My grandma passed away this past summer. Friends and family had gathered in Wisconsin to celebrate her life when — during a video slide-show featuring photos of my grandma — BRETT FAVRE APPEARED ON THE SCREEN. Yes, long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback, Super Bowl Champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre. My grandma — who lived her entire life in and passed away in Wisconsin — was a huge Packers fan and fan of Brett Favre in particular. She loved him so much she even had a life-sized cardboard cutout of Favre in her home. Well, now the real Brett Favre was addressing her, wishing her well and a happy birthday. Turns out, for her last birthday just months before, my uncle had gifted her a Cameo from her favorite Packer player. I don’t remember any of the photos that showed during that slideshow honoring my grandma, but I do remember the Brett Favre appearance.
Touted as “Personalized videos feat. your favorite stars,” Cameo is chock-full of famous actors, athletes, musicians, comedians, social media stars, reality TV stars, political commentators and even animals that you can hire out to create personalized video messages. From birthday shout outs to work parties, the celebrities on Cameo can be hired out for just about any occasion. Both of my sisters work for major corporations that have utilized Cameo. My youngest sister Annabeth told me they once got a hilarious video from rapper Flavor Flav; they also tried to get television sportscaster Erin Andrews to create a message, but apparently she didn’t do corporate videos. Prices for personalized messages from celebrities range from $10 and less to (Santa and other small-timers) to $1,000 and higher (Floyd Mayweather, Sean Payton, Randy Quaid, Caitlyn Jenner).
Interested in a personalized message from a local Minnesota celebrity? Here are some we found listed as available:
1. Miss Minnesota Kathryn Kueppers
Get your next personalized message from 2019 Miss Minnesota Kathryn Kueppers. According to her Miss American bio, Kueppers attended school at Minnesota State University – Mankato and got her degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. A jazz lover, she performs in a group called Ella’s Cats. She also presents a kids cooking segment on Children’s Hospital Star Studio called “Snack Attack with Kathryn.” In June 2019, she won the title of Miss Minnesota 2019 and was a double preliminary winner of both the talent award and the evening wear/social impact statement award. With an overall 5.0 star rating on Cameo, Miss Minnesota Kathryn Kueppers is available to hire for just $20.
2. Jared Allen — Former Minnesota Vikings Player
Got a big sports fan in your life? Gift him or her a personalized Cameo vid from former Vikings player Jared Allen. Here’s a recent review left by one happy fan: “Awesome!! My husband loved his shout out from Jared. This was the perfect Christmas gift. Thank you for making his holiday, Jared!” Jared will do videos for anniversaries, holidays, as a gift and even as a roast! He costs $269 per video.
3. Temi Fagbenle — Minnesota Lynx Player
Surprise the superwoman in your life with a personalized message from another superwoman! Temi Fagbenle is a Minnesota Lynx player, British Basketball Olympian, WNBA Champion and Model. A former Harvard and USC athlete, she’s currently playing in Venice, Italy! A personalized Cameo from Temi runs just $100.
4. Esera Tuaolo — Singer, Former Minnesota Vikings Player
He may not originally be from Minnesota (he’s from Hawaii of Samoan descent), but Mr. Aloha himself aka Esera Tuaolo has a long and illustrious career! He played in the NFL for nine years including four with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s also had a successful musical career, competing on season 13 of The Voice and releasing his own solo music. Tuaolo is available for personalized videos for just $50.
5. Sisquo – Singer
A Cameo search of “Minnesota” results almost entirely in Minnesota athletes, so finding any other Minnesota celebrities takes a bit more work. After running through a number of other names like Chris Pratt and Winona Ryder (neither of whom seem to be on Cameo), we struck gold with a positive search result for — Sisqo! The “Thong Song” singer now resides in Maple Grove and will do a personalized message for just $100…though just don’t ask him to sing, cause he won’t.
A few other Minnesota celebrities you’ll find on Cameo include Fox Sports North commentator Dave Benz, Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen, NFL Pro Bowler CJ Ham, Vikings QB Kirk Cousins, and even Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy, though they’re all currently listed as unavailable for cameos.