Horror author Stephen King has provided the source material for some of the most riveting films of the past 40 years. The Shining, The Green Mile, Carrie, Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and It among many other modern cinematic classics are all based on King's written works. In some of the adaptations of his books, King even graces the silver screen with a cameo. On occasion, he'll even play himself in projects beyond his own bibliography. He threw out the Red Sox's opening pitch in 2005's Fever Pitch and voiced himself in the Season 12 Simpsons episode, "Insane Clown Poppy." One of his most overlooked contributions to the screen, however, is also his sweetest, as he lent his voice to a scene in an unassuming romantic comedy, which in turn portrays King in a down-to-earth and earnest manner.

'Stuck In Love' Is A Star-Studded Love Story About Writers

Stuck In Love is a 2012 rom-com directed by Josh Boone. The film focuses on a family of writers, including divorced dad Bill Borgens (Greg Kinnear), college-aged daughter Samantha (Lily Collins), and teenage son Rusty (Nat Wolff). Jennifer Connelly as Bill's ex-wife and Rusty and Samantha's mother, Logan Lerman as Samantha's boyfriend, and Kristen Bell as Bill's noncommittal, high-energy, adulterous sex partner round out the endearing cast, as all the characters endure love's ups and downs at the different stages in their literary lives. Nat Wolff's Rusty is perhaps the film's most relatable and lovable character. An awkward yet charming teen, he feels both romantically and creatively frustrated in his young life. The girl he likes is dating the high school bully, while his dad is a famous author and his sister is getting her first novel published. Early on in the film, when Samantha breaks the news about her novel and reveals Scribner as its publisher, Rusty doesn't miss a beat in jealously noting "That's King's publisher."

A budding sci-fi and horror writer himself, Rusty naturally idolizes Stephen King as his favorite author. Later in the movie, he gives his girlfriend, Kate (Liana Liberato), a copy of It, which he claims is his favorite book. Meanwhile, he and Samantha repeatedly disagree over King's place in the literary world, with Rusty defending the horror icon while Samantha seems dismissive of his pop-lit body of work. Right after Rusty's comment about Scribner, Samantha sarcastically responds, "Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking when I submitted the book... It's not because they publish books by Hemingway or Kurt Vonnegut. David McCullough, Frank McCourt. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bob fucking Dylan." Clearly, Samantha does not hold King in the same high esteem, and there are mixed feelings about the author in the Borgens household.

RELATED: The Non-Horror Stephen King Movie That Time (Rightfully) Forgot

Though the film begins with this tension between Rusty and Samantha — with the King of Horror somehow caught in the middle of it — by the movie's penultimate scene, after Rusty has had his heart broken and his morale crushed, he receives an unexpected phone call. Rusty picks up to a distinctive, northern New England voice saying "Hello, is Rusty there?... This is Stephen King." The voice is unmistakable. Plans for the famed author to make a cameo were announced early on, at the same time that Collins and Bell were signed on and the project still went under the working title, Writers. Perhaps original plans called for an in-person cameo, but alas, the voice is sufficient; it's instantly recognizable and makes for one of the movie's most satisfying scenes.

Stephen King Lends A Helping Hand to a Young Writer

Once King introduces himself to Rusty, the teenager listens in speechless shock as the writer praises his work. King explains, "Your sister sent me your story, 'I've Just Seen A Face' I read it and I think it's damn good. I loved it." As Rusty tries to process all of this, King continues, "I took the liberty of sending it to the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction"— where King first published a number of his stories, most famously The Dark Tower series.

While hearing King's voice is exciting, the substance of his phone call also fulfills the narrative purpose. Complimenting Samantha's achievements at the film's beginning, Rusty is now the one on his way to becoming a published author. Not only is his story in the hands of a King publisher as Rusty always dreamed, but it has been read and applauded by King himself. It is Rusty's triumph, bringing him out of his third-act depressive slump for a resolution. However, it also shows growth on Samantha's behalf and on the behalf of their relationship as siblings. Because Samantha sent the story to Stephen King, she shows real care for her brother and appreciation for his writing. In the last scene, as everyone celebrates Rusty's new publication announcement, he gives his sister due credit, but Samantha deflects, saying, "I just sent it to the only person I could think of who'd actually like it." Considering that that "only person" is Stephen King and that Samantha shared the story out of love, this is not a dig, but a commendation.

‘Stuck in Love’ Lets Us See Stephen King in a Different Light

Before King hangs up the phone, Rusty scrambles to voice his lifelong appreciation for the author. He can't properly articulate it, though, relaying his feelings by referencing King's own words from the opening of "The Body" (a.k.a the short story that inspired Stand By Me) — "The most important things are the hardest to say." After a few more lines of charismatic banter between the two writers, the conversation ends with Rusty redeemed and King duly celebrated.

With no haunted hotels, reanimated corpses, killer clowns, or viscous dogs in Stuck In Love, it's not the kind of movie where one would expect to find a Stephen King cameo. Nevertheless, it is a story about writing, and because of that, King's cameo allows him to shine in a different, more honest light. As anyone who's read On Writing or seen an interview with the author can attest, King's heart lies with his craft, not necessarily his genre. Likewise, what sets him apart from so many other blockbuster horror writers is not necessarily his fright factor or even his impressive volume of books. It is his writing, which is consistently original, rich, and riveting. His talent and dedication pour out onto every page, and Stuck In Love celebrates that endearing, sometimes forgotten aspect of Stephen King. For once, audiences get to see (or at least hear) the author play himself as a human and not just a writer— relatable, approachable, thoughtful, and genuinely excited about the prospect of a great new writer coming into his orbit.