Saw: Every Time Billy The Puppet Made A Different Movie Cameo

Billy the Puppet—a male ventriloquist dummy that appears throughout the Sawfranchise—has made several cameos in other horror movies. Billy was used throughout the Saw movies by John Kramer, “the Jigsaw killer”, who is the main antagonist of the franchise. Jigsaw is known for trapping people in deadly scenarios he calls “games”, in which they must torture themselves or others in order to escape. Kramer (Tobin Bell) uses Billy to communicate with his test subjects.

Billy is often used to deliver recorded messages to Kramer’s victims. He also occasionally appears on television screens to offer victims the instructions on what they must do for their test. Once in a while, the puppet arrives in person, usually upon an automated mini bicycle. Billy the Puppet appears in Saw, Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D, and Jigsaw, and surely will appear in the upcoming reboot. The Saw movies explain that Kramer created Billy the puppet as a toy to be given to his unborn child. That child was never born, and Kramer ends up using the puppet as a messenger to toy with his victims. The puppet is never actually called “Billy” in the movies, but writers, directors, cast, and crew members refer to it as so. Reportedly, James Wan, the director and co-writer of Saw, gave the puppet its name.

As the Saw franchise grew larger and larger since the first installment was released in 2003, Billy the Puppet began to show up in cameo roles across the horror movie space.In most cases of Billy making a cameo, James Wan and Saw writer Leigh Whannell were the directors or writers behind the horror projects. In these cases, they include a hidden image of Billy as a way to pay tribute to their Saw roots and offer horror fans Easter eggs in unexpected places.

Death Sentence

In the 2007 film Death Sentence, directed by Saw’s James Wan, Billy the puppet appears in the background of a scene, as a figure drawn onto a building wall as graffiti. The movie stars Kevin Bacon as a vigilante who must protect his family from a vengeful gang.

Upgrade

Billy also appears in graffiti form in the 2018 movie, Upgrade. This movie was directed by Whannell, produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, and centers on a man (Logan Marshall-Green) who is implanted with a chip to control his body with after a mugging leaves him paralyzed.

The Invisible Man

The creepy puppet is seen in the same graffiti form yet again in the 2020 movie, The Invisible Man, directed by Whannell. The movie is loosely based on the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells and follows a woman (Elisabeth Moss) who is stalked by an abusive boyfriend who has disguised himself using a technologically-based invisibility suit.

Insidious

The 2010 film Insidious, was directed by Wan, written by Whannell, and centers on a couple whose son is stuck in an astral dimension. Billy’s image can be glimpsed as a drawing at the bottom of a chalkboard. Something else can also be seen in this same scene: the name James Wan, and the number “8” below the image of Billy. At the time, fans theorized that the “8” meant Wan was gearing up for a new Saw installment.

Dead Silence

In 2007’s Dead Silence, directed by Wan and written by Whannell,Billy the puppet can be spotted sitting in the corner of a room that the main characters are standing in. The movie centers on a man dealing with the presence of a murderous ventriloquist’s doll. Interestingly enough, the doll is also named Billy.

Scary Movie 4

In the 2006 comedy, Scary Movie 4, Billy makes a more obvious appearance. In this case, Wan and Whannell weren’t a part of the project. The movie was directed by David Zucker and written by Jim Abrahams. Scary Movie 4 marked the final appearances of actors Anna Farris and Regina Hall as Cindy and Brenda in the Scary Movie franchise.

In the movie, Shaquille O’Neal and Dr. Phil wake up chained to pipes in a bathroom—a moment directly taken from the first Sawfilm. Billy the Puppet reveals himself as their host, and offers instructions on what they should do. Billy returns later, too, as Cindy enters his trap, and it’s revealed that Billy is the true father of Toshio, a Japanese ghost. Billy lets everyone go, and Brenda becomes familiar with Zoltar, Billy’s supposed brother.

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