Actors Who Did Cameos As Themselves On ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Young Sheldon might be keeping The Big Bang Theory series alive after the latter’s conclusion, but the CBS show is still highly popular. Sheldon, Penny, Raj, Howard, and Leonard met various personalities during the sitcom’s 12-year run, which includes cameos and appearances from many big-name guest stars.
The Big Bang Theory is one of the few shows where actors don’t need to play other characters to appear in cameos; the focus on geek culture means they usually just play fictionalized versions of themselves. Most of the guest stars are from franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars, along with a few others that fulfill the requirements to be part of geek fandoms.
Photo: CBS
James Earl Jones will always be associated with his voice roles as Darth Vader and Mufasa in the Star Warsfranchise and The Lion King, respectively. In Season 7, episode 14, “The Convention Conundrum,” Sheldon tracks Jones down for this reason – only to realize he’s crazy from his fame.
Jones refuses to let Sheldon go, forcing him to accompany him to places like an amusement park, karaoke, and sauna, and also to prank Carrie Fisher at her home.
It was a zany gag on the idea that Star Wars actors are embarrassed by their fame, as Jones’s fictional version wholeheartedly embraces it to the point that Sheldon gets sick of him.
- Age: 93
- Birthplace: Arkabutla, Mississippi, USA
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Photo: CBS
The late Stan Lee was technically an actor, as he appeared in a plethora of Marvel-based movies. He has a cameo in Season 3, episode 16, “The Excelsior Acquisition,” where Penny tracks down his home so Sheldon can meet him.
Lee is understandably upset at two people showing up uninvited, and calls the cops on them. Hilariously, Sheldon still doesn’t catch a clue and is delighted when he gets a restraining order against himself from Lee.
- Age: Dec. at 95 (1922-2018)
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
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Photo: CBS
Mark Hamill is the ultimate guest star for many fans, as he starred as both Luke Skywalker in Star Wars and The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. Their wish came true in Season 11, episode 24, “The Bow Tie Asymmetry,” where Hamill interacts with the gang.
The actor arrives to claim his lost dog from Howard, promising he’d do anything in appreciation for getting his pet back. Howard persuades Hamill to officiate a Sheldon and Amy’s wedding, which he is happy to do.
In addition to the joke that Hamill has no clue who Star Trek‘s Wil Wheaton is, he’s also part of a gag where everyone asks him questions about Star Wars and Hamill has no idea.
- Age: 72
- Birthplace: Oakland, California, USA
Photo: CBS
Carrie Fisher had a brief but memorable cameo in Season 7, episode 14, “The Convention Conundrum,” where she’s a victim of James Earl Jones’s juvenile pranks.
She appears on her front porch with a baseball bat when Jones rings the bell and runs away with Sheldon. She catches on that it’s Jones up to his usual antics and yells that it’s not funny.
Fisher’s participation in The Big Bang Theory allowed her to meet James Earl Jones for the first time despite having technically worked with him on Star Wars since 1977.
In an interview with IGN, The Big Bang Theory co-executive producer Steven Molaro shared that Fisher and Jones’s meeting was a funny one:
In Star Wars, James was in a sound booth doing Darth Vader and had never been in the set. As they were approaching each other, Carrie said “Dad!” which was hilarious because Darth was her father in Star Wars.
- Age: Dec. at 60 (1956-2016)
- Birthplace: Burbank, California, USA
Photo: CBS
Leonard Nimoy is referenced several times on the show, but never got around to appearing in person. However, the late actor does voice an action figure of Spock in Season 5, episode 20, “The Transporter Malfunction.”
Penny buys Sheldon and Leonard Star Trek transporter toys. The two refuse to open the packaging, in hopes of preserving their value, but Sheldon caves in private when a Spock action figure compels him. The figure later reprimands him for replacing his toy with Leonard’s after Sheldon breaks it.
Although Nimoy isn’t seen in the episode, his recognizable voice is good enough for Star Trek fans to nerd out.
- Age: Dec. at 83 (1931-2015)
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Photo: CBS
Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is something that comes up frequently in The Big Bang Theory. He debuts in Season 3, episode 5, “The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary,” where he battles Sheldon in a card game.
He’s initially presented as Sheldon’s sworn enemy after being a no-show at an event in Sheldon’s youth that he had made painstaking efforts to attend. Wheaton frequently bests Sheldon during their run-ins until he finally apologizes.
His later appearances generally poke fun at his career post-Star Trek, with Wheaton shown to be struggling just like Penny. He also serves as a way for the gang to meet other famous people.
- Age: 51
- Birthplace: Burbank, California, USA
Photo: CBS
Katee Sackhoff is Howard’s biggest sci-fi crush – to the point that he fantasizes about her being his girlfriend. The imaginary Sackhoff debuts in Season 3, episode 9, “The Vengeance Formulation.”
Her manifestation pushes Howard into realizing his feelings for Bernadette, telling him that she’s a real woman who’s actually interested in him.
Sackhoff reprises her fictional role in Season 4, episode 4, “The Hot Troll Deviation,” where she again motivates Howard to reconcile with Bernadette. Although her appearances were popular with fans, Sackhoff didn’t appear again after Howard permanently got back together with Bernadette.
- Age: 44
- Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, USA
Photo: CBS
To many people, Adam West is the first Batman, due to portraying the Caped Crusader in the campy, classic 1960s Batman series. This is what gets him invited to Sheldon’s surprise birthday party in Season 9, episode 17, “The Celebration Experimentation.”
West plays a senior citizen who’s hired to entertain Sheldon. His character doesn’t really understand what’s going on, and his cluelessness is part of the joke. West is a good sport for factoring his age into the comedic bits, pretending to be so out of it that he just wants to be paid, without realizing he didn’t actually do anything at the party.
- Age: Dec. at 88 (1928-2017)
- Birthplace: Walla Walla, Washington, USA
Photo: CBS
William Shatner is another guest whom many would consider the peak of geek culture. He appears in Season 12, episode 16, “The D&D Vortex,” as part of Wil Wheaton’s Dungeons & Dragons group.
Shatner doesn’t think much of nerds like Sheldon, Leonard, and Stuart, although he does try to flirt with Penny. His interactions with fellow guests Joe Manganiello, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kevin Smith are also funny because of their clashing personalities.
- Age: 93
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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LeVar Burton has multiple appearances on The Big Bang Theory, although surprisingly, none have anything to do with his role as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Instead, the gag is that he ends up in unpleasant scenarios around Sheldon.
In his debut cameo in Season 4, episode 17, “The Toast Derivation,” Burton arrives at Sheldon’s apartment after responding to an invitation. He immediately flees when he sees Barry, Zack, and Stuart delivering a horrible rendition of “I’m Walking on Sunshine” on the karaoke machine.
Burton then interacts with Sheldon in his other appearances, where he’s either directly insulted by Amy or indirectly by Sheldon. The actor has a perpetually flabbergasted face in all the episodes because of how bizarre he finds Sheldon’s gang.
- Age: 67
- Birthplace: Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
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George Takei only shows up as a figment of Howard’s imagination in Season 4, episode 4, “The Hot Troll Deviation.” He invades Howard’s fantasy with Bernadette and Katee Sackhoff, claiming he knows more about women than they do.
Of course, the gag is that Takei is gay in real life, but his advice turns out to be much more helpful than Sackhoff’s when Howard goes on a date with Bernadette. Takei’s banter with Sackhoff is brief but hilarious, as they keep taking shots at each other’s suggestions.
- Age: 87
- Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
DID YOU KNOW?Nathan Fillion is also ranked #27 of 109 on The Funniest Canadian Comedy Actors of All Time
Photo: CBS
Nathan Fillion permanently entered the pantheon of geek culture figures when he starred in Firefly. Characters on The Big Bang Theory frequently bring up the sci-fi series, with Raj and Leonard eventually meeting Fillion himself in Season 8, episode 15, “The Comic Book Store Regeneration.”
The pair spot Fillion having dinner by himself in a deli and wonder if it’s really him. He lies that he isn’t the actor and simply looks like him, although this only makes Raj and Leonard suspect further.
Funnily enough, when Fillion finally does admit his identity, Raj and Leonard then become skeptical. Fillion’s comedic timing is impressive, as he delivers a realistically annoyed performance at Raj and Leonard’s nerdy habits.
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Edmonton, Canada
Photo: CBS
Sarah Michelle Gellar is the final guest star in The Big Bang Theory, appearing in Season 12, episode 24, “The Stockholm Syndrome.” Gellar meets Raj en route to Sweden and accepts his invitation to attend Sheldon and Amy’s Nobel Prize ceremony.
Everyone instantly recognizes her from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which Gellar acknowledges. The joke here is that Raj convinces himself she will fall in love with him, even though she explicitly tells him they’re not on a date.
- Age: 47
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
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Summer Glau became another popular figure for sci-fi fans after her role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.Howard, Raj, and Leonard attempt to pursue her in Season 2, episode 17, “The Terminator Decoupling,” when they spot her while traveling on a train.
Raj manages to charm Glau with his smooth words – with the aid of alcohol – but is thwarted when he realizes it’s not actually alcoholic. So much for the placebo effect! Howard then tries his hand and ends up boring the actress to the point of exhaustion.
Leonard’s attempt doesn’t last too long, as Glau has to disembark the train when he approaches her – which completes all three guys’ humiliation.
- Age: 42
- Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, USA
15Brent Spiner
Photo: CBS
Brent Spiner is known for playing Lt. Cmdr. Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He banks on that fame for his appearance in The Big Bang Theory, playing himself at Wil Wheaton’s party in Season 5, episode 5, “The Russian Rocket Reaction.”
Spiner’s fictional version is a jerk who opens the box of Sheldon’s Wesley Crusher action figure after snatching it from his hand. His lack of remorse motivates Sheldon to name Spiner his mortal enemy, although the latter doesn’t really care.
The funniest bit about Spiner’s cameo is that he makes Leonard and Raj pay for Data action figures. The two then negotiate with him to attend Leonard’s birthday party as well.
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
DID YOU KNOW?Joe Manganiello is also ranked #19 of 95 on The Hottest Silver Foxes
Photo: CBS
Many people see Joe Manganiello as a mainstream heartthrob thanks to his roles in True Blood and Magic Mike. That’s exactly what attracts the girls to Wil Wheaton’s Dungeons & Dragons group in Season 12, episode 16, “The D&D Vortex,” where Manganiello is shown to be friends with Wheaton, William Shatner, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kevin Smith.
Manganiello is instantly aware that the girls are only there to gawk at him, which makes him both uncomfortable and annoyed. His attempts to distance himself from Bernadette and Amy don’t take, as they keep trying to hit on him.
- Age: 47
- Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
17Photo: CBS
Kevin Smith has a rich filmography as a director, writer, and actor, and is perhaps best known for creating the View Askewniverse. His movies generally appeal to people who prefer indie films or have a more geeky mindset, so Smith is right at home on The Big Bang Theory.
He appears in Season 12, episode 16, “The D&D Vortex,” where he’s part of Wil Wheaton’s Dungeons & Dragonsgroup. Smith pokes fun at himself in this fictionalized role by making big-headed claims and speaking when nobody asks him to.
Smith technically debuts in Season 8, episode 12, “The Fortification Implementation,” offering Penny an audition in his next movie over the phone. But this never goes anywhere, and their previous association isn’t acknowledged when they interact years later.
- Age: 53
- Birthplace: Red Bank, New Jersey, USA
Photo: CBS
In Season 2, episode 4, “The Griffin Equivalency,” Raj is recognized by People magazine as one of the “30 Under 30” personalities to watch out for. The fame goes to his head and he starts to belittle his friends.
Before he learns his lesson, he insults his friends, and they abandon him. But Raj still wants to brag, so he approaches a man at the bar to tell him about the magazine.
As it turns out, that man is Charlie Sheen. He removes his glasses and casually brushes Raj off by telling the latter to call him when he’s on the cover. This sudden cameo took people by surprise, as Sheen was never advertised for the episode.
Sheen appeared on the show because he was starring in Two and a Half Men at the time, which was also created by Chuck Lorre. After leaving the series, though, Sheen didn’t have anything good to say about Lorre or The Big Bang Theory cameo.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2013, he claimed The Big Bang Theory used him as a lead-in for ratings:
I’m sorry, but Big Bang Theory is a piece of sh*t – it’s a stupid show and it’s just lame, about lame people. I like the kids in it, but that show without [Two and a Half Men] as a lead-in is… goodbye.
- Age: 58
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
19Photo: CBS
Howie Mandel is known more as a judge in America’s Got Talent! these days, but he got his start as an actor in the 1980s TV series St. Elsewhere. Also in that decade, he appeared in the movies A Fine Mess, Walk Like a Man, and Little Monsters.
The actor’s fame serves as the premise for a joke on The Big Bang Theory after Howard returns from space in Season 6, episode 4, “The Re-Entry Minimization.”
Howard thinks the crowd at the airport screaming “Howie!” is there for him, only to realize that Howie Mandel is next to him. The latter throws shade on Howard for his mistake before making a swift exit.
- Age: 68
- Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
