10 most notable guest stars that appeared on The Simpsons over the years
The Simpsons has been on Fox, oh, I don't know, forever, maybe? Over the years, fans have been delighted with adventures and moments from America's favorite family, the Simpsons. To keep the adventures enriching and engaging, guest stars lent their iconic voices to the storylines. Naturally, you become a Springfield citizen when you appear and are a part of the long-running series realm.
That said, the current season 36 should be packed with celebrity guest stars. Now, we don't know who will become a character and whether they will be friends or enemies, or even frenemies of Homer Simpson, but one thing for sure is that whoever shows up will be critical to the storylines and their lasting impression.
As there are plenty of iconic and famous names that popped up on The Simpsons in the last 35 years, and more to come, let's flashback to some memorable people who became an established member of The Simpsons legacy,
Leonard Nimoy as Leonard Nimoy
Episodes: "Marge vs. the Monorail" and "The Springfield Files"
Leonard Nimoy appeared as himself in not one but two episodes! In "Marge vs. the Monorail," Nimoy pokes fun at his Star Trek character, Mr. Sprock, who is a serious individual filled with wisdom. In the episode, Nimoy is also a comedic relief when he pulls Krusty back, saying, "No! The world needs laughter," much emphasizing his point.
Later, Nimoy converses with Barney Gumble after stating, "My work here is done," with the latter questioning what he had done. Nimoy beams away into Oblivian, another farce of Sprock's characterization.
In "The Springfield Files," which also guest-starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderon from The X-Files, Nimoy narrates Homer's alien encounter and joins the town later in a celebration. The alien all along was Mr. Burns, who became the ET-like creature in his drugged-up state to cheat death and the effects of radiation glowing. That didn't stop everyone's togetherness and fun, as that was the goal.
Katy Perry
Episode: "The Fight Before Christmas"
Singer Katy Perry appeared in a custom red patent leather dress decorated with The Simpsons motifs. It was also a Christmas episode, and her segment was a spoof of The Muppets, with characters actually in the shape of the fuzzy foamed puppets handled by Muppet puppeteers. In a rare moment without his trust, Smithers develops a crush on Perry, who responds with a kiss.
Lady Gaga
Episode: "Lisa Goes Gaga"
When Lady Gaga arrives in Springfield, the citizens are over the moon, except for one. Lisa Simpson. Lisa's having a self-crisis after being bullied online. Lady Gaga makes it her personal mission to help Lisa find her confidence and value, only to have the eight-year-old prodigy burst out in annoyed anger. Naturally, Gaga is taken aback, as she hasn't experienced an outburst. But everything falls into place because Lisa extends an apology, which the pop sensation accepts and the two collaborate musically.
The animation in Gaga's wardrobe is top notch and reflects several of her real-life pieces.
James Earl Jones
Episodes: "Treehouse of Horror I" and "V", "Das Bus"
As we couldn't see Jones's animated persona, we knew it was the grand actor gifting us with his booming voice. He first appeared with a haunting narration of Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 poem, "The Raven," in the very first "Treehouse of Horror" episode. I can't imagine the franchise being successful without Jones' participation because it was he who knocked it out of the park, making the franchise what it is.
Jones returned briefly as Maggie's cryptic voice in Treehouse of Horror V" and supplied the honestly brutal line, "This is indeed a disturbing universe." For the baby who doesn't speak, the writers sure gave her a fun voice to play with.
For his last episode, "Das Bu," Jones reassured us that the kids were eventually rescued from the isolated island.
"Let's say, um, Moe," he narrated, indicating that it was bartender Moe Szyslak who save the young'uns from a deathly fate.
The piece was a hilarious mockery of William Golding's survival novel, Lord of the Flies, in which Bart, Lisa, and the other Springfield Elementary School students must work together after a bus accident leaves them stranded on an island.
Jones passed away on Sept. 9, 2024, leaving behind a lasting legacy and notable spirit.
Betty White
Episodes: "Homerazzi" and “Missionary Impossible”
The late and effervescent Betty White lent her Midwestern voice and sweet demeanor in two episodes, making the series more golden. In "Homerazzi," White stopped Homer while taking photos of unsuspecting celebrities for his paparazzi assignment. While Homer, who had multiple "careers" at this point, is annoyed by the encounter, White finds immense joy, even asking how Santa's Little Helper is doing. We love how the writers infused White's animal advocacy into the show in a subtle way, as Santa's Little Helper was a rescue.
White reprised herself as a public television host to accumulate funding for the station in "Missionary Impossible." The role brought out her sometimes acidic wit and charm.
Johnny Cash
Episode: "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer" ("The Mysterious Voyage of Homer")
Another music legend, Johnny Cash, offered his wisdom in the guise of a desert Space Coyote in Homer's hallucination after consuming dangerously hot chili peppers. The Space Coyote speaks of profound truth and sends Homer on a soulful mission to find his soulmate. The task isn't as easy as Homer thought it would be, as he felt that his wife, Marge, was his soulmate, but the two hit a boulder following Homer's beer consumption at the cookoff.
Homer walks through Springfield's lonely streets, hoping his soulmate is out there, but when the search fails, he's disappointed. But there is a bright light at the end of this rocking episode. When the light goes out at the lighthouse, it puts the Sea Captain in a dangerous situation, but with Homer working with Marge, they change the bulb in time. Homer was right all along regarding his soulmate, and it was Marge.
Cash's addition was serene and raw, with a nod toward his own personal spiritual quest to get sober from alcohol and drugs. I can't imagine anyone else being the Space Coyote.
Michael Jackson (under the pseudo of John Jay Smith, with singing voice by Kip Lennon)
Episode: "Stark Raving Dad"
We're going onto uncharted territory by revisiting the banned episode, "Stark Raving Dad." In the original season 3 opener, Homer is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after he wears a pink shirt to work. It sounds silly, we know, but it is what it is. During his stay, Homer meets a man claiming to be the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and the two form a friendship.
The Simpson patriarch offers "Michael" to stay at his house, causing Bart to tell everyone that the Grammy winner is coming. The town's excitement changes to shock when it's discovered that the so-called singer is a white guy from Jersey named Leon Kopowsky. Nonetheless, Jackson was a moment on The Simpsons, as he wrote the episode's song, "Happy Birthday Lisa," and he benefitted well from the kids.
Jackson was a fan of the show, so he called the creator, Matt Groening, to see if he could appear. Groening agreed, but there were a couple of things that Jackson had to follow first. The singer couldn't use his real name, so he went with the pseudo "John Jay Smith." Second, Jackson was contractually obligated by his record company not to sing in the episode, so Vulture singer Kipp Lennon took his place.
In 2019, Groening and his producers pulled "Stark Raving Dad" from circulation following the release of the HBO documentary Finding Neverland. The doc highlighted victims' stories of alleged abuse by Jackson when they were children. It was a hard decision since "Stark Raving Dad" was a " treasured episode," as producer James L. Brooks told per The Wall Street Journal. He also stated that while he's against burning books, the creatives can make later edits.
"I’m against book burning of any kind. But this is our book, and we’re allowed to take out a chapter."
As you won't be able to find "Stark Raving Dad" on streamers or syndication, your best bet will be in the original season 3 DVD set or on YouTube.
Reese Witherspoon
Episode: "The Bart Wants What It Wants"
When Bart falls in love with actor Rainier Wolfcastle's daughter, Greta, he and his family are treated like royalty. Greta and Bart make a cute couple, but he winds up breaking up with her as he isn't as emotionally invested in the relationship as she is. It leaves Greta heartbroken, and Bart realizes he wants to be with her. When he tries to reconcile, Greta has moved on with no other than Milhouse, much to Bart's surprise.
The boys get into a scuffle over Greta in Canada and she turns them both down. Yet, "Barhouse" is as stronger than it was before.
A-list movie actress Reese Witherspoon portrayed Greta Wolfcastle. With her blonde locks and overall character cuteness, Witherspoon is the perfect addition to The Simpsons' world. Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck also lent his voice as a caricature of himself while making "Die bester Rice Krispy treats."
The episode also gave plenty of hilarious German/Austrian references, reflecting that just because German/Austrian people carry the seriousness stereotype, it doesn't erase that we can't have a good laugh at ourselves.
Blink 182 and Tony Hawk
Episode: "Barting Over"
Bart is granted emancipation after discovering Homer had washed away his income from being a commercial baby. He moves into a sketchy loft with Homer's pay, and despite a harsh beginning, he meets skateboard pro, Tony Hawk and the punk-rock band Blink 182, who will "trash this place" following their payment.
At the end, Bart and Homer make up, as the duo both made mistakes from the experience.
"Barting Over" is the series 300th episode and was the perfect "Woo-hoo!" celebration.
Robert Goulet
Episode: "$pringfled"
Crooner Robert Goulet boasted his talented singing voice with his version of "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" at Bart's Treehouse Casino. Before he did that, he had a hilarious interaction with Nelson when Goulet inquired whether his manager (and wife) Vera booked the right casino. Goulet just shrugged it off and went with it.
I'm glad that he did, because he was a hit with the kids.
Other notable guest stars
We're not forgetting these fine people who made an "excellent" impression on The Simpsons.
- Dolly Parton
- N*SYNC
- Britney Spears
- Aerosmith
- Spinal Täp (Henry Schearer's mock rock band)
- Ernest Borgnine
- Flea and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- The Beatles
- Pierce Brosnan
- Danny DeVito