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Think you caught every hidden guest appearance in your favorite cartoons? Think again! Join us as we count down the most creative, unexpected, and easy-to-miss cameos in animated TV shows. From legendary musicians to Oscar winners and iconic TV villains, these animated appearances will blow your mind. Which sneaky cartoon cameo surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below!
Transcript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most creative, interesting,
00:06unexpected and easy to miss cameos in animated TV shows.
00:09The problem, Homer, is that the mind is always chattering away with a thousand thoughts at
00:15once.
00:16Yeah, that's me alright.
00:1820.
00:19Paul Rudd as Jericho – Bob's Burgers You may have thought Ant-Man would be the closest
00:24Paul Rudd ever came to playing a non-human animal.
00:26But, believe it or not, in a season 6 episode of Bob's Burgers titled The Horse Rider-er,
00:32the actor plays Tina's imaginary horse named Jericho, who apparently can dance.
00:37Hey, who needs real horses anyway?
00:39Can a real horse do this?
00:43Jericho is also very supportive of Tina.
00:46I'm finally gonna get to ride a real horse.
00:48Wow, I'm really happy for you.
00:51Rudd's sound effects and vocal intonations fit just right for the role as he fully encapsulates
00:56a funny, slightly awkward talking horse in such a way that you likely wouldn't even realize whose
01:02voice is behind it. 19. Ashley Spinelli and Kim Possible, Fillmore. This is a blink and you'll
01:16miss it cameo. Even if you don't blink, you could easily miss it. In the season two episode of
01:25Fillmore, there's a school lunchroom scene showing groups of students. As the camera pans,
01:30in the background, there's an individual with pigtails and an orange beanie. That's Ashley
01:34Spinelli from the animated series Recess, which ran from 1997 to 2001, meaning it had ended over
01:40two years before this Fillmore episode aired. Even harder to spot in this scene is the title
01:47character of Kim Possible, a Disney Channel show that was in its second season at the time. For
01:52a second, you can see her back and recognizable hair, but you really have to pause to catch both
01:57of these easter eggs. 18. Roger, Bender and Coach John McGurk, Family Guy. This long-running animated
02:09sitcom is rife with cameos. And of course, Family Guy loves a parody too. During the season six
02:15Star Wars parody episode titled Blue Harvest, there's a bar scene with a few familiar characters
02:19from other animated shows, but you probably have to pause or rewatch the scene to realize they're
02:24even there. Two of them actually blend into the Star Wars vibe. One of them is Roger, the alien from
02:29American Dad. There's also Bender, the robot from Futurama. And then you have a less likely
02:40character appearance with John McGurk, the soccer coach from the series Home Movies. Is Coach
02:44doing some scouting or something? If you like hidden cameos and fun facts, we've got just the place for you.
02:56Watch Mojo's 24-7 live stream. Scan the QR code on the
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03:0817. George Clooney as Sparky, South Park. Just think of all the famous film and TV roles as well as
03:15lines George Clooney has brought us over the years. It's not hard to believe that he did voice acting for
03:20cartoon series, especially South Park, given that he was an early supporter of the series.
03:25Hiya Sparky! Who's that? That's my new dog Sparky. He followed me to the bus stop.
03:29But it is hard to believe his exact role in the fourth episode of the show, titled Big Gay Owl's
03:34Big Gay Boat Ride. Why? Well, because Clooney doesn't even have any dialogue. He plays a dog named Sparky, so
03:40he does bark.
03:42Sparky, where'd you get that pink scarf?
03:45Still, it's basically impossible to detect his voice as the source of those barks.
03:49Hiya Sparky! How's it going?
03:51I missed you, old pal! You really had me scared!
03:54Number 16. The Scooby Gang, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.
03:58The Mystery Inc. team is so iconic that its members pop up in places you might not expect them.
04:03For this list, we're going with their cameo in cartoon networks, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.
04:08During a season 4 episode titled, Reap Walking, Billy's mom Gladys talks about trying to avenge the apparent loss of
04:14her pet rat, Sniffles.
04:15For years, I've been compelled to avenge the loss of my dear pet rat, Sniffles.
04:22Now I named him Sniffles because, can you guess? He sniffled a lot!
04:26While wearing Grim's cloak, she suggests she would've gotten away with her plan if not for some meddling kids.
04:31And that's when we see a brief cutaway shot of Velma, Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, and Fred.
04:36I would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for those meddling kids!
04:41No, no, no. Down here. Thank you.
04:45Of course, they weren't involved in this, but it's a hilarious commentary on the idea that the Scooby Gang is
04:51constantly meddling.
04:52That invention is worth a fortune.
04:54And it would've been mine if it hadn't been for those meddling kids.
04:58Number 15. Matthew Broderick, The Dream Warrior, Adventure Time.
05:01He may have a recognizable voice, but the animated character he plays makes it far from easy to connect the
05:06dots.
05:07During a season 4 episode of Cartoon Network's Adventure Time titled, Who Would Win?, Matthew Broderick plays the Dream Warrior,
05:13a wise car salesman in Finn and Jake's dream.
05:15Awaken to your dream, Finn and Jake.
05:18Whoa! Who are you?
05:19I am the Dream Warrior. I've summoned you here to hang with me in your together dream.
05:24He's blue with orange hair. We'd understand if this made you ask yourself if you're dreaming too.
05:29But no, that is indeed Matthew Broderick.
05:31Two shiny golden apples, ripe enough to bite.
05:35Another noteworthy actor cameo in Adventure Time is Andy Samberg, who portrays a bear named Party Pat.
05:41Before you talk to the chief, you must party with the chief.
05:46But we're giving the edge to Broderick's cameo as we think it's more cleverly written and unexpected.
05:51What's this all about?
05:52Nap's over. Sorry.
05:54Get out!
05:56Oh!
05:57Number 14, Pebbles and Bam Bam, Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated.
06:00After first appearing in the classic animated series The Flintstones in the 1960s, Pebbles and Bam Bam got a spinoff
06:06with the Pebbles and Bam Bam show where they were teenagers.
06:09That series ran from 1971 to 1972.
06:12Boy, that was close. But now what do I do with snoots?
06:16Hey, I've got an idea. You go to class and I'll take care of everything.
06:20Nearly four decades later, their appearance in another iconic animated franchise served as one of the many examples of their
06:27lasting impact.
06:28During the fourth episode of Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, Pebbles and Bam Bam appear for a brief moment by a
06:33volleyball net on the beach.
06:35The non-fat, liquid diet, no-calorie, gluten-free moisture supplement.
06:39They don't have any lines, but that's definitely them.
06:42Pebbles is wearing a red bikini and Bam Bams in a yellow bathing suit.
06:46This cameo requires a pause to notice Yabba Dabba Doozy.
06:49I never felt stronger.
06:51Oh boy, that's all I need. A female Hercules for a girlfriend.
06:56Number 13. Kelly Clarkson, King of the Hill.
06:59There are loads of cartoonified celebrities in this season 8 episode of King of the Hill titled Stress for Success.
07:04But in terms of actual cameos where a celebrity herself got involved, we gotta shout out Kelly Clarkson.
07:10After being shown on a TV screen inside the Megalomart, the famous singer appears and speaks in Bobby's imagination.
07:16I'm Kelly Clarkson. I won American Idol and my debut album went to number one.
07:20While Clarkson clearly identifies herself, as well as other famous celebs, the sequence is so brief that you could easily
07:26miss it.
07:27For an episode where Bobby needs to use his pop culture knowledge to help his school's quiz bowl team,
07:32this was a fun and fitting way to incorporate an actual celebrity's voice.
07:42Number 12. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans Go.
07:45A well-documented fact about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is that they love pizza.
07:49Pizza time!
07:55Who had the pepperoni and ice cream?
07:57Teen Titans Go incorporated that fact well during the season 1 episode of Masi Minos.
08:01As Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven are munching on some pepperoni pizza,
08:05the duo known as Mas and Minos takes the pies and delivers them to none other than the Teenage Mutant
08:10Ninja Turtles.
08:11You know these fellas won't let all that pizza go to waste.
08:15It's all that you eat!
08:20Pizza!
08:21In this brief cameo, all the turtles are wearing red masks just as they do in the original comic books.
08:27On top of that nice detail and the creative homage in general,
08:30it's awesome how the turtles are giving appearances that fit the Teen Titans Go animation style.
08:36Cowabunga!
08:37Don't you guys take anything seriously?
08:39Of course we do!
08:41Like what?
08:42I should have guessed!
08:44Number 11. Bart and Homer Simpson, The Critic.
08:47Now Bart, we made this deal because I thought it would help you get good grades.
08:51And you didn't.
08:53But why should you pay for my mistake?
08:55You mean I can go?
08:56Yeah.
08:57After working as writers and showrunners on the third and fourth season of The Simpsons,
09:01Al Jean and Mike Reese created the adult animated sitcom The Critic.
09:05The series ran for two seasons from 1994 to 1995.
09:08In the third episode titled Dial M for Mother,
09:11the creators showed some love to their old series in a creative way.
09:13Well, that's a clip from the new remake of Pride of the Yankees.
09:18The studio changed the ending because test audiences thought this one was nicer.
09:22Rather than having characters from The Simpsons physically enter the world of The Critic,
09:26they keep The Simpsons in the context of its own TV show.
09:29What we mean by that is that a character who's watching TV turns the channel
09:32and the TV screen shows Bart and Homer.
09:34Then, all it takes is a few seconds for the whole family to laugh.
09:39Hi, caramba!
09:41We understand, too.
09:43Number 10, Werner Herzog as an old reptile, Rick and Morty.
09:47Along with his filmmaking, he's known for his voiceover and narration work.
09:51Werner Herzog brought his voice to the Adult Swim series Rick and Morty for a season 2 episode
09:55titled Interdimensional Cable 2 Tempting Fate.
09:58I've dwelt among the humans.
10:01Their entire culture is built around their penises.
10:04It's funny to say they are small.
10:06It's funny to say they are big.
10:08It's a voice that so nicely suits the character of an old reptile.
10:12He sounds wise, yet the actual deadpan words coming out of his mouth are both odd and funny.
10:17He sort of dunks on the human species, too.
10:19I've been at parties where humans have held bottles, pencils, thermoses in front of themselves
10:26and called out, hey, look at me, I'm Mr. So-and-so dick.
10:31This is way different than Herzog's typical voiceover role, so it's hard to realize it's him,
10:36especially with that animated reptile appearance.
10:39He really blends into the comedy of the show well,
10:41while still maintaining his famously calm, deliberate, and poetic voice.
10:45I never saw it fail to get a laugh.
10:48Number 9.
10:49Watcher White and Rick and Morty
10:50My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
10:52Who would have thought a kid's show about ponies would have such adult references?
10:56Perhaps it's to make the viewing experience better for parents.
10:59My Little Pony Friendship is Magic hides characters from other TV shows and movies in pony form.
11:03One example is Jeffrey the Duel Lebowski, who appears in a bowling alley scene.
11:08Variables?
11:09What are you talking about, man?
11:10Just throw the ball straight.
11:12Another is a pony chef that certainly looks like Gordon Ramsay.
11:16But for this list, we're going with the hidden cameos of ponified Walter White from Breaking Bad and Rick and
11:22Morty.
11:22One ticket for the coolest roller coaster of all time, please.
11:29For a second, all three can be seen in line during the season 8 episode, Granny's Gone Wild.
11:34What are they doing here?
11:35Who knows?
11:36But now we're imagining what would happen if Rick and Morty and Walter White met.
11:40I am not in danger, Skylar.
11:42I am the danger.
11:44Number 8.
11:44Yogi Bear and Boo Boo Bear.
11:46The Flintstones.
11:47Hold on to your picnic baskets, or else Yogi Bear and Boo Boo Bear might just steal them from you.
11:53Here, everything looks okay, but we can't be too sure for the wife and kitties, you know.
11:58These two have been around since 1958, and in 1963, they briefly appeared in a season 3 episode of another
12:05super popular cartoon, The Flintstones.
12:07In classic fashion, they sneakily steal a picnic basket from Fred and Wilma while sitting on a tree branch.
12:12Now you see why I'm smarter than the average Fred Flintstone boo-boo.
12:18The Flintstones executed this cameo brilliantly.
12:21It's short, but that's all the time needed to cleverly parody the thing Yogi Bear and Boo Boo Bear are
12:26infamous for.
12:27The fastest way I know to get a picnic basket.
12:30We also just had to include this one because anytime one iconic old cartoon integrates another, that makes for some
12:36cool animation history.
12:38I'm smarter than the average bear, boo-boo.
12:42Number 7.
12:43Wally Coyote and the Roadrunner.
12:44Animaniacs.
12:45These two Looney Tunes characters first appeared all the way back in 1949.
12:49Wally Coyote and the Roadrunner have obviously had staying power in the world of animation.
12:53Me, me.
13:03So it may not be all that surprising that in 1993, they cameoed in another Warner Brothers creation, Animaniacs.
13:09They appeared during a season 1 episode titled Bumby's Mom.
13:12After Slappy and Skippy hop off the bus in the desert, we see the old tale play out again, but
13:17in a distinct way.
13:18Wally Coyote chases the Roadrunner, but gets hit by a bus, allowing the Roadrunner to escape.
13:28Beep, beep.
13:30Hilariously, the show is very self-aware, and Slappy explicitly calls out the gratuitous cameo.
13:36Enough with the gratuitous cameos.
13:38Number 6.
13:39Ringo Starr, the Powerpuff Girls, Dance Pants.
13:42It would never become anywhere near the most famous song he's ever been a part of, but it sure would
13:47be one of the least expected.
13:49For a 2014 Powerpuff Girls special on Cartoon Network, Beatles legend Ringo Starr brought the house down yet again with
13:55a performance of a song titled, I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl.
13:58I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl, I'd fly to the sky, shoot sparkly stalled out on my eyes.
14:07While yes, the show did a good job of creating an animated version of the famous English musician, it's still
14:12hard to realize it's him, but it is.
14:14I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl, because then I'd save the world, and afterwards, cuddle up with a puppy
14:23or two.
14:24Not only that, but in the same TV special, he voiced a flamboyant mathematician named Fibonacci Sequence, which is even
14:30harder to notice.
14:31And my beautiful octopi's garden, oh, I love math.
14:36Your number's up, Fibonacci.
14:38Toodle Piff.
14:38Number 5, Mark Brown, Arthur.
14:41There's no more famous aardvark than Arthur.
14:44He first appeared in a children's book in 1976, and then on TV screens 20 years later.
14:49In 2022, the series came to a close after more than 25 glorious years.
14:54The creator of Arthur, Mark Brown, cameos in multiple episodes, but the most special one is undoubtedly comes in the
15:00series finale.
15:01Hey, you forgot your book.
15:03It's far from obvious, but he plays a librarian who suggests Arthur keep a book called Drawing Animals the Easy
15:09Way.
15:09There are some really great drawings in here.
15:12This is a really clever way of having the creator interact with his creation in an engaging and conclusive way
15:17to end the series,
15:18while also giving a nod to the fact that this all started as a book.
15:22Wow.
15:23I never imagined you'd write a graphic novel.
15:27Me neither.
15:27I just like drawing animals.
15:29Number 4, Tony Sirico as Big Daddy Ferrywinkle, The Fairly Oddparents.
15:33The Sopranos is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed TV shows of all time.
15:38One of the show's memorable crime family members is Paulie Walnuts, played by Tony Sirico.
15:43I'm supposed to be picking up scrap.
15:45You'll be picking up your teeth in another second.
15:47In 2005, in between seasons 5 and 6 of The Sopranos, Sirico appeared in the unlikeliest of places, The Fairly
15:54Oddparents.
15:55You know, the kids' animated TV series on Nickelodeon?
15:58Big Daddy!
16:00Sugar Plum!
16:02Sirico plays Wanda's father, Big Daddy Ferrywinkle, in the season 5 episode, Talking Trash.
16:07And just like Paulie, this guy is not someone you want to mess with.
16:11That man's intimidating.
16:13No!
16:14Nobody tells Big Daddy how to do his job.
16:17The Fairly Oddparents do an awesome job of drawing those personality parallels.
16:21But even so, it might have gone over your head because going from his role in The Sopranos to this
16:26was unforeseeable.
16:28I suppose for last you're going to tell me you married this guy?
16:31Ha ha!
16:32Funny story!
16:32Number 3, Neil deGrasse Tyson, as smart waddles, Gravity Falls.
16:37It's apt for a mega-famous astrophysicist to appear in a show with the word gravity in its title.
16:42But when you realize that show is the animated Gravity Falls, it's a bit surprising.
16:46Neil deGrasse Tyson doesn't even voice a human character either.
16:49He voices a pig.
16:50I understand my transformation may be vexing, but I have prepared a presentation.
16:56Forgive me, my pig arms are cute and useless.
17:00After eating a brain-enhancing goop in the season 2 episode, Little Gift Shop of Horrors,
17:04Mabel's pet pig, Waddles, gains super intelligence.
17:07Fittingly, Tyson delivers a line about being able to teach the secrets of astrophysics while also providing some comedy.
17:13I can teach you, Dipper.
17:14I can teach you many things.
17:15From the secrets of astrophysics to the-
17:18Hey!
17:18Hey!
17:18Once Waddles reverts to his normal self, Tyson's brilliant work is done.
17:23I'm sorry, Dipper.
17:24In my last eight seconds of consciousness, I want you to know that science is a horizon to search for,
17:29not a prize to hold in your hand.
17:31Also, I miss getting my tummy tickled.
17:34Another Gravity Falls cameo worth mentioning is Coolio and Larry King as wax versions of themselves.
17:39Hey, I told you to stop that.
17:41Make me!
17:41But Tyson's far less noticeable cameo gets the spot here.
17:45Number two, J.K. Simmons as Maestro Mackerel.
17:48Spongebob Squarepants.
17:49His performance as an intense, ruthless jazz instructor in the 2014 film Whiplash earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting
17:56Actor.
17:56It turns out it also earned him a role in Spongebob Squarepants.
18:00For a season 10 episode titled Snooze, You Lose, J.K. Simmons voiced Maestro Mackerel, a conductor with clear similarities
18:06to his Whiplash character.
18:07Who is that imbecile?
18:09The Squidward Tentacles.
18:11Apparently, he's a clarinet player.
18:14All right, whenever you're ready.
18:15We even hear another character in the episode who's just auditioned called the conductor Bruto.
18:20We then see Maestro Mackerel's seriousness in short temper.
18:23All right, thank you.
18:25Next!
18:25This is such a great parody that brings a demanding, memorable character from a popular drama film into the animated
18:31world of Spongebob.
18:32And yet, it's not obvious at all that Simmons is Maestro Mackerel, which is a great name, by the way.
18:37You're a wizard! A magical, musical wizard!
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18:51Are you not entertained?
18:54Number 1. Johnny Cash as the Space Coyote, The Simpsons.
18:57Sure, one of the most famous musical voices of all time may be etched in your memory.
19:02But when that voice briefly comes from a space coyote in a cartoon series, it's possible you don't catch it.
19:07Johnny Cash voiced a spirit guide in a Season 8 episode of The Simpsons titled The Mysterious Voyage of R.
19:13Homer.
19:14Fear not, Homer. I am your spirit guide.
19:18Who wouldn't want some spiritual guidance from Johnny Cash?
19:21Appearing in Homer's hallucination, Cash speaks about wisdom, clarity, inner peace, soulmates, and kindred spirits,
19:27while also providing a bit of comedy in the process.
19:29And yes, all while in the form of an animated coyote.
19:32Should I meditate? Should I get rid of all my possessions?
19:36Are you kidding?
19:38If anything, you should get more possessions.
19:40You don't even have a computer.
19:42The Simpsons has countless cameos, but Johnny Cash as a coyote spirit guide takes the cake for being so clever
19:48and not so obvious.
19:49You must find your soulmate.
19:52Soulmate?
19:53Your kindred spirit.
19:55The one with whom you share an unspoken bond.
19:58A profound, mystical understanding.
20:01Which of these cameos did you find most surprising?
20:03Let us know in the comments down below.
20:04The end of the story from the Korps that we are saying.
20:10Let us know in the comments and unf texts.
20:10We're going to love them.