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From rock legends to movie icons and even world leaders, Springfield has hosted some wildly memorable drop-ins over the years. Join us as we count down the most hilarious, surprising, and iconic celebrity appearances on “The Simpsons,” featuring everything from Ringo Starr and Mel Brooks to Metallica, Adam West, and more! Which cameo made you laugh the hardest? Let us know in the comments below!
Transcript
00:00Hello, Homer. I'm George Harrison.
00:02Oh my God.
00:03Oh my God! Where did you get that brownie?
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable fleeting
00:10guest stars playing themselves on The Simpsons, with no major story impact.
00:15Yo, pigs!
00:18Oh no! Bat Midler!
00:22Number 20. Rob Reiner
00:24The Pro Football League may be sick of Los Angeles, but Rob Reiner is a strong selling point.
00:30Sure, the actor-filmmaker's insecurity is a running gag in a video pitching his city for a football team.
00:35Oh hi, I'm Rob Reiner, director of When Harry Met Sally. I'll have what she's having. Was one of the
00:42lines?
00:42He even tapes his name over his father Carl's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
00:46despite the junior Reiner having his own star since 1999.
00:51The awkward ego is much more endearing than the image of L.A. being overrun with reckless
00:56convertible drivers and celebrity impersonators.
00:58A Hollywood hotshot like Reiner was intimately familiar with the city's stereotypes of phoniness.
01:03Don't just take my word for it. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars have taken the time to sign waivers
01:09allowing celebrity impersonators to sing in this video.
01:12And his sincerity in the spoof reminds us why he was one of our favorite Angelenos.
01:17Number 19. Judd Apatow
01:19You'd think Hollywood elites wouldn't be so amused by the satire in Homer being arrested for pirating
01:24movies. But even comedy filmmaker Judd Apatow has to project the absurdity with an overly
01:29emotional testimony at Homer's trial.
01:31Homer Simpson is an enemy of art. Art created by writers, directors, and the guy who uses a
01:37computer to erase or enhance nipples.
01:40At the same time, he makes good points about how piracy hurts artistic industries and their
01:44lower-level dependence. After Homer's cinematic speech against the status quo, however,
01:49Apatow is one of the first to get in on the film rights. Steal This Episode ends with a biopic
01:55starring Channing Tatum and recurring Apatow collaborators like Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen.
01:59When time seemed darkest, she was there. She gave me the strength and courage to fight for
02:04what I believe in. On behalf of Hollywood, we're dropping all charges.
02:16Still, for all of this star power, it is the executive producer who really steals this episode.
02:22Number 18. Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford
02:25One of the most shocking moments in Treehouse of Horror History isn't Bart and Lisa running
02:29for their lives after they get trapped in an episode of Itchy and Scratchy. It's the sudden
02:33shift in format when Homer changes the channel to Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
02:37I'm telling you, this cilantro really gives it a zing!
02:41Regis, there's no cilantro in it!
02:42The live-action hosts are all in a panic as the animated characters fall into a pot of soup
02:47heating on the stove. This was an impressive special effect for television back in 1998.
02:52Even though Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford hosting Live is way out of date decades later,
02:57the sequence is still riotously chaotic.
03:00I'm going home! Dom DeLuise can interview himself!
03:03Number 17. Jason Momoa
03:05Springfield's San Castellaneta Festival must be a big deal for Jason Momoa to be its master
03:10of Sarah Spumoni's.
03:11It is an honor to be here on land today to recount the inspiring story of this great saint.
03:17Who'd have guessed that the actor is also a gifted storyteller? His account of St. Ignacio's
03:21over-the-top triple martyrdom goes down easier than the Spumoni he eats in the saint's honor.
03:26Momoa's appearance is all the more bizarre for the fact that he is not Catholic and that he's
03:31hyping up a franchise from Disney's nemesis Warner Brothers. There may be some animosity to the joke
03:36that Aquaman can't even pursue a pickpocket without first putting on floaties. Beyond that,
03:41the tribute to the fictional St. Ignacio is more of a true tribute to Momoa's charisma.
03:46That's why the thrice-martyred saint is remembered with Spumoni, the chocolate pistachio cherry ice cream
03:51treat. It's rare for Marge to be the one to mess up so badly that Homer has to leave the
04:05house
04:05for a while. At least she knows what kind of grand jester will get him to reconsider.
04:09Homer, Marge wrote me about what happened, and as soon as her check cleared, I was on the first
04:13reasonably-priced flight here. Did you ever get the parody songs I sent you? Yes.
04:18Weird Al Yankovic wins Homer over with a heartfelt and hilarious spoof of the John Mellencamp classic
04:23Jack and Diane. A reprise during the closing credits admits that the stunt was ultimately
04:27meager, but it was so fun that Weird Al had two more cameos. He parodied a parody in season 19's
04:33That 90s Show and popped up in a season 34 couch gag.
04:36So, can I stay for dinner? No.
04:39Homer and Marge's marriage does show a history of winning people through the chaos.
04:43Number 15. John Cena
04:44Conan O'Brien gathers an audience that includes Tom Hanks, Joel McHale, and Seth Rogen to see
04:50what the end of The Simpsons might look like.
04:52To create the ultimate finale, the AI has been fed every Simpsons episode, and the last episode
04:59of every television series ever made.
05:01Among the series finale cliches generated by AI is comic book guy and his wife Kimiko
05:06having a baby, with help from a huge celebrity. Wrestler-turned-movie star John Cena is so multi-talented
05:13that he can practice midwifery while handling a Klingon batleth. Why can't the ultimate jock
05:18also be the ultimate nerd?
05:19You can't see me. You can't see me.
05:22Anything goes in the star-studded finale of The Simpsons, especially when the episode isn't
05:28actually canon. Number 14. Matt Groening
05:30The creator of The Simpsons has been oddly reclusive from the long-running show.
05:35Maybe fans should think about that more than what Matt Groening says at Springfield's bi-monthly
05:39science fiction convention.
05:41Oh my goodness, it's Matt Groening!
05:44Wow! The creator of Futurama!
05:47He's shown being extremely friendly with fans, inviting them to approach him at any time for an
05:52autograph, a drawing, or a tug on his signature beard for good luck. While Groening is reportedly a
05:57nice guy in real life, he's obviously taking this opportunity to facetiously call out overly
06:02invasive fans.
06:03Don't forget to pull my beard. They say it's good luck.
06:06The trouble is that the ones he's describing are not always great with social cues.
06:10You're more than welcome to come hang out with us. Scan the QR code and join the 24-7
06:14WatchMojo pop culture live stream.
06:16Matt Groening? What's he doing in a museum? He can barely draw.
06:21Ow! Oh no! I'm being erased!
06:24Number 13. Dolly Parton
06:26Who wouldn't want to break into a Super Bowl game with the Queen of Country as the halftime
06:30show? Luckily for Homer and his fellow trespassers, Dolly Parton just happens to pass by their stadium
06:35holding cell.
06:36Cleaning lady! Would you let us out of here?
06:38Me? I'm Dolly Parton!
06:41She doesn't appreciate Homer's pushiness, but she's glad to help an old friend like travel
06:45agent Wally Cogan. Parton uses her extra-strength makeup remover to cut through the cell bars,
06:50then jetpacks off to the show with a Snoopy mask. The iconic singer was never shy about poking fun
06:56at her excessive accessories. Look at the time. I better scoot to that halftime show. See y'all!
07:02The way she uses them to save the day is just one more reason for us to always love her.
07:08Number 12. Metallica
07:09Every Metalhead's dream becomes a nightmare when Auto Man finds Metallica's tour bus broken down on the
07:15side of the road. Let's not get our hopes up that the band can recall a generic fan's exact seat
07:27at
07:27one of their consistently sold-out concerts. No less extreme is them forbidding Auto from listening to
07:32their music when he's unable to give them a ride, just because Bart steals the school bus. It's a
07:37prank so cruel that it drives the usually mellow man to corporal punishment. Talk about the
07:42unforgiven. It only took 18 seasons to deliver the perfect Metallica moment for the Simpsons.
07:48Never listen to our music again!
07:50Number 11. Joe Namath
07:51Bart needs serious help after he's made quarterback of his football team.
07:55Enter NFL legend Joe Namath, who provides no help at all.
08:00Excuse me, son.
08:01Wow, Joe Namath.
08:02That's right. My car broke down in front of your house.
08:06I cannot believe you are here. Do you think maybe you could give me some pointers?
08:10Sure. There's only one thing you need to know to be a great quarterback.
08:16Joe, honey, I fixed it. It was just vapor lock.
08:19He only popped by the Simpson house because of car trouble, which his wife fixes right before he can
08:24give Bart advice. The beauty of this big name gag is that it is so useless. An ingenious twist on
08:30the
08:30TV trope of guest stars giving sage advice. That is, unless your car does have a vapor lock,
08:35which Namath gives a useful PSA on at the end of Bart's star.
08:38We had a lot of fun tonight, but there's nothing funny about vapor lock.
08:44It's the third most common cause of car stallings.
08:48So please, take care of your car and get it checked.
08:51Twenty seasons later, four regrettings and a funeral sees Bart get back at Namath with a
08:56knee-busting church pew prank.
08:58Number 10. Tony Blair
08:59How can you top run-ins with author J.K. Rowling and actor Ian McKellen while visiting London?
09:05Please take these free tickets to my play.
09:08What? What play?
09:08We thespians believe it's bad luck to mention the name of this particular play out loud.
09:14You mean Macbeth?
09:18Quiet, you blundering fool! You curse us all!
09:21How about starting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
09:24In 2003, Tony Blair took time out of global affairs to welcome the Simpsons at Heathrow Airport.
09:30It's a great way for him to promote the wonders of Britain through one of the world's most popular TV
09:34shows.
09:35And it's the kind of show that breaks out a jetpack to assure viewers that Blair isn't really rushing around
09:40airports to greet tourists.
09:42Maybe you could give us a personal tour of your country.
09:45I'd love to, but I'm late for an appointment.
09:47I'm greeting a lovely Dutch couple at Gate 23.
09:49Cheerio!
09:51It's still an impressive feat of casting.
09:54Or a reminder that The Simpsons is important enough American culture to be part of the special relationship.
09:59Number 9.
10:00The Ramones
10:01Smithers goes all out with organizing Mr. Burns' birthday.
10:04To a fault.
10:05Punk rock trailblazers The Ramones provide one of the shortest and coolest renditions of Happy Birthday you've ever heard.
10:12Ladies and gentlemen, The Ramones.
10:15Ah, these minstrels will soothe my jangled nerves.
10:18I just like to say this gig sucks.
10:21Hey, up your Springfield.
10:22Burns, on the other hand, is so upset by the roast about his age that he demands to have the
10:27band killed.
10:28Unfortunately for the Rolling Stones, he didn't catch the name of the band.
10:32The Ramones received their own roast with this suggestion that their brand is a little too similar to the original
10:37Rock and Roll Rebels.
10:38Hey, I think they liked us.
10:40We'd imagine fans blasting their version of Happy Birthday every year more than makes up for that.
10:45Number 8.
10:46Gary Busey
10:47From the tragedy of his 1988 motorcycle accident, actor Gary Busey built a brand of medical advocacy and bold self
10:54-parody.
10:54He takes this unhinged persona to a particular extreme in a video guide to restraining orders.
11:00I'm here to explain about restraining orders.
11:02The answers to all your questions are in this video.
11:04Only at the end does Busey reveal that the video within the video is based on his own life, after
11:10unleashing one of his most epic cackles ever.
11:13It's been harder to laugh with him since a real harassment scandal in the 2020s.
11:17Whether it was ever really appropriate to laugh during Busey's surreal appearance on The Simpsons, it's just so hard to
11:22restrain yourself.
11:23All of whom couldn't deal with me because I'm too real.
11:28Number 7.
11:29The Smothers Brothers
11:30Bart's dream of having a brother unites some of pop culture's most notable siblings.
11:34It's nice to know that Cooper Manning is a good sport about having a shorter football career than NFL icons
11:40Eli and Peyton.
11:41It's easy being a winner in the pros.
11:42Try winning two high school basketball championships, like I did.
11:46Good for you, squirt.
11:47I'm the oldest.
11:48It's more optimistic to think that someone Bart's age dreams about Tom and Dick's mothers.
11:53Conveniently, their cameo is a delightful showcase of their legendary folk music charm and loving banter.
11:59Now look what you've done.
12:00Bart was having a perfectly nice dream about brothers and you ruined it.
12:04Yeah?
12:05Well, ha.
12:06Boiled at cabbage.
12:09Even more delightful is Homer joining them for a bacon bit during the credits of Oh Brother Where Bart Thou.
12:15The Smothers Brothers appearing in A Ten-Year-Old's Dream in 2009 should be taken as a testament to their
12:21timeless appeal.
12:22Number 6.
12:23Aerosmith
12:23In The Simpsons' first ever full-band guest spot, Aerosmith comes to Springfield to try the famous drink, The Flaming
12:30Moe.
12:30Hello, St. Louis!
12:33Uh, that's Springfield, Steven.
12:35Uh, yeah, right.
12:35Are you ready to rock?
12:37Yeah!
12:38I said, are you ready to rock?
12:41There's just too much of a buzz at Moe's Tavern for the hard rockers to stay seated.
12:45They jump onto the stage to perform alongside the bar owner, but eventually lose Joey Kramer.
12:50The drummer is preoccupied with fighting off a frisky Mrs. Krabappel on the tour bus.
12:54Mrs. Krabappel, I really need my drumsticks.
12:58Come and get them.
13:00He must not have gotten away, considering his return as a former flame in The Nedliest Catch.
13:05Aerosmith's detour must have made its own impression to earn a callback 20 years later.
13:10Number 5.
13:11James Taylor
13:11You can always count on folk singer James Taylor to cut the tension.
13:15Or maybe not.
13:16With Homer and two astronauts stuck in space, NASA Mission Control tries to soothe them with live music.
13:22We have quite a treat for you.
13:23We've been able to coax superstar James Taylor in here.
13:27Mission Control wish you well and play you a little of his own brand of laid-back adult contemporary music.
13:32Whoa, former President James Taylor.
13:35How you doing, fellas?
13:36But Taylor doesn't take too kindly to Buzz Aldrin's skepticism.
13:39As if that celebrity pairing weren't strange enough, Taylor recalls creating a vacuum with Art Garfunkel's compressor to deal with
13:46an ant infestation.
13:47The astronauts opening their shuttle hatch resolves a debris problem, while creating new problems.
13:52Oh my god!
13:53This is a disaster!
13:55Gotta go.
13:56James Taylor may not be great at crisis management, but his hilarious self-awareness shows that he is full of
14:02surprises.
14:03Number 4.
14:04Adam West
14:05The Batmobile isn't the real star attraction at the Springfield Auto Show.
14:09Unfortunately, Bart and Lisa are not as excited about the star of the 1960s Batman show as the Simpsons staff
14:16reportedly was.
14:17Dad, that's not the real Batman.
14:19Of course I'm Batman.
14:21See, here's a picture of me with Robin.
14:23Who the hell's Robin?
14:24Oh, I guess you're only familiar with the new Batman movies.
14:28This drives Adam West into a soft-spoken rant about the movie versions of the Caped Crusader, which he admittedly
14:34topped on authentic physicality and dance skills.
14:36Even Homer is creeped out by this bizarre encounter.
14:39Still, he hates to lose the snowplow business when Plow King Barney clears West's driveway later on.
14:45Mr. West, you said there was a job for me.
14:47There was, when I called you 45 minutes ago.
14:51Later still, in season 14's Large Marge, West and Burt Ward get to reprise their star-making roles.
14:58Of course, the more desperate Bat nostalgia in Mr. Plow is iconic in its own way.
15:03Number 3.
15:04Mel Brooks
15:04Homer is thrilled to have Mel Brooks as his first limo service client.
15:08Wow, I can't believe my very first passenger is comedy legend Mel Brooks.
15:13I love that movie.
15:15Young Frankenstein scared the hell out of me.
15:18Um, thanks.
15:19The comedy legend is more reluctant to recreate the 2,000-year-old man, especially as Homer can't remember the
15:25name of the sketch or Carl Reiner.
15:27Chief Wiggum proves to be no better when he gives Brooks a ride after citing Homer for chauffeuring without a
15:32proper license.
15:33You'd have to be even more ignorant of Brooks' career to think that he actually hated Reiner.
15:38The obviously ironic declaration just shows Brooks' mastery of committing to a bit with perfect line delivery.
15:44Now, he has an endlessly quotable routine among Simpsons fans.
15:48Why don't you play Carl Reiner and let me play Police Chief Wiggum?
15:52I hate Carl Reiner!
15:53Number 2.
15:54Ringo Starr
15:55Marge is inspired to paint again after finding an old portrait of a certain drummer she had a crush on.
16:00You have real talent.
16:01Hmm, do you really think so?
16:03My high school art teacher hated him.
16:05What?
16:06The man was a fool.
16:07But still, one must admire the force of his conviction.
16:10That I'm in the class?
16:11Oh, my dear, there couldn't be a class without you.
16:14Just when it seems that Mr. Burns has crushed that spirit, Marge receives a letter of praise from Ringo Starr
16:19himself.
16:20One of the most popular musicians ever, needing decades to answer every piece of fan mail, seems more realistic than
16:26him actually doing so.
16:28It was phenomenal enough for a Beatle to appear on an animated sitcom in its sophomore season.
16:32Your devotion to your fans is nothing short of remarkable.
16:35Well, Weatherby, they took the time to write me, and I don't care if it takes me another 20 years.
16:41I'm going to answer every one of them.
16:43And he wouldn't be the last.
16:45Homer's Barbershop Quartet ran into George Harrison, and Paul and Linda McCartney taught Lisa how to be a vegetarian.
16:51As always, though, they first needed Starr to count them in.
16:56Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour live stream.
17:00All of your favorite videos in one place, 24-7.
17:03Always on, always live.
17:05Are you not entertained?
17:08Number 1. Various
17:10Bringing the Krusty the Clown show back from cancellation hangs on a comeback special with serious star power.
17:16Hey, Bart, if we get all these big stars to appear on a special with Krusty, it might get his
17:20career going again.
17:27Here's my address book. Go get those stars.
17:30The Simpsons season 4 finale would thus be such an ordeal to cast that the episode was itself nearly cancelled.
17:36But it pulled through with Johnny Carson, Bette Midler, sideshow Luke Perry, and musical guests the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
17:43By the time Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner plays the singing glasses,
17:47screen icon Elizabeth Taylor is cursing the agent who turned down the ridiculously star-studded gig.
17:52I've got to fire that agent.
17:54It's hard to believe that an especially washed-up Krusty the Clown could command an ensemble like this.
17:59But with a sensation like The Simpsons, even the smallest parts can draw the biggest names.
18:05What brief guest appearances on The Simpsons have managed to stick with you?
18:08Laugh it up in the comments.
18:09The Simpsons.
18:10The Simpsons.
18:12The Simpsons.
18:14The Simpsons.
18:14The Simpsons.
18:14The Simpsons.
18:15The Simpsons.
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