‘The Big Bang Theory': 23 Most Memorable Guest Stars, From Stephen Hawking to Carrie Fisher (Photos)
This week it was revealed that the upcoming 12th season of “The Big Bang Theory” will be its last. So you can bet that in their final go-around, the show will try to recruit just about every guest star in the galaxy. But of course after over 250 episodes so far, the show has already had a nerd’s fantasy of astronauts, physicists and Spock. Ahead of its final season, we decided to look at some of the show’s most memorable cameos. While Bob Newhart, Christine Baranski, Judy Greer, Jack McBrayer and more have had memorable guest appearances in other roles, this list is devoted to instances in which the stars have played themselves on the show. Excelsior!
Buzz Aldrin
The famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin rattled off three different candy-themed space puns to some disappointed trick-or-treaters in his brief cameo. “I’ve been on the moon,” Aldrin said. “What have you done?”
Elon Musk
In this Season 9 episode, Howard propositioned Elon Musk for a chance to go to Mars when he happened to bump into him washing dishes at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving. Apparently Musk isn’t shy about eating someone’s leftover pumpkin pie.
Stan Lee
It’d be hard for “Big Bang” to crack Stan Lee’s ever growing list of cameos across every Marvel movie ever, but this one features a grumpy Lee in a silk Fantastic 4 robe wondering why a giddy Sheldon won’t leave him alone.
Carrie Fisher and James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones told IGN that amazingly, before this “Big Bang” cameo, he and Carrie Fisher had never met, with Jones always doing his scenes as Darth Vader inside a sound booth. The segment features Jones and Sheldon pranking Fisher, but even funnier is their story that when they finally met, Fisher greeted Jones as “Dad!”
Steve Wosniak
“The Great and Powerful Woz” only ranks as number 15 on Sheldon’s list of “technological visionary,” but he ranks highly on this list of “Big Bang” cameos.
Howie Mandel
Howard got a taste of fame when he walked off a plane at the same time as Howie Mandel, mistaking Mandel’s paparazzi for his own.
LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton has actually made several cameos on the show. But this one from season 6 stands out. “It surprisingly only took gas money and the promise of free food to get him here!”
George Takei and Katee Sackhoff
One of Howard’s fantasies gave us this kinky “Star Trek” and “Battlestar Galactica” crossover, with both George Takei and Katee Sackhoff appearing in Howard’s bedroom. Sackhoff had previously appeared in Howard’s bathtub in season 3, but this season 4 moment would be the start of him getting over bedroom fantasies and thinking about Bernadette, played by Melissa Rauch joining the show as a regular from this point on.
Bill Nye
“Back off bow tie!” Bob Newhart had a memorable, Emmy winning turn on “Big Bang” in part for how he chews out Bill Nye the Science Guy when Sheldon brings him in to make Leonard jealous.
Summer Glau
“Hot in here? Must be Summer.” How many times has “Firefly” star Summer Glau heard that one? In this season 2 episode, she has to endure the advances of both Howard and Raj as they try to pick her up while traveling on a train.
Adam West
“Big Bang” got Adam West to rank all the movie and TV Batmans, putting himself at the top and George Clooney all the way at the bottom, even behind Lego Batman. “I never had to say I’m Batman. I showed up and people knew I was Batman,” West joked.
Charlie Sheen
Before his uncomfortable departure from “Two and a Half Men,” Charlie Sheen did something of a crossover on Chuck Lorre’s other show. Raj tries to brag by saying he’ll be in People magazine, and Sheen turns and quickly puts him in his place.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Sheldon is not happy that Neil DeGrasse Tyson had a role in getting Pluto demoted from being a planet. But we have a feeling that if anyone could help Sheldon see the logic in that decision, it would be Dr. Tyson.
Stephen Hawking
The nerds on “Big Bang” have drooled over a lot of scientists and fanboy favorites, but Sheldon literally faints in the presence of Stephen Hawking, who bluntly confirms for Sheldon that he made a mistake in one of his papers about black holes.
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