So with the classic 90’s show Will & Grace coming back, I thought
it would be fun to look at the original series. And yes I know I am not
the first to discuss this, but this show was a true magnet for
celebrity guest stars!. Celebrities appearing on sitcoms has always been
usual, Cosby Show had more than enough. Friends had plenty. Even
Seinfeld did some stunt casting once in awhile. But for some reason Will
& Grace went above and beyond with their guest stars. Not only did
they some real big time celebrities, they got a TON of them!
Honestly I hadn’t realized just how many celebrities appeared till I looked at a list online. What was it about this show? Eric McCormack recently commented that it did get kind of ridiculous, the episodes became about the celebrities guests (two or three per episode) and had gotten away from what it was supposed to be. Anyway here are my ten favorites from the eight years this show was on. Only rule, these had to be one time guest appearances not recurring roles so greats like Eileen Brennan, Gene Wilder, Woody Harrelson, Gregory Hines, Harry Connick Jr, Minnie Driver, Blythe Danner, and Alec Baldwin are disqualified. That could be its own list and yes I am also disqualifying the fantastic Debbie Reynolds who played Grace’s mom.
To be clear, I am judging these by how much I like the celebrity appearance regardless of whether the episode they appeared in was any good. I also decided to ad video clips though some of them are terrible quality, and some have no videos at all sadly so I replaced them with others.
#10..Neil Patrick Harris (Girls, Interrupted, Season 2)
I think this was before he came out, but I could be wrong on that one, and Neil Patrick Harris plays a man who is trying to “cure” gay people by showing them the way is through heterosexuality. Yeah, Jack and Karen put an end to that. It’s a good role for Harris who was, at the time, trying to discover an identity for himself beyond Doogie Howser. Of course How I Met Your Mother would do that soon after.
No video so instead here is a clip of another episode featuring Matt Damon, whose episode came very close to being an official part of this list.
#9.Elton john (“The Honeymoon’s Over, Season 5)
Yeah ok the idea of a gay Mafia is a little ridiculous, not to mention potentially offensive, but the cameo at the end by Sir Elton is still really funny. Will never even uses his name, maybe to leave it open to whether he is playing himself or a character, and the exchange is a very funny one in a an otherwise forgettable episode. The best part is there is no foreshadowing, he just pops up in the end!
#8.Bebe Neuwirth (No Sex ‘N the City”, Season 6)
I always wondered if it was network mandated that the show acknowledge the final episodes of Friends and Frasier which were happening that year. The B story has Jack and Karen obsessing about this, dropping references to both shows. Then Bebe Neuwirth has her cameo and she is awesome.
#7.Brittney Spears (Buy, Buy Baby, Season 8)
I should mention that George Takei was also in this one. I’ve made no secret how much I disliked this show in its last two years. It just wasn’t funny, or even interesting. But this episode was pretty good, mostly because Brittney Spears is just so adorable. She plays Amber-Louise, “JackTalk’s” new co-host who is basically ut to take over his show. She is awesome.
#6.Ellen Degeneres (“My Uncle the Car”, Season 3)
Ellen Degeneres is so amazing, she has a way of taking a minor role and stealing the whole show with it. She did it in an episode of Mad About You, and she does it in this episode. Will sells an old car that belonged to one of Grace’s relatives, and then has to get it back. Degeneres is the nun who bought it and her scenes ain this are just hysterical. You gave to figure half he dialogue was improvised. And of course Ellen being on Will & Grace was a natural surprised it took three years.
what, no video? I know… so here is another to make up for it, featuring Jennifer Lopez
#5.Michael Douglas (“Fagel Attraction”, Season 4)
I love how much Michael Douglas works at this role, you can tell he’s giving it his all. It’s nice when a guest star takes the role seriously, not all of them do. Douglas plays a cop who is attracted to Will, but he is very shy and afraid to just ask him out. So he comes up with an elaborate lie to trick Will into a date. Jack is the one who reveals the truth and this is a much better episode than it needed to be.
(the best video I could get I decided it was better than nothing)
#4.Kevin Bacon (“Bacon and Eggs, Season 5)
Speaking of having fun, we have this episode which is a tribute to Kevin Bacon in so many ways. There are so many referneces to his movies and even that silly 5 steps game everyone plays. In the end Will does the Footloose dance with Kevin Bacon. That cracks me up! You’d think Bacon would never want to do tha again, and here he is in full Footloose. The episode is a filler one (for what is a long story) but it’s great.
Again, better than nothing
#3.Madonna (“Dolls and Dolls”, Season 5)
Season five was the point when the show started getting old. It wasn’t awful yet, but the signs were there. Karen was beginning her transformation from smart socialite to carton character. And this episode is a great example as she rents an apartment. Fortunately, Madonna plays the roommate and her presence elevates and otherwise boring episode.
#2.Sandra Bernhard (Swimming Pools… Movie Stars, Season 3)
I like this one because it’s season 3, when the show still rocked and the guest stars hadn’t been overdone yet. Will & Grace pretend to be interested in buying Sandra Bernhard’s apartment so they can see it. They end up being friends, which goes to far when Will puts down an impossible offer. Only Sandra Bernhard can pull of a profanity laced rant on prime time TV, as she does in this episode.
#1.Cher (Gypsies, Tramps and Weed, Season 3)
Yes I’m cheating a little but I couldn’t leave this one off. She did technically appear twice, but it’s her first appearance which was fantastic. It was a simple cameo, but what a great cameo! Jack always obsessed about Cher, especially in this episode where he has a Cher doll, so the meeting was inevitable, And the scene is fabulous. Cher did appear again in a dream sequence and that was ok too.
Did I leave off any? You kidding?? Demi Moore, Glenn Close, Rosie O’Donnell, Jeff Goldblum, Barry Manillow…the list goes on and on! If I missed your favorite comment and let me know
If you’re wondering what I think of the new revival, I’ll share my thoughts after it premieres. I just hope they recapture the magic of the first few seasons and not the dullness of the last couple.
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