Whether in a brief cameo or a multi-episode story arc, famous people popping up as guest stars on a show has been a common occurrence since the early days of television. While famous actors may still account for the majority of these guest spots, politicians, musicians, and even scientists have shown up on many television series. Some, like Joe Biden or Stephen Hawking, have played themselves, while others, such as Taylor Swift, have taken on fictional roles.
But what is it like to work with these famous guest stars? Even the cast and crew of hit series can find themselves intimidated or starstruck. Sometimes the guest star’s level of fame has led to increased security on set. Other times it is the guest star who turns out to be a big fan of the show. But if the behind-the-scenes stories in this piece are any indication, more often than not the experience is a positive one for both the show’s cast and crew and for the guest star.
1. Jim Parsons Said He Was Moved That Stephen Hawking Even Wanted To Be On ’The Big Bang Theory’
Famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking guest-starred on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory during the show’s fifth season in an episode titled “The Hawking Excitation,” in which he is scheduled to be a guest lecturer at Caltech. Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is a huge fan of Hawking’s, and when he learns Howard (Simon Helberg) has been hired to maintain the scientist’s wheelchair, he asks Simon for an introduction, or at least to give Hawking a research paper Cooper has written. Howard agrees, but only after Sheldon completes a series of humiliating tasks. In the end, Howard gives the paper to Hawking and arranges for Sheldon to meet him, only for Hawking to point out an arithmetical error in the paper that makes the entire report incorrect.
At the 2018 Paleyfest, Parsons talked about working with Hawking:
So much of our show is related, based on, adjacent to, everything that Stephen Hawking did, strove to do, thought about, was passionate about throughout his entire life and career. The fact that he knew of our show and was interested in being on it, was willing to come play with us group of monkeys for a couple of days was really moving… It was an amazing experience. It was an intimidating one; I’d be lying if I said that I was comfortable… I’m no science genius personally, but being around this kind of material and what the writers draw from each and every day for so many years now, to get to finally meet him was, it was just overwhelming… [I]t’s one of the things that’s kind of bittersweet in a way. It’s like once he’s passed now, and now we’re talking about him… it hammers home how fortunate I was to get to be with him at the time.
2. Mariska Hargitay Said Robin Williams Played With Her 2-Year-Old Son On The Set Of ‘Law & Order: SVU’
Many guest stars have appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since its premiere in 1999, including Robin Williams. During the 17th season, he appeared in the episode “Authority,” playing Merritt Rook, an audio engineer who hates authority figures because a doctor’s mistake resulted in his wife’s demise years earlier. Rook kidnaps Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and threatens to kill her.
In 2018, Hargitay told TV Insider that Williams was her favorite guest star, in part because of his interaction with her son on set:
It was being in the presence of true greatness. He had this huge heart: The set photographer captured Robin playing with my son, August [then not quite 2], with a smile from ear to ear.
3. Kate Flannery And Pretty Much The Entire ‘The Office’ Cast Was Intimidated By Kathy Bates; The Feeling Was Mutual
In Season 6 of The Office, Dunder Mifflin is purchased by a paper and printing company called Sabre, whose CEO Jo Bennett was portrayed by Kathy Bates. According to Andy Greene’s book The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, Kate Flannery, who portrayed Meredith Palmer, meeting the Oscar-winning actor shook her up a bit:
Kathy Bates was intimidating initially. I’m a huge fan, so in my mind I was trying to get the movie Misery out of my head; my God. But eventually she did warm up and was lovely, but I think it was daunting on both sides initially.
According to the show’s editor Claire Scanlon, Bates was just as nervous about working with the hit series’ established cast:
I remember when Kathy Bates spoke, her voice was trembling at first. We were shocked. We were so excited to be working with freaking Kathy… She said, “You guys are like a well-oiled machine; it is daunting coming into this group.”
In the end, Bates’s guest-starring stint on the show went well. Producer Randy Cordray said, “She was a total professional and a dear, sweet woman.”
4. Johnny Galecki Said Mark Hamill, As A Guest On ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ Had A Lot Of Questions For Him About Galecki’s Character On ‘Roseanne’
Before Johnny Galecki landed the role of scientist Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory, the actor was probably best known for portraying David Healy in the 1990s sitcom Roseanne.
Mark Hamill must have been a fan of Roseanne, because Galecki told The Wrap that when the Star Wars actor guest-starred on The Big Bang Theory in 2018, he “had a lot of questions, like old Roseanne trivia questions. One specific question had to do with Galecki’s character originally being named Kevin, not David. Galecki recalled that he told Hamill:
That’s some deep-a** trivia, man.
5. Zooey Deschanel Said Prince Was ‘Just Chill’ During His Appearance On ‘New Girl’
Music superstar Prince guest-starred on New Girl during the sitcom’s third season. The episode, which was appropriately titled “Prince,” centered on a plot in which Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and her friend are invited to a party at the musician’s house. Nick (Jake Johnson) and some of his friends crash the party; earlier in the evening Nick had told Jess he loved her. Prince asks Jess to spend some time with him at the party, and over pancakes he gives her some advice that ends up helping her and Nick sort out their feelings.
It turns out that Prince was a big fan of the show and asked to make an appearance (although he had turned down an offer to appear in an episode the previous season). He had several ideas about the script and even requested that the house party scene be as close as possible to the actual house parties he was known to host.
During a 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Deschanel said she received an email out of nowhere from Prince’s manager telling her the musician loved New Girl and wanted to appear on the show. No one was sure he would actually show up – until he did. He turned out to be very easy to work with, Deschanel said:
He was awesome. He was such a pro. Yeah. I mean like a good actor. And very just kind of chill all the time. I mean, such a cool guy.
6. Fran Drescher Said Elizabeth Taylor Let Anyone Take Pictures With Her On ‘The Nanny’
Because Fran Fine’s (Fran Drescher) employer on The Nanny was a theatrical producer, it isn’t a surprise that the sitcom had a lot of guest stars over the years, often playing themselves. Elizabeth Taylor, for example, played herself in a Season 3 episode titled “Where’s the Pearls,” in which Drescher’s character loses the star’s black pearl necklace.
In a 2022 interview with Fox News Digital, Drescher said Taylor was the guest star whose behavior surprised her the most:
Elizabeth Taylor was really warm, very generous. She sat on the couch on the set and whoever wanted to stand behind her and take a picture with her could. And the set photographer did for both the cast and crew. She was very welcoming of everybody.
7. Tina Fey Said When Oprah Winfrey Guest-Starred On ’30 Rock,’ She Was Genuinely Concerned That Fey Was Overworking Herself
In 2006, Tina Fey created 30 Rock, a satirical sitcom centered on the behind-the-scenes goings-on at a fictional live sketch comedy series. The show was reportedly based on Fey’s experiences as the head writer at SNL. Fey served as executive producer as well as an actor and writer on 30 Rock, which was already a heavy workload. Then, early in the sitcom’s third season, she accepted an offer to reprise her role as Sarah Palin on SNL at the same time she was trying to plan a birthday party for her daughter. When Oprah Winfrey showed up on the set to prepare for a guest-starring role on 30 Rock, she worried whether Fey was taking on too much responsibility at one time. As Fey wrote in her memoir Bossypants:
Back at 30 Rock we scheduled our shooting day with Miss Oprah Winfrey. She generously offered to fly in on Saturday, September 13, to pick up her scenes. This was perfect. I could safely plan my daughter’s party for Sunday the 14th… On Thursday, Oprah’s office checked in to say that she had heard I might be doing SNL and would I rather reschedule her shoot? No, no, no! Get the “O” in the can… [On Saturday] I got up at 6 am and filmed my scenes with Oprah. She was great. She really does smell nice. Between setups I sat with my daughter on my lap and watched Governor Palin on YouTube and tried to improve my accent. Oprah seemed genuinely concerned for me. “How much rehearsal time are you going to get?” (BTW, when Oprah Winfrey is suggesting you may have overextended yourself, you need to examine your f***ing life.) Around 5:30 pm, Oprah and I wrapped and I went over to SNL, but not before stealing an untouched Edible Arrangements bouquet from Oprah’s dressing room to serve at the birthday party the next day.
8. Neil Patrick Harris Had Trouble Getting On The Set Due To Security Measures When Britney Spears Guest-Starred On ‘How I Met Your Mother’
In 2008, Britney Spears appeared on two episodes of How I Met Your Mother, playing a receptionist at a dermatologist’s office who is interested in Ted (Josh Radnor) but gets involved with Barney (Neil Patrick Harris). According to Harris, Spears had contacted the producers and asked to appear on the show. But the pop star’s celebrity meant security on the set got ramped up. In an interview with E! Online, Harris explained that the cast and crew had to wear wristbands to be allowed on set:
[The wristbands were to] keep meddling blogger friends from just strolling on to set to snap camera phone pics. It’s like the ultimate after-party!
This security precaution led Harris to be banned from his own set when he forgot his wristband one day. However, after he “had words” with the security guard, he was allowed in.
9. Eric McCormack And Sean Hayes Said Cher Was Gorgeous Without Makeup On ‘Will & Grace’
Cher guest-starred as herself on Will & Grace during the sitcom’s third season. In the episode “Gypsies, Tramps and Weed,” Cher meets Jack (Sean Hayes), one of her biggest fans, at a restaurant. Jack carries around a doll of the entertainer, which he talks to. Cher informs him that she finds this strange, only to learn that Jack doesn’t believe she is really Cher. Even after she performs “If I Could Turn Back Time,” he still believes she’s a drag queen. He even tells the entertainer he does a better Cher impersonation than she does. It isn’t until she hits him that he realizes she truly is Cher.
In a 2020 Zoom interview with People TV, Hayes spoke about getting to do a scene with her:
She‘s the best. She’s super cool, super down to earth. Really fun and funny and got a big heart. Just kind of all around… I mean she is who she is because you feel that from her. You feel like she is, “Okay, I could hang out with this girl for a long time.” She’s very, very cool.
In the same interview Eric McCormack (who played Will on the series) talked about how Cher first arrived on the set:
She walked in just to rehearse this scene with Sean. And she wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup. And she was gorgeous. Then she went into makeup to look like that for four hours… why even bother? She looked amazing.
Hayes agreed: “Yeah, she was beautiful.”