The classic Fox comedy The Simpsons is known for many things, including its many years on the air, the excellent writers and the classic lines. Another thing the series does more than most is incorporate so many celebrity voices, with talent often clamoring to appear on the show (especially during their classic seasons). Whether the musicians, actors, comedians or athletes are playing themselves or offering their voice for a character, many of the most memorable episodes throughout the run of The Simpsons feature a famous voice. Of course this list is by no means complete, but for all The Simpsons fans out there, here are 10 celebrity cameos that were particularly memorable.
Paul and Linda McCartney
Season 7, Episode 5, "Lisa the Vegetarian" tackles the morality of meat consumption after Lisa befriends a small lamb at a petting zoo. She discovers Apu is also a vegetarian and relies on him for advice and support. In a very brief and appearance, the famous Beatle and his wife are seen gardening on the roof of the Kwik-E-Mart. They reassure Lisa in her decision to stop eating meat and treat Lisa to a song, but it is actually Apu's rendition of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Betty White
The beloved actress makes an appearance on the series when Homer pretends to donate a large amount of money to PBS during a telethon. In Season 11, Episode 15, "Missionary Impossible," Betty White is participating in the telethon to solicit donations and then aggressive pursues Homer when he can't deliver the money. This version of herself is heightened and hilarious, especially as she orders thugs to handle Homer. Once Homer can't pay off his donation, he flees to a remote island as a missionary.
Johnny Cash
Legendary rock star Johnny Cash guest stars in one of the most well known episodes of The Simpsons with Season 8, Episode 9, "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)." When Homer attends a chilli cook-off, he eats a pepper so spicy it causes hallucinations. During his trip, he encounters the Space Coyote, voiced by Johnny Cash, who acts as Homer's spiritual guide and leads him on a journey towards determining that Marge is truly his soul mate. The episode is emotional, well-animated and funny, and with the addition of Cash's voice, it's a classic episode from top to bottom.
Leonard Nimoy
The Star Trek alum makes the most perfect cameo in Season 8, Episode 10, "The Springfield Files," where he plays himself. The episode follows Homer as he discovers what he believes to be an alien in the woods. Leonard Nimoy begins the episode by hosting an alien encounter television show, discussing Homer's alien interaction. Later in the episode, Nimoy concludes his coverage of Homer's alien, which ended up being Mr. Burns, and bids the audience goodnight, before being informed there's 10 minutes left. After he flees to his car, a squeaky voiced teen fills in.
Everyone in "Homer at the Bat"
When it comes to ensemble cameos, Season 3, Episode 17, "Homer at the Bat" takes the cake. Baseball legends Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, José Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Scioscia all star in the episode as last minute additions to the Nuclear Power Plant baseball team. After giving the professional players token jobs, they replace the previous team members, including Homer, Lenny and Carl. Each of the professional players manage to suffer random, unrelated mishaps, preventing them from playing. This includes Ozzie Smith falling into a bottomless pit and Steve Sax being arrested for every unsolved murder in New York City.
Bette Midler
Another episode featuring an ensemble cast of stars is Season 4, Episode 22, "Krusty Gets Kancelled," which features Luke Perry, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bette Midler, among many others. The episode follows Krusty after his show gets cancelled. Bart and Lisa roundup Krusty's famous friends for a comeback special to get his career back on track, and they locate Bette Midler on the side of a highway cleaning litter. While all of the celebrity appearances are well executed, there's something about Bette Midler tossing a beer can at a moving vehicle and causing it to burst into flames that makes her cameo perfect.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
This is another entry on the list from "The Springfield Files," which also stars The X-Files' David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, who appear as Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate Homer's otherworldly encounter. The two agents question Homer and run a series of tests to determine the legitimacy of his experience, but they conclude there was no alien sighting. They do make another appearance at the end of the episode, wearing "Homer is a Dope" shirts and singing alongside Chewbacca.
John Waters
The controversial director stars as a fictionalized version of himself in Season 8, Episode 15, "Homer's Phobia." When Homer meets John, an eccentric shop owner, the two become fast friends. The next day, Marge lets Homer know that John is gay, which repulses Homer and causes him to break off the friendship. The episode examines homophobia in a way that only The Simpsons knows how to, by having one of the most prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community as a guest star in a hilarious role while saving Homer's life from a robotic Santa.
Rodney Dangerfield
Mr. Burns is revealed to have an illegitimate son named Larry in Season 8, Episode 4, "Burns, Baby Burns," who is played by Rodney Dangerfield as essentially a version of himself. While selling trinkets alongside a train, Larry discovers Mr. Burns onboard, who he recognizes as his distant father. He tracks down Mr. Burns but fails to impress him, forcing Larry back on his own, where he runs into the Simpsons, befriending Homer. Naturally, the two manage to get themselves into huge amounts of trouble after faking Larry's kidnapping.
James Woods
James Woods guest stars as himself in Season 5, Episode 13, "Homer and Apu," where he replaces Apu at the Kwik-E-Mart. The episode follows Homer as he gets sick from expired food purchased from the Kwik-E-Mart, which leads to a hidden camera investigation to expose Apu's business improprieties. When Apu loses his job, Homer joins him on a journey to the Kwik-E-Mart head offices in India to petition for his job back. Meanwhile, Woods has become the Kwik-E-Mart manager while researching for a film role. Despite the appearance being short, the sequence delivers some classic lines.