Without a doubt, The Simpsons will go down in history as one of the greatest television shows of all time. As we approach its 30th birthday, we can’t help but reminisce on all the good times and barrels of laughs that Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie provided us.
And with this reflection comes thinking about all those extra-special moments we witnessed as a result of recognisable, guest voices. So, allow us to present to you with a definitive list of the best guest stars on the most binge-worthy animated show of all time.
Dustin Hoffman (Lisa’s Substitute)
Props must go to Mr. Hoffman for empowering one of our favourite characters and giving us one of the most beautiful scenes in animation history. Dustin’s guest appearance happens in Season 2, as he plays a sophisticated substitute teacher that Lisa ends up taking inspiration from. As he and Lisa bond together and say their goodbyes, we witness a beautiful moment where Lisa is encouraged to be herself. Just try and watch this scene without crying, I dare you.
Meryl Streep (Bart’s Girlfriend)
Seriously, what can’t Meryl Streep do? In this Season 6 episode of The Simpsons, Meryl Streep (aka Jessica Lovejoy) plays Bart’s conniving, lying, devious other-half. ‘Bart’s Girlfriend’ gives fans an incredible plot as power dynamics around Bart shift as a result of someone of the opposite gender. Evidently, the devil doesn’t just wear Prada, she’s the Reverend’s daughter.
Green Day (The Simpsons Movie)
There’s a lot to love about The Simpsons Movie. It gave us Spiderpig, SuperSexyFlanders became less annoying and we got a wonderful cameo from Tom Hanks. But, without a doubt, the most memorable part of this motion-picture was The Simpsons opening theme song. This rock-version gave this nostalgic tune an energetic kick, appropriate for cinematic viewing.
Danny DeVito (Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?)
Years before Danny DeVito played a stripper on Friends he played Herb Powell – Homer Simpson’s long-lost half-brother. While this episode of The Simpsons is just down-right sad, given Homer’s poor design ideas for Herb’s car company, their relationship is rectified in later episodes. Just goes to show, it’s always sunny in Springfield!
James Earl Jones (Treehouse of Horror)
It’s safe to say, the Treehouse of Horror series would not be as successful as it is without Mr James Earl Jones. Narrating what would be the first of many episodes, James Earl Jones brought the darkness of Darth Vader and the deep wisdom of Mufasa to bring us the most captivating narration ever seen in an animation.
Glenn Close (Mother Simpson, My Mother the Carjacker)
It seems fitting that we close off this list with a character that has caused more tearjerker moments than gagworthy ones. Glenn Close plays Mona Simpson, Homer’s long-lost mother who repeatedly tried to come back into her son’s life. While this character could have been an unlikeable one-off, Glenn Close’s nurturing voice lends the character to the audience making us fall more in love with her than Homer loves Duff.