Top 20 Most Epic TV Cameos Ever
#20: Robin Williams “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (1999-)
Top 10 Funniest Robin Williams Interviews
The “Law & Order” franchise has drawn its fair share of celebrity guests, but there’s something special about Robin Williams’ turn as Merritt Rook. A sound technician with a strong anti-authoritarian streak, Rook uses his skills at manipulating sound to convince people to blindly follow authority figures to show them how dangerous it can be; having listened to advice from his doctor and lost his wife and baby. Williams’ powerful performance is captivating and thought-provoking, and we almost hope that his character gets away in the end, since it’s left ambiguous.
#19: The “Scrubs” Cast “Cougar Town” (2009-15)
Top 10 Epic TV Cameos
“Scrubs” has plenty of great cameos of its own, such as Michael J. Fox’s appearance on the medical dramedy, but the best “Scrubs” cameo happens on another show altogether! “Cougar Town” is another show created by the same creator as “Scrubs” and features several appearances by loveable sad sack, Ted Buckland from “Scrubs.” During one of these times on the sitcom, Ted notes the similarities between “Cougar Town” characters and people he knew from his previous job, as several of them are played by the same actors. This gag balloons throughout the scene as more and more actors from “Scrubs” show up, making Ted freak out. Thankfully “the Todd” is there to make it all better with a high five.
#18: Arnold Schwarzenegger “Two and a Half Men” (2003-15)
Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in Hey Arnold
The series finale of “Two and a Half Men” may not have been able to get Charlie Sheen back as Charlie Harper, but they did manage to get Arnold Schwarzenegger! The movie star has rarely made TV appearances, so seeing him show up was a definite surprise. He plays a lieutenant, Wagner, who assists Alan and Walden when Charlie seemingly sends them a threatening message. The police officer’s baffled questions serve to recap the whole series, which knocks pretty heavily on the 4th wall and is hilarious to boot. The fact that he captures Christian Slater, playing himself, instead is also pretty funny, as is his reference to his time as governor.
#17: Christopher Reeve “Smallville” (2001-11)
There have been many actors to play Superman over the years, but arguably the one with the greatest impact was Christopher Reeve. The actor made us believe a man could fly - and he returned to the Superman franchise, though not the role, on “Smallville.” Reeve played Dr. Virgil Swann, a wealthy scientist who acts as a mentor to Clark Kent. Although he only appeared in a couple of episodes, Swann played an important role in the series, helping Clark discover his Kryptonian origins, while Reeve himself passed the torch of his most iconic part on to Tom Welling.
#16: Ricky Gervais “The Office” (2005-13)
Top 10 Ricky Gervais Performances
The creator and star of the original British version of “The Office,” Ricky Gervais basically made the U.S. version possible, so seeing him cameo a few times on the show was a definite treat. Gervais reprises his role as the oblivious boss David Brent, first running into his U.S. counterpart, Michael Scott. The duo instantly bond over a similar sense of humor and David makes it clear he’s looking for work. This is expounded upon after Michael departs the show, with David video conferencing in the hopes of replacing Mr. Scott as head of the Scranton office. As awkward and rambling as his video is, we think he would’ve nailed the job.
#15: Bryan Cranston “30 Rock” (2006-13; 2020)
“30 Rock” is known for its star-studded cast of cameos, but our pick has to go to Bryan Cranston. Playing Kenneth’s stepdad Ron, Cranston’s roots as a comedic actor are on full display as he plays the not-so-bright goof to perfection during his short appearance. Although Kenneth may harbor an intense dislike for the man - given how attached he is to his mother - Ron genuinely cares about him, and is a decent guitar player and singer as well. Plus, who else can introduce you to a picture of Evel Knievel’s motorcycle?
#14: Alex Trebek “The X-Files” (1993-2002; 2016-18)
Top 10 SAVAGE Alex Trebek Moments
“The X-Files” often delved into shadowy conspiracies with danger around every turn or featured horrifying freaks of the week, but the show also did some episodes that were flat out hysterical. One of the sci-fi drama’s funniest is “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.” In the episode, the title author interviews Agent Scully about a strange sequence of events she and Mulder investigated, with contradictory accounts, and bizarre happenings. Through it all, there are several appearances by the mysterious Men in Black, who appear to be deliberately confusing during their encounters to make witnesses sound crazy. This is driven home when one of the men reveals himself to be Alex Trebek, or at least played by him, apparently hypnotizing Mulder. We’ll take great cameos for $500, Alex.
#13: Every Vampire Ever “What We Do in the Shadows” (2019-)
Top 10 Best Guest Stars on What We Do in the Shadows
Okay, so maybe “every” is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s still a LOT! When the gang of vampire roommates that this mockumentary series focuses on accidentally kills a prominent member of their undead race, they’re summoned before the vampiric council to answer for their crime. What follows is a cavalcade of celebrity cameos, primarily made up of actors who have previously played vampires. Not only do Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement return in their roles from the film the show is based on, there’s also Danny Trejo, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Reubens, Dave Bautista, Wesley Snipes, and Tilda Swinton! With this many vamp cameos in so little time, you’re bound to get blood drunk!
#12: Stan Lee “Heroes” (2006-10)
Top 20 Worst Things Stan Smith Has Done on American Dad
Stan Lee was the man to call when it came to superhero cameos. Still, while the famed comic writer popped up in a ton of movies, he also appeared in a few TV shows. One such case occurred in an episode of “Heroes.” In this case, Hiro Nakamura is splitting up with his friend Ando, and steps up to his bus where he’s greeted by his bus driver, who asks if he’s by himself. While the separation of two friends is sad, we’re just surprised that Hiro, who’s a huge fan of comics and superheroes, isn’t fanboying over the fact that his bus driver looks exactly like Stan Lee.
#11: Prince “New Girl” (2011-18)
Top 20 Times The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Tackled Serious Issues
The folks behind “New Girl” spent years trying to get Prince to appear on their show, and their efforts finally paid off, since the man himself became a fan of the sitcom. After Jess and Cece are invited to a party at Prince’s house, the famed musician meets the gang and helps Jess out with her love life. He even debuted a new track during the episode’s conclusion. Through it all, Prince just exudes an effortless charisma and humor that make it feel like he could’ve committed a bigger part of his career to acting if he’d put his mind to it.
#10: Tom Baker “Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)
Top 5 Awesome Facts about Doctor Who
This long running sci-fi program has been on for decades and it really went all out for its 50th anniversary. One of the biggest surprises though was the cameo appearance of Tom Baker, one of the most popular actors to play the Doctor, who returned as an apparent future incarnation of the character. Baker slides into the role like he never left, delivering some cryptic advice to Matt Smith’s Doctor about what his future has in store, while also being tremendously charming, funny, and heartwarming. That “Who nose” joke is classic!
#9: Suzanne Pleshette “Newhart” (1982-90)
The series finale of “Newhart” is pretty bizarre, with the whole town being turned into a golf course resort. However, that pales in comparison to the ending. After protagonist Dick Loudon is hit on the head by a golf ball, Bob Newhart’s previous character, Bob Hartley, from “The Bob Newhart Show,” wakes up in bed next to his wife, Emily, with Suzanne Pleshette reprising her role from that show. The duo discusses “Newhart” as being an odd dream that Hartley had. Oft imitated, this finale and cameo are positively legendary.
#8: William Shatner “3rd Rock from the Sun” (1996-2001)
Top 10 William Shatner’s Captain Kirk Fight Moves
The aliens masquerading as humans that make up the main case of this sitcom take their orders from a being called “the Big Giant Head.” Naturally, there was only one actor with the sci-fi cred and the ego to fill the role – William Shatner. The Big Giant Head makes several appearances on the show, shaking up the unit’s roles, impregnating their landlady’s daughter, singing, and even paying hilarious homage to his, and John Lithgow’s, part on “The Twilight Zone.” Sure he’s a bit more recurring than most of our other entries, but Shatner does tend to, uh, take up more space than you might think…
#7: Cher “Will & Grace” (1998-2020)
“Will & Grace” features a ton of great cameos, and while we were tempted to include Elton John’s, we had to give our pick to Cher. Jack is completely obsessed with the singer, to the point where he even made a doll of her... which he talks to. Things get awkward though, when he meets the real deal but mistakes her for a drag queen (even if he does think she “pulls it off”). Cher appears a second time, this time in a dream Jack has, in which he sees Cher as the incarnation of God. These cameos are so good, we wish we could “turn back time” just to experience them for the first time all over again.
#6: Dwayne Johnson “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
“The Rock” may be a huge movie star now, but at the time of this cameo, Dwayne Johnson was still best known for his wrestling career. It’s fitting then that his appearance in “That ‘70s Show” is also that of a wrestler. However, he doesn’t play just any wrestler – “The Rock” cameos as his own father, Rocky Johnson! Not only is that a fun tribute by a son to his father, but Johnson also agrees to some father and son autographs for Eric and Red Forman backstage. He even speaks about his own son (himself, in other words). and his hopes that he’ll be the most electrifying man in entertainment. A promise that he’s certainly lived up to!
#5: Katee Sackhoff “The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)
Given how entwined the show is with geek culture, “The Big Bang Theory” has unsurprisingly had a ton of cameos. While we considered James Earl Jones’ appearance, we didn’t “give in to the Dark Side,” and went with this one instead. Katee Sackhoff is best known for her role on “Battlestar Galactica,” and appears several times in cameos in Howard Wolowitz’s fantasies. While her appearances often begin as eye candy for Howard, they soon shift tone, as Sackhoff gives him advice on his relationship with his girlfriend Bernadette, and on one occasion was even assisted by George Takei. Talk about weirdly awesome crossovers!
#4: Stephen Hawking “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-94)
Top 10 Best Stephen King Easter Eggs in Castle Rock
While this brilliant physicist is another celebrity to appear on “The Big Bang Theory,” we’re “boldly going” with this cameo instead. In the futuristic setting of “Star Trek,” the holodeck allows for all manner of historical figures to be recreated using holograms and force fields. Although plenty have appeared over the years, few of them have been played by the actual people they represent, as Stephen Hawking did. The holo-Hawking is created by the android Data, along with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, who pits the three titans of science against each other in a game of poker. Naturally, Hawking wins. You just can’t beat that poker face!
#3: The Cast of “Seinfeld” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2000-)
Top 10 Most Hilarious Larry David Moments on Curb Your Enthusiasm
Given that Larry David plays a fictional version of himself on this long running series, it naturally has a ton of cameos by celebrities. However, the most epic is easily the running cameos of the cast members of “Seinfeld,” in season 7 which David co-created. Fans have wanted a “Seinfeld” reunion pretty much since the finale aired, so seeing the actors gather again for a fictional reunion episode inside a real TV season was an absolute treat. It may not have been the reunion we wanted, but it was definitely the one we needed!
#2: Michael Jackson “The Simpsons” (1989-)
Top 10 Worst Things Michael Scott Has Done
Given that it’s been on forever, “The Simpsons” has had plenty of celebrity guests, but one of its more memorable cameos is by Michael Jackson. After Homer is committed to a mental institution, he meets the king of Pop, who looks nothing like he does on TV. However, thanks to his dulcet tones, Bart is convinced and together, he and Jackson write Lisa a memorable birthday song. This is pretty ironic, considering Jackson didn’t perform any of the songs in the episode himself, though he did write the "Happy Birthday Lisa" tune. Instead, because of contractual obligations, and to mess with Jackson’s brothers, a sound-alike was used for his singing voice and he was credited under a pseudonym. And no, it wasn’t Leon Kompowsky.
#1: Brad Pitt “Friends” (1994-2004)
Another show that saw its fair share of celebrity cameos, “Friends” had us really tempted to choose Bruce Willis, but as much of a love machine as he is, Brad Pitt showing up just got more of a reaction out of us… and the audience, judging by the decibel level when he comes on screen. Pitt plays Will, an old friend of Ross and Monica’s who visit the siblings for Thanksgiving. Oddly enough, despite Pitt being married to actress Jennifer Aniston at the time, Will hates her character Rachel, revealing that he and Ross started a rumor about her at school. While the rumor itself certainly hasn’t aged well, Pitt’s cameo remains an epic part of the sitcom.
