Top 10 HILARIOUS Pranks Pulled on Celebs

In 2016, Jared Leto starred as the infamous Joker in “Suicide Squad.” As his fellow cast members will attest, he really got into the role - going to so far as to give them shocking presents that only a villain could appreciate. While promoting the film, he stopped by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” sporting a standout sweater and bearing a mysterious gift - allegedly from Mr. J himself. The initial reveal feels a little anticlimactic, with Jimmy appearing to play it up for the camera. When the snake falls from the box however, it elicits a genuinely panicked reaction from the NBC personality. Add to that Joker’s creepy love note, and the whole scene makes for a good laugh.

For years, Joel McHale has made people laugh with his snarky brand of humor. But he’s more than just talk… he’s also a man of action. On April Fools’ Day 2010, Joel got under the skin of Ryan Seacrest by hacking into his digital life. Not only did Joel take over RyanSeacrest.com, but he also found his way on to the man’s Twitter account – a bold move that allowed him to troll Seacrest’s followers. McHale’s mug was everywhere that day, and given the history of good-natured verbal sparring between the two men, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy his victory. Seacrest…hacked.

Back in 2012, MTV’s “Punk’d” returned for a 9th season, and their new pop superstar host kicked things off with a bang. For the hook, Justin Bieber invites Taylor Swift over for a Malibu writing session. It’s all about… the work. But when Biebs and company begin playing with fireworks, Taylor falls victim to peer pressure and inadvertently destroys a faux wedding, forcing the bride, groom, “Pastor Daryl” and best man to flee for their lives. This well-orchestrated prank understandably puts Taylor into a full-blown panic. To her credit however, despite all the confusion and being on the receiving end of a barrage of accusations, Taylor remains surprisingly proactive, offering to try to contact the coast guard.

As host of “The Late Late Show,” James Corden has become known in North America for his happy-go-lucky demeanor and carpool karaoke. But every man has a breaking point, and James was put to the test in 2016, courtesy of fellow English comics Ant and Dec. As the unassuming subject of a “Saturday Night Takeaway” bit, James first has trouble entering the studio lot, only to face more drama while attempting to park his vehicle. During show time, he rolls with the punches, that is, until a man appears to get crushed by a bookcase on camera. Impressively, James never fully loses his cool, maintaining his composure even when he thinks catastrophe has struck. His reaction to the reveal is priceless.

For the young, rich and famous of Hollywood, financial planning can sometimes prove overwhelming. In the first episode of MTV’s “Punk’d,” Ashton Kutcher capitalized on this simple fact by taking advantage of Justin Timberlake’s naiveté. With Dax Shepard playing a snarky IRS agent, the accusations keep JT frazzled as he attempts to process the logistical nightmare. Of course, no one ever expects to hear that the government is seizing their pets as payment. It’s a relentless assault of fake information, and Justin can only watch in horror as his life gets turned upside down. For this prank, Kutcher takes aim at all of JT’s favorite material things, eventually reducing the pop star to tears. It’s a true classic.

In 2013, this TV icon-turned-A-lister played a stripper-turned-fake wife in “We’re the Millers.” In the film’s credit bloopers, Jason Sudeikis and company pull a fast one on Jennifer, unleashing a musical beast from the past: The Rembrandts’ “I’ll Be There for You”, AKA the Friends’ theme song. It’s not a particularly innovative prank, but Jen’s reaction makes it a memorable one. She starts out stunned, shifts to being annoyed and then eventually gives in to fits of laughter - effectively giving the pranksters everything they could ask for in terms of response. And so, this light-hearted prank reminds us of her pop culture legacy, while simultaneously highlighting the charms that have made her an enduring presence in Hollywood.

While both of these celebrities are veteran pranksters, they couldn’t be more different in the way they each approach the art. Howie Mandel is about subtlety, while YouTuber Roman Atwood believes in going all out. Case in point: in 2015, Atwood enlisted Mandel’s son and wife to pull off a classic, yet highly strategic prank - one involving 4,000 rolls of toilet paper. Given the size of the victim’s mansion, it obviously took a good amount of effort to execute, but it pays off big considering Howie’s less than amused reaction. In fact, he seems genuinely concerned about the clean-up. But when Roman emerges, it’s all smiles, as one hidden camera prankster shows off his work to another.

On April Fool’s Day 2015, ABC’s resident prankster Jimmy Kimmel received a taste of his own medicine. With a bit of help, pop superstar Rihanna provides an unexpected wake-up call, complete with a live performance of this particular song (“Bitch Better Have My Money”). It takes Kimmel a few moments to fully process the prank, during which time RiRi stays fully committed to the performance, even landing a pillow shot and dancing over her target. With all the lights and backup dancers, it’s one of the more epic celebrity pranks. There’s an amazing amount of shock value, too, as Kimmel could not have anticipated this wife-approved and enabled invasion of privacy in his own home.

Some pranks involve an elaborate setup - others rely on a single moment to achieve their desired effect. In Season Two of “Parks and Recreation,” there’s a scene in which Chris Pratt’s character, Andy, tries to impress his ex, played by Rashida Jones, by showing up at her house naked. In the scene however, it’s best friend Leslie Knope who answers the door. After a few takes, Chris apparently decided to go “snake out,” turning actress Amy Poehler's mock horror into genuine shock. His unconventionally methodical approach led to comedy gold, and they actually used that take. That being said, the workplace prank, unsurprisingly earned him a stern reprimand from Human Resources.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



Steve Carell on Ellen DeGeneres



Ellen DeGeneres on Taylor Swift

During the 2010s, Jimmy Kimmel has been involved in an ongoing prank rivalry with neighbors John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. Much to his surprise, his gift-wrapping of their entire house did not, in fact, end the conflict as he believed it would. No, Emily and John fought back, targeting Jimmy at work and wrapping up his ride and filling it with ornaments. But it still didn’t end there. The holiday prankfest continued the next day, with Jimmy getting hit again, complete with a carolers and a reindeer. Then… they did it for a third day. It’s a level of pranking that involves such elaborate planning and coordination that it firmly establishes Krasinski and Blunt as modern legends of celebrity pranking.