Top 10 TV Cameos That Were Short But Iconic

“Will & Grace” (1998-2006; 2017-20)
Will’s friend Jack worships the pop star so much that he has a Cher doll. In a season 3 episode, he brings this figurine to a restaurant and treats it like the real deal. In an awkward turn of events, Cher herself turns up, only for Jack to mistake her as a drag queen impersonating the singer. Luckily for Jack, he didn’t ‘see the last of [her]’ at that restaurant. She makes another appearance in the next season - this time in his dream as God. The celestial diva even performs a song with some scantily-clad angels as backup dancers.

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
Despite being highly controversial, this celebrity cameo was certainly unforgettable. Ed’s cameo was orchestrated as a surprise for actress Maisie Williams, a huge fan of his music. The pop star plays a Lannister soldier named Eddie, who sings a song from the books. Fans argued that Sheeran was too famous and recognizable, to the extent that his short appearance spoiled their immersion in the fictional world of the show. The cyber-bullying he received from fans was so extreme that he deleted his Twitter account. Ed’s cameo led to heated debates among fans, arguably enhancing its iconic status.

“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (1996-2003)
POV: you’re a teenager in 1999 watching your favorite sitcom, and the Princess of Pop spontaneously appears on screen to perform her new hit song. This unexpected cameo ‘[drove fans] crazy’ when it aired. Sabrina gets sad visiting her dad in Paris, so he conjures the singer for her - teleporting her mid-concert into their living room. Britney does a one-on-one concert for Sabrina and shares some words of wisdom. Unfortunately, Sabrina’s dance moves seem to drive Britney away. But while it lasted, it was an exciting cameo where magic and music combined!

“That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
“The Rock” appeared on the show at the height of his wrestling career, before he became a famous actor. In this cameo he plays his dad Rocky Johnson, who rose to wrestling fame in the 70s. While signing an autograph for Eric and his dad backstage, Rocky mentions his son (AKA, Dwayne himself). He brags that Dwayne will someday become the most engrossing man in sports entertainment, making this scene pretty meta. What’s amazing is that Rocky Johnson went on to see his son become the most electrifying man in Hollywood too!

“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)
To the delight of nerds everywhere, Princess Leia herself graced “The Big Bang” theory with a cameo in its seventh season. So too did James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader. The plot riffs on the peculiar fact that despite both featuring in Star Wars, Carrie Fisher and Jones never met in real life. Jones never acted alongside Fisher because his voice was added in post-production. Sheldon and Jones ding-dong-ditch at Fisher’s house, running away before she can catch a glimpse of the co-star she never met. Luckily, the two actors did actually meet on the set of “The Big Bang Theory” - over three decades after the original “Star Wars” trilogy, and in a galaxy far, far away.

“iCarly” (2007-12)
The former first lady has had her fair share of cameos, but this one takes the tea for being ultra wholesome. Her guest appearance on the show was part of her initiative to support military families. Carly’s dad is an active Air Force member and is stationed far from home. Her friends hack into the military communication network to set up a live-streamed video call for Carly and her dad. Instead of getting in trouble for breaking the law, the teens are stunned when Mrs. Obama shows up at Carly’s apartment to offer her support. She even delays a meeting with the governor to appear on their web show and bust some dance moves.

“New Girl” (2011-18)
For a show packed with star-studded cameos, it was hard to choose just one. Even Prince appeared on the show as himself. But we’re with the Swifties on this one, her cameo in the season 2 finale was truly shocking and iconic. As if having T-Swizzle guest star wasn’t enough of a surprise, the pop star is there to deliver a huge twist at the end of the episode by showing up at a wedding. In the dramatic final scene, she’s able to ‘shake off’ her reputation as just a singer and showcase some acting skills.

“The Office” (2005-13)
Blink and you’ll miss him! Even Michael Scott didn’t notice the six-foot-four talk show host walk right past him on the streets of New York City. He was too busy mistaking a random lady for Tina Fey, who (sadly) does not make a cameo. Michael is furious when he finds out that he missed Conan while he was questioning the fake Tina Fey. While this is his only legit cameo on the show, he also appears in a special segment that was part of the 2006 Emmy’s. He falls through the office ceiling trying to find his way to the award show, and finds himself very attracted to Pam.

“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15)
Leslie Knope reveals in several scenes that she has a massive crush on the then Vice President. Her romantic obsession with the politician results in two priceless cameos. In the first one, Ben sets up a meeting between Leslie and Biden as an engagement present. She’s thrilled to meet the only person on her celebrity sex list and gets some pretty hands-on experience during her visit. Joe’s second cameo is set in a theoretical future where Leslie and Ben are good friends with the Bidens. Well – maybe not good enough friends to spend three and half hours at their house playing charades.

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

The Aerosmith Singer Beats Up Charlie After Moving Into the House Next Door

The Iconic Actor From the Show’s Original Run Came Back for a Cameo

The Actress & Talk Show Host Plays a Wild Party Girl

“Friends” (1994-2004)
This sitcom is known for its iconic celebrity cameos. Audiences went wild when Brad Pitt guest starred alongside his then wife, Jennifer Aniston. But our favorite was this impromptu double cameo, which came about because the two actors wandered onto set by accident. The producers asked Crystal and Williams to do a quick cameo, and they improvised the entire scene. The two squeeze onto the gang’s favorite couch at Central Perk and engage in a riveting conversation that resonates with the melodramatic intensity of a soap opera. The spontaneity and randomness of this scene made this cameo go down in history. Not to mention Williams’ over-the-top accent, which had the audience roaring with laughter.