M. Night Shyamalan's Cameo In Trap Explained

Summary M. Night Shyamalan has a significant role in Trap, playing Lady Raven's uncle and aiding the plot's progression.

Shyamalan's daughter, Saleka, portrays Lady Raven, adding a meta quality to their on-screen relationship.

In Trap, Shyamalan's character plays a pivotal role in the story, unlike his minor cameos in recent films.

M. Night Shyamalan is the director of Trap, but he also has a small role in the new thriller. Like many famous filmmakers, Shyamalan is no stranger to appearing in his own filmography, with appearances in movies like The Sixth Sense, Split, and Knock at the Cabin. The trend continues with his latest feature, where he joins stars Josh Hartnett and Ariel Donoghue in the Trap cast.

Trap features Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a man splitting his time between two lives as a family man and as a serial killer. He takes his daughter, Riley, to a concert for a pop artist named Lady Raven, where the police have set up a trap for his alter ego, the Butcher. In the process of escaping the arena, Cooper meets several characters, from the charming merchandise vendor, Jamie, to the overbearing mother of one of Riley's school friends, to the film's director himself, all of whom help move events toward Trap's climactic ending.

M. Night Shyamalan Plays Lady Raven's Uncle In Trap

Lady Raven Is Played By M. Night Shyamalan's Daughter

M. Night Shyamalan appears during the film's second act as a spotter at the concert, who also happens to be Lady Raven's uncle. Cooper seems to be out of options for escape until it's announced that Lady Raven will be bringing a randomly selected audience member into the performance, who will afterward be allowed backstage access. To ensure that Riley is selected, Cooper goes up to Shyamalan's spotter and makes up a story about Riley having recently recovered from Leukemia.

M. Night Shyamalan, being Lady Raven's uncle, has a meta quality to it. Viewers will likely notice the two bear a resemblance, as the fictional pop artist is played by Shyamalan's daughter, R&B singer-songwriter Saleka. Saleka provides much of the music for the Trap soundtrack, and Shyamalan playing her uncle in the movie is a fun way to keep his character as her relative.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

M. Night Shyamalan's Trap Role Is His Biggest In Years

Shyamalan Has Only Had Minor Cameos In Recent Films

M. Night Shyamalan has made a habit of having cameo appearances in all of his films, but they're often brief and don't involve multiple lines. In Trap, he actually plays an important role in helping move the plot forward, and ironically, it's his character's mistake that allows Cooper the opportunity to escape from the concert. Like many filmmakers, Shyamalan has done his fair share of acting, including a leading role in his first feature film, Praying with Anger. In his previous two features before Trap, he's barely more than a blip in the story.