History Main / SpecialGuest

* ''WebVideo/QueerKidStuff'': Lindsay has occasionally invited people onto the show to help her explain certain topics.

*** Creator/EdwardJamesOlmos portrays a the founder of a Puerto Rican gang who's fresh out of prison in "[[Recap/CSINYS07E04 Sangre por Sangre]]".

* Subverted in one episode of ''Series/CSIMiami'': the suspect was a famous skateboarder who retired and made software games starring himself... but the Special Guest, [[VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater Tony Hawk]], instead played the BodyOfTheWeek. [[spoiler: Also invoked, since Tony Hawk's character is also the CEO's StuntDouble for doing MotionCapture in the game, so he does skateboard in a flashback.]]

* ''Series/TheLoveBoat'': Every episode included a new set of passengers, and a new set of celebrities playing those people. A [[https://youtu.be/bPwxmrNVKKE comprehensive montage]] of their credits in the opening takes up to over ''45 minutes''. It probably would be easier to count the living people in early [[TheEighties 1980s]] Hollywood who did ''not'' appear in the show.

* ''Series/HeeHaw'': While there were "special guests" every week, the one guest that producer/creator Sam Louvillo wanted more than anybody came during the early 1970s ... but he never got him because Col. Tom Parker found out and quashed the idea immediately. That special guest that never was, of course, was Music/ElvisPresley. Additionally, Elvis ''wanted'' to be on the show and the negotiations were underway until Parker found out.

* ''Series/FullHouse'', Michelle's friend Denise has a famous musician-uncle who turns out to be Music/LittleRichard.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', which seems to have gotten its most fame ever from having Music/BritneySpears on twice. Not the first (or last) the show did, but definitely the most infamous. And Music/KatyPerry.

* ''Series/WillAndGrace'' was quite annoying with this; it featured special guests almost every week and seemed like a vehicle for celebrities to proclaim their gay-friendly status. Arguably the least egregious was Taye Diggs' extended stint as Will's boyfriend, since it was a surprisingly complex story arc and gave Will his first onscreen kiss (albeit in the final season). Extra points since it was both a gay and interracial romance on primetime TV.
** One episode suggests the show is set in an AlternateUniverse, where Creator/GeorgeTakei was still in the closet until publically outed on TV by Jack.
* An episode of ''Series/{{Moonlighting}}'' once featured Creator/JuddNelson ''and'' Creator/WhoopiGoldberg as the special guest stars. If memory serves, they were actually quite good.
** Music/RayCharles also guested on an episode. As did Creator/OrsonWelles (introducing "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice," which aired after he passed away and was dedicated to him).

* Most Creator/USANetwork originals do it all the time. Take a look at the list of guest stars through the seasons of ''Series/{{Monk}}''.

* Creator/LouFerrigno moved next door to the Heffernans in ''Series/KingOfQueens''.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "[[{{Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent}} Descent]]", Data is playing poker with holographic depictions of Creator/StephenHawking, UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton, and UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein. Hawking portrayed his own hologram for this episode. Apparently, he was just touring the set when the writers decided to put him in an episode and a few days later they filmed him. Giving Hawking the honor of being the only person to appear as himself in any ''Franchise/StarTrek'' show.

* ''Series/NightCourt'' had crooner Mel Torme show up and spend most of the episode just barely being missed by Judge Harry, who of course is a fanatical fan. This avoids being a CelebrityStar by virtue of the fact that this fandom had been long-established from the first episode of the series.

[[folder: Music Videos]]

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': "Grey vs. Gray" stars (and was partially written by) the ''WebVideo/GameGrumps''. Arin Hanson, Suzy Hanson, Ross O'Donovan, and Barry Kramer provide the voices for Cobb, Reg, Deuce, and Squatch, while Barry and Brain Wecht helped write.

* The ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "No Pain, No Gain" features RichardSimmons [[InksuitActor as an aerobics instructor]] at the high-end health club Rocko and Heffer are trying to join.

* ''Anime/LuckyStar'' had several seiyuus who were involved in ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' guest star as themselves. Creator/MinoruShiraishi and Creator/DaisukeOno were co-hosts on the "Lucky Channel" section of the show. Creator/AyaHirano (sort of) and Creator/YukoGoto guest starred in the show itself. Interestingly, in the English dub, they were voiced by the actors that portrayed their characters in the ''Anime/HaruhiSuzumiya'' dub. It's kind of funny hearing Creator/JohnnyYongBosch introduce himself as Daisuke Ono on Lucky Channel.

* Music/TheRollingStones regularly have special guests join them onstage.

** Film critic Alonso Duralde appeared on the episodes reviewing ''Series/TheMuppets'' and ''Series/MyMotherTheCar'', as well as the crossovers with his own podcast LKTV.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman often uses this trope; celebrities include Daniel Radcliffe, Wallace Shawn, Jessica Biel, Margo Martindale, Naomi Watts, Henry Winkler, Sir Paul [=McCartney=], Wiz Khalifa, and Sir Mix-a-Lot. Other celebrities voiced by other actors have appeared as well, such as Beyonce, Andrew Garfield, and J.D Salinger.

* WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman often uses this trope; celebrities include Daniel Radcliffe, Wallace Shawn, Jessica Biel, Margo Martindale, Naomi Watts, Henry Winkler, Sir Paul McCartney, Wiz Khalifa, and Sir Mix-a-Lot. Other celebrities voiced by other actors have appeared as well, such as Beyonce, Andrew Garfield, and J.D Salinger.

* WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman often uses this trope; celebrities include Daniel Radcliffe, Wallace Shawn, Jessica Biel, Margo Martindale, Naomi Watts, Henry Winkler, Sir Paul Mccartney, Wiz Khalifa, and Sir Mix-a-Lot. Other celebrities voiced by other actors have appeared as well, such as Beyonce, Andrew Garfield, and J.D Salinger.

* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': The following actors received the "Special Guest Star" billing in the main titles:
** Creator/JeriRyan ("Absolute Candor", "Stardust City Rag", "Broken Pieces", "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 & 2")
** Creator/BrentSpiner ("Remembrance", "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 & 2")
** Creator/JonathanFrakes ("Nepenthe", "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2")

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': So, so many. It would be easier to list of the number of celebrities who didn't appear. The list of those that did appear include Clay Aiken, Chaka Khan (in the same episode), Music/{{Slash}} (who called up Dan and Swampy and ''asked'' to be part of the show), Music/ParryGripp, Creator/DonLaFontaine ([[TearJerker in his last role ever]]), Creator/KevinSmith and numerous others.

* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' would occasionally bring out a special guest, but the CW revival takes it UpToEleven with a special guest (usually from one of the CW's other shows) nearly every week and participating in multiple games.

** Parker and Stone have gone on record saying that they have only ever requested two celebrities to perform on their show: [[Music/TheCure Robert Smith]] and Natasha Henstridge. In contrast to the other guest spots, their roles actually come with a few lines, though Henstridge is billed as "That Chick from ''Film/{{Species}}''."

* The [[ActorExistenceFailure late]] Dan Wheldon, two-time winner of the Indy 500, voiced himself on the ''WesternAnimation/HotWheelsBattleForce5'' episode "Full Throttle".

* ''Series/TheManFromUNCLE'': Especially during its heyday, the show was able to draw a lot of high-powered talent as guest stars. Among those who made guest appearances included Creator/EveArden, Creator/JoanBlondell, Creator/TedCassidy, Creator/JoanCollins, Creator/YvonneCraig, Creator/JoanCrawford, Creator/RobertCulp, Creator/IvanDixon, Creator/JamesDoohan, Creator/HaroldGould, Creator/JamesHong, Creator/AllenJenkins, Creator/PatsyKelly, Creator/RichardKiel, Creator/MartinLandau, Creator/AngelaLansbury, Creator/JanetLeigh, Creator/HerbertLom, Creator/JackLord, Creator/RicardoMontalban, Creator/LeslieNielsen, Creator/LeonardNimoy, Creator/CarrollOConnor, Creator/JackPalance, Creator/EleanorParker, Creator/VincentPrice, Creator/CesarRomero, Creator/CharlesRuggles, Creator/KurtRussell, Creator/TellySavalas, Creator/WilliamShatner, Music/NancySinatra, [[Music/SonnyBono Sonny and]] Music/{{Cher}}, Creator/TerryThomas, Creator/RipTorn and Creator/FritzWeaver.

* This was basically the whole idea behind ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies''. Some of the guests, like Creator/DickVanDyke, Creator/SandyDuncan, and Sonny and Cher, played themselves; others, like Laurel and Hardy, didn't. The most recent edition, ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndGuessWho,'' continues with that premise.

* WebVideo/JoelHaver's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpQ_xDMJJ04 Sand Planet]]" features Creator/JustinRoiland as a disgruntled Uncle Owen and a suicidal droid.