Top 10 British Guest Stars on Family Guy

Centred on a camp-out cut-scene courtesy of Stewie, this One Direction reference caused quite a clamour amongst fans of the record-breaking boyband. And while it is a little disappointing that only half of the group recorded lines for the show – that’s Louis and Liam, not Niall and Harry – their self-deprecating humour struck a comic chord with most audiences. And there’s time for a slice of Simon Cowell, too. Though this was our second helping of him in the series.

There are few more familiar voices in all of British celebrity than this man’s, and here Brian Blessed resurrects one of his most famous roles. Having starred as Prince Vultan in the 1980 cult sci-fi classic “Flash Gordon”, Blessed belts out a few booming vocals for a frantic time travel scene with Stewie, Brian and Mort. Thanks to Mort’s mistaking Stewie’s time machine for a toilet, and after a series of mostly unfortunate events, the trio find themselves amidst a World War II dogfight – but Vultan’s got their back!

Well known for playing Lupin in “Harry Potter” and Ares in “Wonder Woman”, David Thewlis really brings the British for this episode, which sees Stewie reborn into an upper-class English family. Thewlis plays Stewie’s new father, a well-spoken, over-educated and emotionally detached fellow who acts as the Griffin baby’s guide around his mansion home. And did you spot Aaron Taylor-Johnson, too? He plays one of Stewie’s sharp-tongued siblings.

While Hugh Laurie has also graced “Family Guy” in character as House, we’ve picked out his first appearance on the show for today’s list – when he became one of the first British guest stars to feature. In an episode which sees the Drunken Clam converted into a classic British pub, Laurie cameos as an enthusiastic punter, who steps in when Peter and his buddies are befuddled by cricket. And this was in the days before “House” was even a thing, so Laurie’s lines might’ve been missed by American audiences.

Brian’s often misplaced high opinion of himself is a recurring “Family Guy” theme, but it’s never been more obvious than in this episode. The aspiring writer believes he’s destined for Broadway, and he’s ready to mix it with the intellectual elite. But then Alan Bennett shows up and cuts him down to size. The English playwright unknowingly (but brutally) trashes Brian’s work, leaving Brian’s fragile confidence in pieces. It’s enough to drive a dog to drink.

While this episode did receive mixed reviews, Ricky Gervais’ talking dolphin role is definitely memorable. Gervais plays Billy Finn, a love-lost dolphin who crosses paths with Peter by way of a sunken shipment of Mercedez-Benz. There follows a series of awkward but oddly endearing exchanges between Peter and his unexpected pal, as Billy tries to reignite the romance in his marine marriage to Lucy Davis’ Joanne. It’s a love story unlike any other, delivered by a cringe comedy king.

A regular collaborator with Seth McFarlane, Patrick Stewart’s history with this show has thrown up all sorts of weird roles – from a talking cat, to an unfortunately named neighbour. But special mention should surely go to this appearance as himself, alongside most of his “Star Trek” co-stars. After Stewie’s disappointed by Quahog’s “Star Trek” convention, he builds a sci-fi-style transporter to bring back Stewart and everyone else. They spend the day together, and while the experience isn’t quite what Stewie would’ve wished for, the episode is loaded with laughs.

Reprising his most famous role, David Tennant’s turn as the Tenth Doctor for this famous cutaway gag came as a surprise to some fans. But, in all of time and space has there ever been a more charmingly childish sci-fi spoof than “Doctor Who Farted?”. A pungent pun matched only by the apparent aroma emitting from the TARDIS, it’s top notch toilet humour. It’s bigger on the inside, but that’s still going to linger.

An all-action action hero a lot of the time, Liam Neeson is not a man to be messed with. And Peter finds that out the painful way. Having boasted how he could take the Northern Irish actor in a fight, Peter’s forced to prove himself, but can’t back up his claims. So, he submits to degrading servitude instead. Neeson has Peter perform all sorts of humiliating tasks, before Griffin finally takes the beating he seems fated for. Ouch.

It’s an episode that divided opinion, and stepped away from the classic “Family Guy” formula, but there’s no doubting McKellen’s magnificence as child psychologist, Dr. Cecil Pritchfield. He and Stewie stage a seriously intense therapy session, with McKellen’s signature, soothing tones guiding us and Stewie through a string of stand-out revelations – especially concerning Stewie’s accent. Casting all of his Shakespearean cadence onto one animated character, Ian McKellen totally steals the show.