by Stephanie Gray
Known for featuring celebrities, the past 400 episodes have seen a plethora of guest voices. So just what actors, musicians, athletes and other notables lent their voice in hopes of becoming an avatar? Here are my hand-picked selections:
Meryl Streep as Jessica Lovejoy |
Academy Award Winning Actors
Dustin Hoffman – as Mr. Bergstrom– Season 2 - in Lisa’s Substitute
Elizabeth Taylor – as Maggie – Season 4 – in Lisa’s First Word
Meryl Streep – as Jessica Lovejoy – Season 6 – in Bart’s Girlfriend
Helen Hunt – as Renee – Season 9 – in Dumbbell Indemnity
Reese Witherspoon – as Greta Wolfcastle – Season 13 – in The Bart Wants What It Wants
Saturday Night Live Alum
Janeane Garofalo – as herself – Season 9 – in Last Temptation of Krusty
Steve Martin – Ray Patterson – Season 9 – in Trash of the Titans
Ben Stiller – as Garth Motherloving – Season 13 – in Sweets and Sour Marge
Amy Poehler – as Jenda – Season 16 – in Future-Drama
Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob |
Directors
Mel Brooks – as himself – Season 6 – in Homer vs. Patty and Selma
Ron Howard – as himself – Season 10 – in When you Dish Upon a Star; Season 11 – in Hello Gutter, Hello Fader
James L. Brooks – as himself – Season 14 – in A Star is Born Again
Michael Moore – as himself – Season 15 – in The President Wore Pearls
Rob Reiner – as himself – Season 17 – in Million Dollar Abie
Sitcom Stars of the Nineties
Kelsey Grammer – as Sideshow Bob – starting in Season 1 and ongoing
Helen Hunt – as Renee – Season 9 – in Dumbbell Indemnity
Lisa Kudrow – as Alex Whitney – Season 10 – in Lard of the Dance
Matthew Perry – as himself – Season 13 – in Treehouse of Horror XII
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – as Gloria – Season 13 – in A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love
Reality TV Stars
Carmen Electra – as herself – Season 13 – in The Frying Game
Simon Powell – as Henry – Season 15 – in Smart and Smarter
Fantasia Barrino – as Clarissa – S16 – in A Star is Torn
Randy Jackson – as himself – Season 17 – in Bart Has Two Mommies
Pop Stars
Michael Jackson – as himself and Leon Kompowsky – Season 3 – in Stark Raving Dad
Cyndi Lauper – as herself - Season 10 – in Wild Barts Can’t be Broken
Britney Spears – as herself – Season 11 – in The Mansion Family
Ricky Gervais as Charles Heathbar |
Comedians
Rodney Dangerfield – as Larry Burns – Season 8 – in Burns, Baby Burns
Jack Lemmon – as Frank Ormand – Season 8 – in The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
John Goodman – as Meathook – Season 11 – in Take My Wife, Sleaze
Kathy Griffin – as Francine – Season 12 – in Bye, Bye, Nerdie
Ricky Gervais – as Charles Heathbar – Season 17 – in Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife
Athletes
Magic Johnson – as himself – Season 3 – in Homer Defined
Mark McGwire – as himself – Season 10 – in Brother’s Little Helper
Tony Hawk – as himself – Season 14- in Barting Over
Oscar De La Hoya – as himself – Season 15 – in Treehouse of Horror XIV
Michelle Kwan – as herself – Season 16 – in Homer and Ned’s Hail Mary Pass
Conan O'Brien as himself |
Musicians from the UK
Ringo Starr – as himself – Season 2 – in Brush with Greatness
Tom Jones – as himself – Season 4 - in Marge Gets a Job
George Harrison – as himself – Season 5 – in Homer’s Barbershop Quartet; Season 9 – in All Singing, All Dancing
Paul McCartney – as himself – Season 7 - in Lisa the Vegetarian
Elton John – as himself – Season 10 – in I’m With Cupid
Television Hosts
Johnny Carson – as himself – Season 4 – in Krusty Gets Kancelled
Conan O’Brien – as himself – Season 5 – in Bart Gets Famous
Alex Trebek – as himself – Season 9 – in Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
Jay Leno – as himself – Season 9 – in Last Temptation of Krusty
James Lipton – as himself – Season 13 – in The Sweetest Apu
Rock Bands
Aerosmith – Season 3 – in Flaming Moe’s
The Red Hot Chili Peppers – Season 4 - in Krusty Gets Kancelled
The Ramones – Season 5 – in Rosebud
The Smashing Pumpkins – Season 7 – in Homerpalooza
U2 – as themselves - Season 9 – in Trash of the Titans
The Who – as themselves – Season 12 – in A Tale of Two Springfields
Metallica – as themselves – Season 18 – in The Mook, The Chef, The Wife, and Her Homer
J.K. Rowling as herself |
Writers
Stephen King – as himself – Season 12 – in Insane Clown Poppy
Helen Fielding – as herself – Season 14 – in A Star is Born Again
Thomas Pynchon – as himself – Season 15 – in Diatribe of a Mad Housewife; Season 16 – in All’s Fair in Oven War
J.K. Rowling – as herself – Season 15 – in The Regina Monologues
Tom Wolfe – as himself – Season 18 – in Moe ‘n’ a Lisa
Geniuses
Stephen Hawking – as himself – Season 10 – in They Saved Lisa’s Brain; Season 19 - in Stop or My Dog Will Shoot
Matt Groening – as himself – Season 15 – in My Big Fat Geek Wedding
Frank Gehry – as himself – Season 16 – in The Seven-Beer Snitch
Ahh….
Rupert Murdoch – as himself – Season 10 – in Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
Wolfgang Puck – as himself – Season 13 – in The Bart Wants What It Wants
Weird Al – as himself – Season 14 – in Three Gays of the Condo
Mr. T – as himself – Season 15 – in Today I am a Clown
Published: Thursday, July 26, 2007
