

06 of 29

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds' Funny Feud

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman
Albert L. Ortega/Getty

The actors (and fellow Sexiest Man Alive winners) have been trolling each other since 2009, after Reynolds professed his desire for a Deadpool/Wolverine mashup film. The ribbing has run into Christmases, birthdays, live performances and even a truce ... which didn't last long.

Most recently, Reynolds left a framed photo of himself in Jackman's dressing room on opening night of the Aussie's Broadway musical, The Music Man.

07 of 29

Adele Surprised Adele Impersonators

WHEN SHE SURPRISED ADELE IMPERSONATORS

Imagine dressing as Adele every day … and one day actually getting to meet Adele when she impersonates an Adele impersonator and surprises you. (There were quite a few layers to this one.)

08 of 29

When George Clooney Ruined Sandra Bullock's Dress

SHE HANGS OUT WITH CLOONEY
Getty

Clooney is known as probably the best prankster in Hollywood, and one of his A-list encounters had some unintentional consequences.

On a visit to The Tonight Show, Bullock explained that she and Clooney were at a dinner party when he tricked her into jumping in the pool — alone.

"I went to the bathroom and came out and there was George and someone else with just their pants on going, 'We're gonna go in the pool,' and I was like, 'Really?' " she recalled. "And so I held their hands and on the count of three, and in slow motion I see Nicole Kidman with a stack of towels … and I jump, and they let go, and I go in the pool."

She continued, "the sad part was I wore this cute little lace dress that I paid a lot of money for, and as I got out, it started disintegrating."

09 of 29

Alex Rodriguez Made Fun of Himself to an Unsuspecting Gym-goer

jennifer-lopez-4
Alex Rodriguez. Jennifer Lopez/Twitter

In January 2019, the former baseball star shared a video on Twitter where he had some fun with a fan who was convinced he was a dead ringer for a celebrity — namely, himself.

As the two sat outside of the workout studio, the woman tried to make her case by bringing up photos on her phone of A-Rod and directly holding them up to the baseball legend's face.

"Yeah, A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez. There we go," she said, to which A-Rod joked back, "Who's that?"

"That's the guy that J.Lo is dating," she responded.

"You're kidding me! And it looks like me?" A-Rod humorously asked.

But A-Rod didn't stop there and was willing to go to all costs — even tossing in some self-deprecating humor — to keep the practical joke alive.

Eventually, she realized she was talking to the star himself — and lost it.

10 of 29

When Liam Hemsworth Seriously Scared Miley Cyrus

The Women's Cancer Research Fund hosts An Unforgettable Evening, Arrivals, Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Los Angeles, USA - 28 Feb 2019
Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus. Matt Baron/REX/Shutterstock

Hemsworth often pranked his former bride — and documented her reactions on Instagram. And in September 2018, he really got her.

Grinning in the dark on the couple's veranda, Hemsworth waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. As Cyrus turned on the lights, he jumped out and gave a loud growl causing the "Malibu" singer to jump back.

"You f—— c—, I hate you so much," Cyrus said. "Liam! You're so f—— annoying."

Hemsworth turned toward the camera and said, "That was a harsh one."

11 of 29

Adam Levine Sent His Sexiest Man Alive Cover to Blake Shelton's House

The Voice - Season 4
Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Before his fellow Voice coach was honored with the title of PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, the Maroon 5 frontman just had to rub his superior sexiness in his frenemy's face. As Levine recalled on Jimmy Kimmel Live, his 2013 title was announced on the late-night show in front of a "huge picture of the cover."

"I took it, framed it — this is not a cheap practical joke by the way, it was a lot more expensive than I care to admit," Levine said. "So I framed it and I sent it to his house in Oklahoma. And he put it up in his barn."

12 of 29

Kendall Jenner Faked a Pregnancy

KENDALL JENNER'S PREGNANCY SCARE

On an episode of Kocktails with Khloé, Jenner called sister Kim Kardashian to tell her she was pregnant. Instead of freaking out, Kardashian actually just ended up venting to Jenner about how this wasn't the right time for her to be dealing with this. She even mistook everyone's laughing on set as Jenner crying, and immediately offered to come over. "I'll bring my 30 kids and you can babysit for two seconds to see how you feel."

(Though in general, faking pregnancy announcements on April Fool's Day is not appropriate.)

13 of 29

Seth Rogen, Jason Segel & Charlie Hunnam Scared Nick Stroller

2015 TV Land Awards - Backstage
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The three actors teamed up to thoroughly terrify their film director. Rogen and Segel recounted the mishap-laden prank on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

"One time after Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Seth and I were hanging out at my house, and we invited the director, Nick Stroller, over. We kept feeding him water trying to get him to go to the bathroom, and it took like an hour," Segel explained. "He went over to the bathroom and we heard a scream of death, because Charlie Hunnam was laying in our bathtub covered in fake blood … He was in there for at least an hour."

14 of 29

Channing Tatum Filled Taron Egerton's Trailer with Sex Dolls

taron-channing
Getty(2)

Tatum pulled off the hilarious prank to get revenge on his Kingsman: The Golden Circle costar. "I put a mannequin in his trailer bed with a wig on it and some empty wine bottles and a pair of high heels on the floor," Egerton told PEOPLE. "And he came in one morning and thought there was a person in there and was quite freaked out …The day he left, he filled my trailer with I think it was about 20 sex dolls and some rather disturbingly large prosthetics … He spent some money on that. He really went to town!"

"They just stayed in there," the actor continued. "Eventually they were all deflated and stuffed in a cupboard but they were there in that form for ages and I had to sort of wade through them to get to the fridge or go and get my costume yeah, trying to avoid plastic erogenous zones."

15 of 29

Britney Spears Broke into Jimmy Kimmel's Bedroom

BRITNEY SPEARS BREAKS INTO JIMMY KIMMEL'S BEDROOM
Jimmy Kimmel Live/Youtube

How do you wake up Kimmel? With a surprise performance and half-naked backup dancers, according to Spears. In a prank masterminded by Kimmel's wife Molly McNearney, the pop singer busted into Kimmel's bedroom while he was sound asleep, complete with stage lights and full-volume audio of her single "Make Me." But, let's be real, this prank was more like a gift — it was a free, private Spears concert!

16 of 29

Bella Hadid Called Her Sister, Gigi, Pretending to Be a Fan

Tommy Hilfiger TOMMYNOW Fall 2017 - Backstage
Jeff Spicer/Getty

The eldest Hadid model stopped by BBC Radio 1's "Breakfast Show," where host Nick Grimshaw explained they had a "very excited fan" named Emily on the phone line who wanted to talk to her. "Emily" asked her how she got into modeling and told her to "Keep shining, baby," before finally revealing her true identity.

17 of 29

Amy Schumer Sent a Sexy Text to Katie Couric's Husband

AMY SCHUMER SENDS A SEXUAL TEXT TO KATIE COURIC'S HUSBAND
Getty

On The Tonight Show, Schumer confessed to swiping Katie Couric's phone at the 2015 Glamour "Women of the Year" Awards and sending Couric's husband, financier John Molner, an X-rated text message. "I didn't even think about it. It happened so fast!" she said.

18 of 29

The 1D Guys Delivered a Baby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPH5HZwzChMOne Direction, Harry Styles

Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson teamed up to prank their One Direction bandmates, with the help of a seemingly pregnant Nickelodeon producer who was there to prep the boys for an interview.

The producer, who was wearing a fake baby bump, "went into labor." The boys were shocked but ready to help — specifically Harry Styles, who was holding up the producer at one point. "I was actually thinking this is going to be a great press story: 'One Direction Delivers Child'," Styles revealed when the group learned the incident was made-up.

19 of 29

Leonardo Dicaprio Played Paparazzi on Jonah Hill

SWEETEST BROMANCE: LEONARDO DICAPRIO & JONAH HILL
247PAPS.TV/Splash News

Few things are more alarming for celebs than a crazed fan running up to them and snapping photos, which DiCaprio likely knows all too well. So, he decided to give that treatment to pal Hill while meeting up in New York City – and luckily for all of us, the hilarious moment was (ironically) caught on camera. Hill looked genuinely afraid, but upon realizing it was his old pal (in a newsboy cap, no less), they embraced, warming hearts around the world.

20 of 29

Ellen DeGeneres Terrified Taylor Swift

Image
Christopher Polk/TAS/Getty

The talk show host has become synonymous with on-air pranks due to her penchant for hilariously scaring her guests — and Swift was not immune. The "Gorgeous" crooner was caught off-guard when DeGeneres jumped from the corner in the singer's dressing room bathroom. She screamed and fell to the floor (and yes, it was all caught on video). "That was the best one yet," the host said, laughing.

21 of 29

Jessica Lowndes Had a Faux-Mance with Jon Lovitz

Image
Source Jon Lovitz/Twitter

The whole world freaked when they thought Lovitz was the former 90210's star fiancée. Turns out, the lovey photos they posted were just an elaborate (and early) April Fools' prank.

22 of 29

Ben Affleck Put His Face in Henry Cavill's Trailer

BEN AFFLECK'S POSTER PRANK
Victor Chavez/WireImage (2)

There's nothing we love more than behind-the-scenes hijinks. Affleck decorated Batman v Superman costar Cavill's trailer with posters of the film, joking in the Facebook post of the prank: "Henry, I'm flattered. I didn't know you were such a fan! We know #WhoWillWin."

23 of 29

The Hunger Games Stars Pranked SMOSH

THE HUNGER GAMES STARS PRANK SMOSH

Jennifer Lawrence teamed up with costars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth to prank YouTube pranksters, SMOSH, in which Lawrence feigned a meltdown. "We thought we were pranking Jennifer Lawrence and BOY WERE WE WRONG," Smosh wrote on their Instagram of the clip.

24 of 29

Kit Harington Surprised Rose Leslie with a Fake Severed Head

Rose-Leslie-Kit-Harington
ason LaVeris/FilmMagic

… and did we mention the severed head was modeled in his likeness? To celebrate April Fool's Day in 2017, the Game of Thrones actor pranked his now-wife, Rose Leslie, by placing the prop in their fridge for the actress to find. Her reaction, which Harington caught on camera, included screams and tears.

25 of 29

The Great Jamba Juice Prank Of 2016

Image

We wish Adele and Ellen DeGeneres would team up more often. The talk show host enlisted the singer to help her with an epic Jamba Juice prank. DeGeneres fed Adele lines through an ear piece as she ordered. "One small cup but a large," she began, before spouting off a whole bunch of other outrageous requests. She pulled scissors out of her purse and asks to chop off some of the wheatgrass on display. When it came time to pay, she freaked out, dumping all the contents of her purse out on the counter: "Where is my money? I need to pay for this, right? I'm a celebrity. Do I have to pay?"

26 of 29

George Clooney Performed a Series of Pranks on Brad Pitt

GEORGE CLOONEY & BRAD PITT
Michael Buckner/Getty

Ever since George Clooney and Brad Pitt worked together on 2001's Ocean's Eleven, Clooney has been pulling Pitt's leg in a series of practical jokes. From putting a bumper sticker in the shape of a marijuana plant that said "F— Cops" on the back of Pitt's car — leading to him being pulled over — to writing letters in Pitt's name to other celebrities, the actor has proved his pranking prowess several times over.

For the latter stunt, he once sent Meryl Streep CDs of dialect coaches addressed from Pitt as she prepared for her role as Margaret Thatcher in 2011's The Iron Lady. The catch? He didn't tell Pitt or the confused celebrities he was behind the letters until a year or two later.

27 of 29

Paul Rudd Gets Roasted by Olivia Colman

Paul Rudd attends the "Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania" UK Gala Screening; Olivia Colman attends Paddington's fundraiser for refugee children in support of UNICEF at BAFTA
Karwai Tang/WireImage; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

Paul Rudd got an unexpected phone call from his longtime friend Olivia Colman when he joined the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show. Disguised as a caller with a different accent, Colman passive-aggressively asked Rudd, "I just wanted to pick your brains. So what would you do if you had a really good mate, like, for over 20 years, and this friend, he doesn't live in England but he's come to England and hasn't told you about it."

She continued, "And then not only has he not told you about it, he's come onto a radio show. What would you do?"

Visibly nervous, Rudd quickly realized the situation sounded familiar and jokingly replied, "Personally, if it's me? Absolutely not. I tend to give everybody the benefit of the doubt." Colman then revealed herself and the pals had a laugh about her impressive accent.

28 of 29

Drake Disguises Himself and Pranks People on the Street

Drake in disguise on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

Drake used his Degrassi acting chops to bring this prank to fruition. The Grammy-winning rapper took to the streets of Los Angeles with Jimmy Kimmel disguised as a regular man with a mic and went up to people to ask their thoughts on his music — and didn't shy away from any criticism. He asked one person if him crying at the ESPYs wasn't "manly," to which the man replied, "Definitely not manly, I'd say he's a chicken head." At the end, Drake revealed himself to the astonishment of the interviewees.

29 of 29

LeBron James Pretends to Work at Blaze Pizza

Lebron James pranks pizza costumers
ABC News/YouTube

LeBron James fooled Blaze Pizza customers when they walked in and did a double take after they saw the infamous basketball player towering over his "coworkers." LeBron fully committed to the bit, even pretending that he didn't know what basketball was when a man walked in with a shirt that had a basketball graphic on it. He was almost caught when a customer pointed out that he looked "very familiar," comparing him to Dwyane Wade. "I get that a lot," he replied. "I've heard of that guy too."

Related Articles