With 25+ seasons completed and seemingly no end in sight, there is certainly no shortage on the number of celebrity guest stars who have visited Springfield, leaving their mark on The Simpsons. These Simpsons cameos, guest-starring roles, and guest voices are just one part of what makes The Simpsons so fun to watch, and easily one of the best TV shows of all time.
The longest running scripted prime-time television series has welcomed comedy legends like Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, and Johnny Carson onto the show as well as veteran actors like Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, and Patrick Stewart among many others. Modern superstars like Anne Hathaway, Daniel Radcliffe, and Neil Patrick Harris have guest starred along with legends like George Carlin, Stan Lee, and Johnny Cash.
And then of course there are Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz, voiced by the late Phil Hartman and the fan favorite mob boss Fat Tony voiced by Joe Mantegna. David Duchovny, Betty White, John Goodman, Lucy Lawless, Danny DeVito, Alec Baldwin, Mark Hamill, Rodney Dangerfield, Michael Jackson - the list of guest stars and Simpsons celebrity guests is as wide and diverse as the cast of characters that populate Springfield.
We've gathered the top, greatest guest stars in The Simpsons history (though bands like Aerosmith, The Ramones, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. have been omitted) and we know there are more than a few favorites on this list of Simpsons guest stars. Which guest voices on The Simpsons are your favorites?
Leader of the Springfield chapter of the secret Stonecutter society, Patrick Stewart guest starred as Number One in the season six episode "Homer the Great." He gleefully hazes new recruits and enjoys presiding over the club's many social gatherings... and who can forget the awesome Stonecutters song?
Stephen Hawking guest starred as himself in the next to last episode of season 10. In the episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain," Hawking makes a surprise appearance at a MENSA meeting in the park to critique the group's crumbling utopia. He later talked about his guest starring role on the show.
Mr. Bergstrom! Dustin Hoffman played the charismatic, self-effacing, and encouraging substitute teacher who filled in for Ms. Hoover. Lisa immediately took to him because he was the kind of male role model she was seeking in her life. The tearful ending is one of the most heartbreaking in Simpsons history.
"Lisa, it's your birthday. Happy birthday, Lisa." While Kipp Lennon did all the singing in this season three premiere episode, Michael Jackson provided the dialogue and was credited as John Jay Smith for his appearance. Leon Kompowsky would appear again in the season 13 episode "Sweets and Sour Marge" and in a season 23 couch gag.
