One of the remarkable things about “The Simpsons” was how quickly the show built enough cultural cachet to attract big-name guest stars. From the first season, Albert Brooks played the role of French bowling teacher Jacques in “Life on the Fast Lane”. Since then, celebrities have continued to flock to the series, so much so that “The Simpsons” top guest stars include some of the most well-known and influential cultural figures of the last three decades.
From A-list actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Dustin Hoffman to musical legends such as Johnny Cash, the series has attracted talent from across the cultural sphere — although Bruce Springsteen still refuses to make an appearance on “The Simpsons.” But even Bruce Springsteen isn’t as hard to get as two of producer Al Jean’s dream cameos. These two characters are just as high profile as anyone who has appeared on “The Simpsons,” but there are a few issues preventing them from making an appearance – the biggest being that they are both deceased.
The Simpsons’ Impossible Guest Appearance
There are plenty of reasons why celebrities agree to star on “The Simpsons,” even in an era when most people agree the show is long past its peak. Aside from the fact that it’s often much easier to lend your voice than to show up for a live appearance, the series still retains some of its cultural appeal. Having a cameo or guest appearance on “The Simpsons” is a bit of a right of passage for any big name at this point, no matter how good the show is. Unfortunately, longtime producer and showrunner Al Jean could never secure his final guest stars.
Jean joined “The Simpsons” for its first season in 1989, becoming showrunner alongside writing partner Mike Reiss for the third and fourth seasons. Although Jean left the series after its fourth season, he returned for season 10 and remained on the show until its 33rd season. But even in just those first four years, he’s seen Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and even Ringo Starr grace the show.
But it turns out that another member of the Beatles will forever remain Jean’s ultimate guest star, which was never the case. Talk to NME, the former showrunner said: “A lot of the ones that I thought would be a dream will never get on the air, like John Lennon.” The legendary songwriter died in 1980, nearly a decade before “The Simpsons” aired, so this particular appearance was ruled out before the series even began. But Jean’s second choice could very well have appeared on the show during his lifetime, making him the “Simpsons” guest star that really got away.
The guest star who walked away from The Simpsons
Although “The Simpsons” managed to get Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, they never quite managed to get the first. It’s a shame considering Neil Armstrong was alive until 2012 – well into the series’ early days – and is also one of Al Jean’s dream cameos.
Fans of the show may remember Armstrong from the Season 10 episode “Mayored to the Mob,” where he shows up at a booth at the Springfield Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con just for the participants are completely unaware of it. This particular appearance was actually voiced by Homer’s voice actor, Dan Castellaneta. Likewise, John Lennon appeared in the series, but his voice was provided by actor Hank Azaria.
Elsewhere, Armstrong’s actual voice appeared in the series, but only through archived audio of his famous quote about the moon landing, “One small step for man, one giant leap for ‘humanity”. In that sense, Jean at least sort of landed the cameo of his dreams. The showrunner also revealed that the other “Holy Grail” guest star would have been a U.S. president, but every president contacted said no, making him the only type of “The Simpsons” guest star who has never could land – well, them and Bruce Springsteen.
