The Most Random, Unexpected Guest Stars On TV Shows

Ashley Hunte
A box TV displaying static.
Unsplash | Zach Vessels

TV shows kind of exist in their own little universes. Sure, they might name drop a few well-known celebrities here and there, but it's way different when you actually see them on screen.

To say the least, celebrity cameos are pretty jarring and random. But they're also kind of fun in their own way. Here are some celebrities who appeared in TV shows as themselves, for some reason.

Steven Tyler on 'Lizzie McGuire.'

Nothing says Christmas like Steven Tyler showing up dressed as Santa and singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," right? Yeah, no, it's still pretty random. Especially for a show aimed toward tweens who probably wouldn't have even cared about Aerosmith at the time.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian on '90210.'

It's crazy to think about how Kim and her family were just as famous a decade ago as they are now. Which means of course she and Khloe would appear in a show. I don't know what surprises me more: the fact that they haven't done more cameos over the years, or the fact that Kim's acting is actually pretty decent.

Kim Kardashian (again) on '2 Broke Girls.'

Okay, maybe I spoke too soon. Here's miss Kim once again in a 2010s-era show, playing herself. Why? Because why not, of course.

It's still amazing to think about how she could show up in any random show and still get that kind of reaction.

John Cena on 'Hannah Montana.'

A little bit before John Cena's fame and acting career really took off, he was on Hannah Montana. For some reason. This was a good few years before the kids would start making memes about him.

Larry David on 'Hannah Montana.'

Disney Channel shows really love having the most random celebrity cameo appearances. But this one seems especially random. Did the target audience actually care about the guy who created Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm? No, they did not.

Shakira on 'Wizards of Waverly Place.'

The wildest part about this incredibly random cameo was the fact that it wasn't actually Shakira. It was Alex and Max's uncle who transformed himself to look like Shakira (played by Shakira). Not actually as confusing as it sounds, though.

The Rock on 'Wizards of Waverly Place.'

It's not every day a famous actor shows up to your school. Unless you live inside a Disney Channel show, I guess. Then it's probably bound to happen at least a few times, like when Dwayne Johnson showed up on Wizards.

Britney Spears on 'Jane the Virgin.'

Britney Spears randomly showing up to dance would be a fun enough little surprise, but the fact that she was a prominent part of an entire episode's storyline is the icing on the cake.

Taylor Swift on 'New Girl.'

Nobody crashes a wedding quite like Taylor Swift. And the fact that she basically recreated her song "Speak Now" was probably extra special for fans of her and of the show.

Prince on 'New Girl.'

Meanwhile, Prince's totally random cameo on New Girl took a very different turn. But at least he was gracious enough to give them a bit of time to freak out (which I'm sure the audience was doing at home, too).

Snooki on 'Supernatural.'

For a weird show like Supernatural, random celebrities showing up as demons is actually kind of fitting. Though, it's weird to know that there's at least one universe out there where Snooki is a demon for real.

Paris Hilton on 'Supernatural.'

I'm not sure which one is weirder between Snooki and Paris Hilton. Maybe this one, just because of the strange amount of demonic fight scenes that happen in it. I have to say, I kind of miss Paris Hilton's acting career.

Lady Gaga on 'Gossip Girl.'

Gossip Girl is no stranger to putting dramatic scenes alongside strangely fitting pop songs. And this scene was no exception. Well, apart from the fact that Lady Gaga was actually there to sing her hit, "Bad Romance."

Michael Bloomberg on 'Gossip Girl.'

The finale of Gossip Girl was weird and wild in its own right, even without former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg (who was the actual mayor at the time GG was airing). But like many of us, he really thought Gossip Girl was Dorota.

Fall Out Boy on 'One Tree Hill.'

See, having Fall Out Boy play a set for a charity event isn't the weirdest thing in the world. But the fact that Pete Wentz came back for more made it a lot weirder.

Pete Wentz (again) on 'One Tree Hill.'

Yup, Wentz didn't really leave the show. In fact, he ended up dating one of the characters, Payton. Which was especially weird considering the fact that she's in high school. Whose fan fiction idea was this?

The Beach Boys on 'Full House.'

The Beach Boys were heavily featured in this episode... for some reason. Sure, it's cool to have a whole band show up to your house and sing songs with you, but also kind of random.

Ed Sheeran on 'Game of Thrones.'

The last few seasons of Game of Thrones went down in infamy for the strange, seemingly random writing decisions. But the most random part of season 7 was when Arya breaks bread with a group of men... including Ed Sheeran. For some reason. Technically, he wasn't playing himself. But let's face it, it was just Ed Sheeran on Game of Thrones.

Tony Hawk on 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.'

To be honest, this episode was kind of like a fever dream to me. But Tony Hawk was a pretty prominent figure at the time (and still pretty beloved by millennials everywhere). So of course he would show up in the famous Tipton hotel.

Dolly Parton on 'The Orville.'

I'm pretty confident in saying that there are few people in this world who dislike Dolly Parton. But still, seeing a beloved singer like her on a totally random show like The Orville is, well, totally random.