Chester Bennington’s Crank Cameo Explained

As bizarre as it sounds, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington appeared in not one, but both of the Crank movies. Although Bennington is best known as the late frontman of the rock band Linkin Park, the singer also had minor roles in several movies. Bennington was one of many musicians interviewed for Jared Leto’s 2012 documentary Artifact, and he also played two separate roles in two of Jason Statham’s best movies. Bennington wasn’t primarily known as an actor, but his brief movie appearances proved that his outsized stage presence translated well to the genres of action, comedy, and horror.

Bennington became famous via his work with Linkin Park, with the vocalist’s recognizable singing appearing on seven of the band’s albums between 2000 and 2017. Bennington also fronted a trio of other bands during his music career and was credited with being one of the most prominent musicians to bring nu-metal to the mainstream. Although his movie career wasn’t a major part of his artistic output, it’s an interesting note that the three movies Bennington appeared in are all considered cult movies. The singer cropped up in 2006’s anarchic action comedy Crank, its 2009 sequel Crank: High Voltage and 2010’s horror sequel Saw 3D.

Chester Bennington Had A Cameo In 2006’s Crank

The Linkin Park Frontman Played A Pharmacy Customer

Arguably the best of director Brian Taylor’s movies, Crank tells the story of Jason Statham’s Chev Chelios, a hitman who is dosed with a fast-acting poison that will kill him once his heart rate drops under 100. This plot is essentially an excuse to send Statham’s deadpan protagonist on an increasingly absurd series of misadventures that includes public sex, hard drug abuse, picking fights in public, and a lot of painful-looking stunt work. Bennington’s cameo in Crank occurs during the pharmacy scene, with the singer playing a shifty stoner who helps Chelios out of an awkward spot.

When Chelios demands that a pharmacist supply him with “Artificialadrenaline,” she quickly shuts down the request. Another customer, played by Bennington, slyly informs Chelios that a serious dose of nasal spray will provide him with the epinephrine he needs. It is not clear why the filmmakers selected such a notable face for this minor role, but this wasn’t the last time that Bennington appeared in Jason Statham’s most underrated franchise. 2009’s Crank: High Voltage was an even sillier, more cartoonish sequel that returned to the world of Chev Chelios. This time, Bennington played a horse track patron.

Chester Bennington Appeared In 3 Movies (& 2 Were In The Crank Franchise)

Bennington Appeared In Two Crank Movies And A Saw Sequel

Bennington’s appearance in Crank: High Voltage is almost as brief as his Crank cameo, with the musician’s role being limited to watching a horse race as Chelios attempts to get some static energy off the bystander. A year later, Bennington would return to the big screen for the final time in Saw 3D, where he played a white supremacist caught in one of the franchise’s infamous death traps. Inevitably, Chester Bennington’s Saw 3D role ended with his character’s gruesome death, but it did provide the star with more screen time than either of his earlier appearances in the Crank movies.

Crank

Director

Mark Neveldine , Brian Taylor

Release Date

August 31, 2006

Writers

Brian Taylor , Mark Neveldine

Cast

Amy Smart , Keone Young , Sam Witwer , Dwight Yoakam , Chester Bennington , Jose Pablo Cantillo , Jay Xcala , Efren Ramirez , Reno Wilson , Jason Statham , Glenn Howerton

Runtime

88 minutes