A well-placed cameo can take an ordinary episode of television and turn it into one that people remember forever. But occasionally, when a famous face pops up on a familiar TV show, they're so out of place that their presence is simply bizarre.
Some cameos are jarring because of the sheer size of a celebrity's star power. In other instances, it's unclear how the celebrity who is appearing connects to the series in which they're appearing. There is no shortage of glaringly out-of-place cameos in the archives of TV -- but that's always necessarily a bad thing.
10 Nadja's Customers Kill Sofia Coppola
What We Do in the Shadows -- Season 4, Episode 9
Vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows has become known for its habit of frequently integrating clever celebrity cameos. Typically, these involve the casual appearance of an actor or actress who is known for portraying a vampire in other media. A notable exception to this trend occurs when Sofia Coppola stops by the vampire nightclub Nadja's. After the critically acclaimed director orders the "celebrity special," Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) feeds Coppola to her clubgoers.
What We Do In The Shadows is one of the best fantasy shows on TV, largely because it understands its tone. Sofia's gory and sudden death serves as a solid joke as long as viewers don't think about it too hard. In the world of What We Do in the Shadows, Nadja's restaurant hides in plain sight, as most mortals assume the club's vampire theme is all kitsch. But this scene implies that celebrities meet their bloody end in the club so frequently that it becomes a menu item. Surely someone would catch on to this trend and there would be some consequences for Nadja.
What We Do in the Shadows
TV-MA
Horror
Fantasy
Comedy
Where to Watch
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Release Date March 27, 2019
Seasons 6
Story By Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi
Writers Jemaine Clement , Taika Waititi
Network FX
Streaming Service(s) Hulu
Directors Jemaine Clement , Kyle Newacheck , Yana Gorskaya
Showrunner Paul Simms
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9 Snooki Has a Demonic Side
Supernatural -- Season 9, Episode 16
When Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester summon a crossroad demon in Season 9 of Supernatural, they're shocked to find themselves face-to-face with Jersey Shore star Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi. After interrogating the demon, Sam and Dean exorcize it, freeing the reality TV starlet.
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On its face, showing Snooki as a demon is a pretty clear dig at America's love of reality television, but in the grand scheme, the cameo is a head-scratcher. For starters, the episode first aired in 2014, long after Jersey Shore mania had begun to wane. It also makes little sense in the grand scheme of Supernatural. There are countless demons in the series, the odds of the Winchesters summoning Snooki at random is astronomical. When that's coupled with Snooki's wooden acting, it raises a real question of what exactly Supernatural thought it could gain from the gag.
Supernatural
Action
Adventure
Mystery
Where to Watch
Season All Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7 Season 8 Season 9 Season 10 Season 11 Season 12 Season 13 Season 14 Season 15
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Release Date September 13, 2005
Cast Jensen Ackles , Misha Collins , Jim Beaver , Jared Padalecki , Katie Cassidy , Lauren Cohan , Mark A. Sheppard , Mark Pellegrino , Alexander Calvert
Rating
Seasons 15
Creator
Production Company
Story By Eric Kripke
Writers Eric Kripke , Andrew Dabb , Robert Berens
Number of Episodes
Network The WB , The CW
Franchise(s) Supernatural
Directors Philip Sgriccia , John F. Showalter , Robert Singer
Showrunner Eric Kripke
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8 Vanna White Has a Full House Doppleganger
Full House -- Season 7, Episode 15
Game show royalty Vanna White plays not one but two roles in Full House. The night before D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) is scheduled to take the SATs she has a surrealist stress dream in which the famed letter-turner reveals that she's destined for clown college. In an ironic twist, when D.J. shows up to take her exam the next day, White plays the proctor, Mrs. Moffat.
On the surface, White's role as Mrs. Moffat is a wink to the audience, but it doesn't really make sense. Both White's presence in D.J.'s dream and an earlier scene in which Kimmy (Andrea Barber) watches Wheel of Fortune, establish that Vanna White is a very real person in the Full House universe. So who is Mrs. Moffat? Are viewers to believe there are duplicates of every celebrity roving through the world of Full House?
Full House (US)
Comedy
Family
Where to Watch
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Release Date September 22, 1987
Cast Bob Saget , John Stamos , Dave Coulier , Candace Cameron Bure , Jodie Sweetin , Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen , Lori Loughlin , Andrea Barber , Scott Weinger
Seasons 8
7 Ben Fold plays a Caricature of Himself
You're the Worst -- Season 3, Episode 7
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Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) is a PR agent for musicians in FX's cult classic comedy You're the Worst. One of her clients is mild-mannered alt-rocker Ben Folds, who cameos as a cartoonishly nice version of himself. In his initial appearance, the songwriter encourages strangers to share "Ben Folds sightings," noting that "Ben Folds is everywhere." The declaration proves to be true as he pops up two other times in the series, always under strange circumstances.
You're the Worst's recurring Ben Folds cameos work specifically because they don't make sense. He's drawn as being far too nice for his own good, while also being prone to drunken benders. The show refuses to give context when he shows up to a recording session covered in blood or appoints himself the piano man at a funeral. The show's version of Ben Folds could never survive in reality, let alone become a successful musician.
You're the Worst
TV-MA
Drama
Romance
Where to Watch
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Release Date July 17, 2014
Cast Chris Geere , Aya Cash , Desmin Borges , Kether Donohue
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 5
Creator Stephen Falk
Number of Episodes 62
Network FX
Streaming Service(s) Hulu
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6 Michelle Branch Plays at the Bronze
Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- Season 6, Episode 8
In season six of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) struggles with depression and nihilism. During one episode, she heads to the local nightclub The Bronze to drown her sorrows. As Buffy mopes, celebrated singer and songwriter Michelle Branch performs her chart-topping hit "Goodbye to You" from the stage, perfectly capturing the Slayer's sense of melancholy.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cultural phenomenon, so Branch's appearance makes a ton of sense in reality. However, in the universe of the series, there's little reason for such a successful artist to be performing at The Bronze, an eighteen-plus nightclub on the seedy side of a no-name California town. In fact, the Grammy winner is lucky her set wasn't interrupted by a vampire attack. The cameo is certainly effective in its emotional impact, but shouldn't Branch be off performing in her own concert rather than bumming Buffy out?
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Action
Comedy
Drama
Horror
Supernatural
Where to Watch
Season All Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7
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Release Date March 10, 1997
Rating
Seasons 7
Creator
Production Company
Story By joss whedon
Writers Joss Whedon
Network The WB
Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Dis
Directors Joss Whedon
Showrunner Joss Whedon
Character(s) Buffy Summers , Alexander Harris , Willow Rosenberg , Rupert Giles , Spike , Anya , Dawn Summers , Cordelia Chase , Angel , Joyce Summers , Tara Maclay , Oz , Riley Finn , Jonathan Levinson , Andrew Wells , Faith , Principal Snyder , Drusilla , Warren Mears , Jenny Calendar , Harmony Kendall , Mayor Richard Wilkins , Ben , Principal Robin Wood , Kennedy , Glory , Graham Miller , Forrest Gates , Amanda , Maggie Walsh
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5 The Glee Students Hallucinate Britney Spears
Glee -- Season 2, Episode 2
Teen drama Glee was no stranger to cameos, boasting a heavy bench of big hitters, but one particular instance stands out above the rest. The episode "Britney/Brittany" celebrates the music of pop princess Britney Spears and includes cameos from the megastar. However, rather than simply writing the former Mouseketeer a part, the writers concoct a truly strange justification for her presence. In the episode, Brittany (Heather Morris) hallucinates being in one of Spears' music videos during oral surgery. This leads the other students in the Glee club to badger their dentist so they can see the diva in action.
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There are many side effects to general anesthesia, but full visual hallucinations of Britney Spears isn't one of them. Brittany's initial dream sequence stretches the bounds of logic, but by the time her classmates are duplicating her experience nothing remotely resembling reason exists. It's clear this entire plot is a very thin excuse but it can be forgiven as the episode has some truly amazing Britney Spears homages.
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Glee
TV-14
Comedy
Drama
Musical
A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.
Where to Watch
Season All Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6
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Release Date May 19, 2009
Cast Dianna Agron , Chris Colfer , Jessalyn Gilsig , Jane Lynch , Jayma Mays , Kevin McHale , Lea Michele , Cory Monteith , Matthew Morrison , Amber Riley
Seasons 6
Creator
Production Company
Writers Ian Brennan , Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk
Number of Episodes
Network FOX
Streaming Service(s) Hulu
Showrunner Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk
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4 BoJack Horseman's Version of Margo Martindale is a Criminal Mastermind
BoJack Horseman -- Season 1, Episode 1
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BoJack Horseman depicts an alternate reality in which anthropomorphized animals and humans co-exist. In the series BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) hires acclaimed character actress Margo Martindale to help him deceive his friend Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul). The ploy succeeds and Martindale spirals into darkness at an alarming rate. This is played out through a series of cameos in the background of BoJack's six seasons. While the main story follows BoJack viewers are granted peaks at Martindale's outrageous journey that sees her become a bank robber, modern-day pirate, a nun and an escaped convict in turn.
Even in a world built on the uncanny, Margo Martindale's appearances feel markedly incongruous. This bizarro version of Martindale is always entertaining but exponentially more extreme than everything around her. In a series known for blending the fantastical with reality, Martindale has no tether to our world. The string of cameos delight in their intentional outlandishness and unabashed detachment from reason.
BoJack Horseman
TV-MA
Animation
Comedy
Drama
Where to Watch
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Release Date August 22, 2014
Cast Will Arnett , Amy Sedaris , Alison Brie , Aaron Paul , Paul F. Tompkins , Diedrich Bader
Main Genre Animation
Seasons 6
3 American Horror Story Establishes Stevie Nicks as a Witch
American Horror Story -- Season 3, Episode 10
American Horror Story: Coven establishes early on that kindhearted swamp witch Misty Day (Lily Rabe) is a superfan of rock legend Stevie Nicks. So when Nicks drops by to pass along well wishes to Misty, the young witch faints on the spot. Once Misty is back on her feet, Nicks reveals that she's also a witch. Then Misty's wildest dreams turn into reality, as Nicks serenades her and the rest of her coven.
While viewers aren't likely to complain about the inclusion of a once-in-a-generation talent like Nicks, her appearance in the series is wildly out of place. Coven is one of American Horror Story's best seasons, and just as it picks up the pace it's forced to halt for an impromptu concert. Not to mention it's a regular miracle that Misty's idol exceeds her lofty expectations.
American Horror Story
Horror
Anthology
Thriller
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Mystery
Where to Watch
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Release Date October 17, 2012
Cast Denis O'Hare , Emma Roberts , Dylan McDermott , Joseph Fiennes , Gabourey Sidibe , Taissa Farmiga , James Cromwell , Angela Bassett , Zachary Quinto , Sarah Paulson , Jamie Brewer , Evan Peters , Lizzie Brochere , Kathy Bates , Jessica Lange , Michael Chiklis , Connie Britton , Lily Rabe , Franches Conroy
Rating
Seasons 12
Story By brad falchuk
Writers Brad Falchuk , Ryan Murphy
Network FX
Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Dis , Netflix
Franchise(s) American Horror Story
Showrunner Ryan Murphy
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2 Nancy Reagan Surprises Arnold on Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes -- Season 5, Episode 22
Diff'rent Strokes has a very special visitor during one of its very special episodes. In Season 5's episode "The Reporter" Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman) writes a story for his school newspaper about his encounter with drug dealers. The story is so well received that it gets published in the local paper and next thing Arnold knows, First Lady Nancy Reagan is on his doorstep. Mrs. Reagan congratulates Arnold on his story and accompanies him to school so she can lecture his class about the dangers of drugs.
It goes without saying that the First Lady of the United States tends not to make house calls. The idea that Reagan happened to be in town and decided to look up Arnold so she could give a one-on-one talk to his class is beyond ridiculous. In reality, this cameo was part of Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. Presumably, the First Lady decided on this strategy because it's more effective than going door-to-door like her fictional counterpart in Diff'rent Strokes.
Diff'rent Strokes
TV-PG
Comedy
Family
Drama
Where to Watch
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Release Date November 3, 1978
Creator(s) Bernie Kukoff , Jeff Harris
Cast Conrad Bain , Gary Coleman , Todd Bridges , Dana Plato , Mary Jo Catlett , Charlotte Rae , Danny Cooksey , Shavar Ross
Main Genre Comedy
Seasons 8
Character(s) Phillip Drummond , Arnold Jackson , Willis Jackson , Kimberly Drummond , Pearl Gallagher , Edna Garrett , Sam McKinney , Dudley Ramsey
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1 Rose Is Convinced Her Father Is Bob Hope
The Golden Girls -- Season 4, Episode 17
Lovable ditz Rose Nylund (Betty White) creates a sticky situation when she announces that comedy icon Bob Hope will headline a charity benefit that ladies are organizing. Her friends Dorothy (Bea Arthur) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) are thrilled until they realize Rose never actually booked Hope. Instead, Rose, who was adopted, explains that she's always felt Bob Hope is her biological father and is confident he'll appear when she needs him. Dorothy and Blanche try to reach out to the legendary comedian but fail. Yet despite all the reasons, Rose is proven right when Bob Hope shows up on the night of the benefit.
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The series tries to give some explanation for Hope's sudden arrival, claiming he's the old business partner of Sophia's (Estelle Getty) boyfriend. This reveal rings hollow. The ladies have openly been discussing their issue around Sophia for days, so why wouldn't she have brought this up sooner? Not to mention, performers aren't prone to taking jobs on a whim without ever once contacting the event organizers. The truth is Bob Hopes's cameo makes no sense, and that is what makes it the perfect payoff to this story.
The Golden Girls
TV-PG
Comedy
Drama
Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.
Where to Watch
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Release Date September 14, 1985
Cast Bea Arthur , Rue McClanahan , Betty White , Estelle Getty
Main Genre Sitcom
Seasons 7
Creator Susan Harris
Number of Episodes 180
Network NBC
Streaming Service(s) Hulu
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