Most actors and actresses on the small screen start off on TV, then end up on the big screen in Hollywood as A-Listers starring in major motion pictures.

Think about Jennifer Aniston and Will Smith, who both got a jump start to their now-flourishing acting careers in ‘Friends’ and ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air respectively. This past TV season it seems that it has been the other way around, with already established movie stars making guest appearances on TV sitcoms.

Over the past decade, there have been several guest appearances on some of TV’s hottest sitcoms, some that improved a celebrity’s or show’s rating, and then some appearances that didn’t fare as well as the show had predicted. Paste Magazine made a list of the ten best guest appearances over the past decade, and some of them are shocking.

Reality Stars Kim Kardashian, Spencer Pratt, and Heidi Montag starred in one episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in 2009. These stars, which have faced a lot of scrutiny and criticism from the press, actually did an exceptional job on the episode. They weren’t taken too seriously as they talked to Marshall about his cover in a Tabloid Magazine, something the real life reality stars can relate to.

Comedian Bob Saget also made a hilarious appearance on Entourage where he played himself, and brought a lot of added humor to the episode. Cher made an appearance on the hit show, “Will & Grace” where she sang her pop chart-topping hit, “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Viewers tuned into that episode where Cher shows she is the real deal. And who better to make a guest appearance than the world-renowned savvy entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah made a guest appearance on “30 Rock” where she sits in an airplane next to a young lady as the woman complains about the problems she is having in her life, one of which is not receiving her monthly subscription to “O” Magazine. To top off the “best of the best” TV appearances, who could forget Brad Pitt guest starring on “Friends” with then-wife, Jennifer Aniston? The adoringly cute episode became a smash hit and exposed the lives of the changing celebrity culture.

And now for the worst…While Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband was a hit on her show, Aniston didn’t make the guest appearance viewers were hoping for on one of the episodes of “Cougar Town.” On www.Tv.Com, critics stated that, “the woman is so desperate for attention-and so limited in her acting range, that it’s impossible to separate the actress from the characters she plays on screen.”

Many Americans have the Bieber Fever right now. But did he really make an appearance on the show “CSI?” Bieber and CSI do not even belong in the same sentence, and when critics were asked why he was voted as one of the worst guest appearances of all-time, they responded with, “do we really need to give a reason?”

Critics felt that Sasha Grey’s appearance on Entourage was awful where she played a porn-star. Critics believe Grey is “not really known for her acting,” and for another, her appearance started “a weird and unnecessary Twitter frenzy.” The most shocking to make TV’s worst guest appearance was America’s favorite golden girl, Betty White, where she played a professor and librarian on the show, “Community and the Middle.”

Critics thought that her “giggle-inducing grandma schtick started to feel like geriatric gimmick.” Ouch Betty! Luckily for White, she still took home an Emmy for her stint on SNL, which aired right before her guest appearance on the show.

So what does the near future hold for Hollywood guest appearances? WeLoveSoaps.net is positive this will be a big year for Hollywood guest appearances on several TV series by calling the year of 2012, “The Year of the Soap!” Lindsay Lohan recently announced that she will be acting as herself as a guest star on the hit singing show, “Glee.”

But there are several other very famous celebrities that will also be hitting the small screen for an episode, or even a few. For the month of April alone, several big names will be appearing on some of TV’s hottest series. Luke Perry, former stud of the hit show “Beverly Hills 90210” will show his face on “Body of Proof.”

Georgia Engel will stand next to Ashton Kutcher in one of TV’s most popular comedies, “Two and a Half Men.” TV dramas including Criminal Minds, CSI: New York and NCIS: Los Angeles will also be seeing some famous faces including Erica Gimpel (appearing on Criminal Minds), Blake Gibbons (appearing on CSI), and Christel Khalil (appearing on NCIS: Los Angeles). Additionally, Hollywood hunk Mark Consuelos might appear on Law & Order’s, “Special Victim’s Unit,” but it has not yet been determined.

WeLoveSoaps.net might be right when they say this is the year of the soap considering the guest appearances are for this month alone! It’s going to be exciting to see what A-Listers will be making appearances, both good and bad, in the following months. To see celebrities that will be making guest appearances on your favorite TV shows go to www.welovesoaps.net.

Image Courtesy of Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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About the author

Elizabeth Lowry
Elizabeth graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University with her specialization in Broadcast News as well as a minor in business and psychology. She enjoys writing, reading and researching about humanitarian affairs, health & fitness, fashion and sports. In her free time she enjoys working out, traveling and exploring different cultures, trying new things and spending time with her Chocolate Lab.

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1 Comment for Best and Worst Guest Appearances on TV: Who’s Next?

maya

“Most actors and actresses on the small screen start off on TV, then end up on the big screen in Hollywood as A-Listers starring in major motion pictures.”

Wrong! most actors from the small screen rarely, if ever, make it big on the big screen.
Smith, Aniston, Clooney, Robin Williams and several others are the exception.

how can one call themselves an entertainment reporter and not know this?

Reply