The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 p.m. China Standard Time (UTC+8) on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number in Chinese culture. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and cost over $100 million USD to produce.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Hu JintaoSelf | Self |
 Henry KissingerSelf | Self |
 Barbara BushSelf | Self |
 George H. W. BushSelf | Self |
 George W. BushSelf | Self |
 Laura BushSelf | Self |
 Shimon PeresSelf | Self |
 Anne, Princess RoyalSelf | Self |
 Lee Myung-bakSelf | Self |
 Jiang ZeminSelf | Self |
 Kobe BryantSelf | Self |
 Yao MingSelf | Self |
 Jacques RoggeSelf - IOC President | Self - IOC President |
 Thomas BachSelf - IOC Vice President | Self - IOC Vice President |