The 10 Greatest Celebrity Appearances On ‘The Muppets’ Of All Time

Steve Martin

One of the best guest stars that the Muppets ever featured and a perfect comic addition to the wacky antics of the titular characters was Steve Martin, whose appearance on The Muppet Show still stands out as a highlight of the franchise as a whole. The Muppet Show operated as a variety show in an era where the format was thriving. Alongside the likes of Saturday Night Live (1975) and The Carol Burnett Show (1967), The Muppet Show thrived on a sense of self-aware chaos and thoroughly emotional sketches. 

The show had some truly legendary hosts, with the likes of Elton John, Madeline Kahn, Vincent Price, Carol Burnett, and John Cleese. However, it’s Steve Martin’s appearance that remains the best; a silly appearance that sees the Muppets audition new acts, Steve Martin perform his balloon act, and even a banjo performance by the comedy legend that remains one of his most entertaining performances, even when compared to the likes of The Jerk (1979) or Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988).

Orson Welles

One of cinema’s most legendary figures, Orson Welles has a single line in The Muppet Movie that nevertheless uses his status in the industry as part of a perfect punchline. The film, which depicts the Muppets making the move to Los Angeles to begin their careers as entertainers, sees them encounter all sorts of challenges along the way. 

However, they eventually meet Lew Lord, a Hollywood mogul played by Welles. The icon of classic Hollywood films like Citizen Kane (1941) and The Third Man (1949) uses his natural gravitas to great effect in his single line, while also poking fun at his own contentious history with Hollywood. It’s a small moment, but a perfectly silly one with a lot of layers for people paying attention.

John Cleese

John Cleese has one of the best appearances in The Muppet Show, but he's just as funny in his cameo during The Great Muppet Caper. A veteran of Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969), Cleese's deadpan delivery amid absolute chaos made him a perfect fit for the Muppets, and his appearance in The Great Muppet Caper as a wealthy homeowner who Miss Piggy encounters when she breaks into 17 Highbrow Street is a delightful showcase of that. 

While his appearance as a host in The Muppet Show might be funnier, this turn is still one of the best gags in the franchise's second film and a very silly reminder of how good Cleese was alongside the Muppets. If you like Monty Python, make sure to check out the film—as well as his original appearance on The Muppet Show, which is an amazing turn.

Michael Caine

A true showcase of how the best way to bounce off the Muppets is to play the situation completely straight, and Michael Caine’s performance in The Muppet Christmas Carol has helped turn the film into an undeniable holiday classic. In the first Muppets film to be produced following the death of franchise creator Jim Henson, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fairly faithful adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel—albeit with the occasional touch of wackiness befitting the characters. 

Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge with a theatrical commitment to the part, delivering strange lines with the utmost sincerity. The result is a character who is never the butt of the joke, and who is able to truly sell the arc of the classic character as he realizes the full weight of his mistakes in life. It’s one of the rare Muppet guest performances that is played completely straight, and it’s all the better for it—befitting Caine’s abilities as a dramatic actor that he otherwise showcased in movies like Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999).

Tim Curry

Not to be outdone by Caine, Tim Curry’s turn in Muppet Treasure Island is just as serious, and even a little scary sometimes. In the adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary pirate adventure, Curry plays Long John Silver, a charming rogue who is far more dangerous than he initially appears. Curry, who has a long history of playing villains going all the way back to his self-serious but perfectly silly performances in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Clue(1985), is pitch-perfect as one of literature’s most compelling antagonists. He finds a real sense of affection with the film’s Jim Hawkins, delivers big showy numbers with full bravado, and even delivers some quietly scary turns as the film’s primary villain. Like Caine, Curry’s commitment to the world and the performance is what makes this one stand out.

Amy Adams

While Jason Segel might be the main focus of The Muppets, it’s his girlfriend Mary—played by Amy Adams—who really steals the show. Mary is a fun riff on the typical girlfriend archetype, matching the wild and weird energy of the Muppets world with a full commitment to her character’s grounded qualities. 

She also gets the chance to show off her musical skills in the song “Party of One,” subverting the typical one-note qualities of that character archetype with a performance that puts anything in Enchanted (2007) to shame, proving she has the pipes to match Miss Piggy note for note. While she may get overshadowed by some of her co-stars, Mary is the beating heart of the film that is able to match the sweet nature of the Muppets at their core.

Ty Burrell

Muppets Most Wanted might have been a broader and less effective movie than the one that came before it, but the film deserves props if nothing else for realizing the comic potential of pairing Ty Burrell with Sam Eagle. The Modern Family (2009) star appears as Jean Pierre Napoleon, a detective inspired by The Pink Panther (1963)’s Inspector Clouseau, who embarks on a mission to capture a criminal mastermind who greatly resembles Kermit. Burrell is a great match for Sam, their deadpan deliveries and commitment to the investigation provides some of the film’s biggest laughs. Even if you don’t feel like watching the whole film, their “Interrogation” song is a genuine highlight of the Muppets in the 21st century, a catchy and silly riff on the classic cop movie trope.

Gordon Ramsay

A short currently available on YouTube, Gordon Ramsay’s appearance opposite the Swedish Chef in the Muppisode “Food Fight!” is a great showcase for the celebrity chef and his comedic timing. The short sees Gordon challenge the Swedish Chef in a cook-off, only for Gordon’s pick of the clumsy Sweetums as his sous chef quickly derails his plans.

It’s a goofy sequence that really relies on Ramsay to sell the piece, bringing all the intensity that he usually reserves for shows like Hell’s Kitchen(2005) for the felt goofballs. The fact that he still ends up as the butt of the joke only makes the short better, especially once the dramatized version of Ramsay realizes he can’t win. A delightfully short showcase of how the Muppets can be adapted to fit the times, the Muppisode is a great little comedy vehicle for Ramsay.

Will Arnett

While Muppet fans might still be a little frustrated that this special for Disney+ chose to move Rizzo out of the spotlight in lieu of Pepé the King Prawn, Muppets Haunted Mansion is still a lot of fun thanks to the central focus on Gonzo and a delightfully campy turn by Will Arnett as the ghost host of the titular building. Rather than taking the more horror-centric approaches of other adaptations of the Disneyland ride, as seen in The Haunted Mansion (2003) and Haunted Mansion(2023), the Muppets let Arnett go wild with the same kind of over-the-top self-aware performance that he brought to Arrested Development (2003). Similar to Curry, there’s a genuine level of malice to the character and the performance elevates it beyond a simple parody beat, all while matching the goofy comedy of the Muppets with ease.

Sabrina Carpenter

A perfectly cast guest star for an intended revival of the original show, Sabrina Carpenter is a great pick for the latest iteration of The Muppet Show,who matches the wacky energy and musical appeal of the franchise as a whole. Carpenter leans into the legacy of the Muppets, joking that her public persona is rooted in Miss Piggy as an inspiration, which flatters (and infuriates) the classic Muppet. 

Along the way, Carpenter gets to flex her comic muscles and showcase her musical talents in multiple songs that also lean into good, silly beats. Alongside Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph, Carpenter’s appearance proves that reviving the show for Disney+ places her easily alongside some of the greats who’ve appeared in the Muppets thus far.