The Most Unexpected Soap Opera Cameos Ever

Soap operas are known for a few things—elaborate love triangles, jaw-dropping dramatic moments, puzzling resurrections of certain characters from the dead, and plenty of celebrity cameos. If a star didn't get their start with an appearance on a soap opera, that doesn't exactly mean they'll never make one. There are plenty of A-listers who have graced the small screen with a highly-anticipated cameo on a soap opera, and they aren't the only ones—athletes and musicians have been known to get in on the action, too. Take a look at some of the most surprising soap opera cameos ever.

Famed actress, Elizabeth Taylor, didn't just happen upon a cameo in the ultra-popular soap, General Hospital — she called the producer herself to personally ask for a role. Taylor played Helena Cassadine, widow of villain Mikkos Cassadine, so she could appear at the wedding of popular characters, Luke and Laura. Her appearance resulted in a curse being placed on the happy couple.

Snoop Lion has apparently been a fan of One Life to Live most of his life — who could have guessed? — and he has made a few appearances on the show. In 2010, his character (he played himself) talked characters Bo and Nora Buchanan into letting their son go to his concert. He returned in 2013 to promote a new film.

In 1963, the Yankee player decided to do something a little out of his realm: He accepted an offer to make an appearance on General Hospital. Berra made a cameo as a brain surgeon because he wanted his family to see him act. In his book When You Come To The Fork In The Road, Take It!, Berra wrote, "And I once was a brain surgeon — no kidding — in a General Hospital episode, in the early '60s. Those were the days before the soaps got sexy."

Ed Sheeran has made a few cameos on television shows in the past, (and recently, on Game of Thrones), but most notable on daytime TV was his appearance on Australian soap opera, Shortland Street, in 2014. He was in New Zealand promoting his album X when he stopped by the set of the show to do a brief cameo as himself. In a short scene, he confronts the character Kane to help give him perspective on a bad situation.

At some point in the mid-80s, Carol Burnett made an appearance on All My Children, her favorite soap opera. She played a long-lost member of the Wallingford family from the wrong side of town, and her character was endlessly amusing.

One year after The Smiths broke up, Morrissey decided to try something new: He did a quick cameo on British soap opera, South, in an attempt to promote his debut solo album, Viva Hate. On South, Morrissey played himself interacting with a fan who is freaking out over meeting him.

James Franco shocked everyone when he took on not only a cameo on General Hospital, but a recurring role that lasted years. From 2009 until 2012, James played a conceptual artist/sociopath/serial killer named Franco (it's confusing, we know). His character was obsessed with killer, Jason Morgan, and Franco ended up kidnapping Morgan's girlfriend and best friend. The following year, James and fictional character Franco did an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles called "Francophrenia: Dissolving the Boundary Between Illusion and Reality."

In 1994, soap actors Tony Geary and Genie Francis appeared on Roseanne as their soap characters, Luke and Laura. Not too long afterwards, Barr and her then-husband Tom made a cameo in General Hospital. She was in three consecutive episodes as the character Jennifer Smith, the daughter of a mobster named Frank Smith.

Back in 2005, before Donald Trump was even close to becoming President of the United States, he made an appearance on Days of Our Lives, where he played himself. In the episode, he bumped into Nicole after a meeting with Mikey, and she tried to convince him to give her a job. He also plugged his reality show The Apprentice while onscreen.

The popular talk-show host once made an appearance on Days of Our Lives, where he played Pete, a Las Vegas high roller. After losing almost all of his money, Nick Fallon receives tutelage from Pete. Pete eventually helps Nick win $50,000 and helps him impress Chelsea Brady, too.

In 1981, Gretzky was a huge hockey star with plenty of awards under his belt. He also loved soap operas, and eventually, he got a cameo role on The Young and The Restless. He played a mafia goon and only had a few words to memorize: "I'm Wayne, from the Edmonton operation."

The host of The View has been on General Hospital two times: Once in 2003, and then again in 2012. She played Bree Flanders, the madam of an upscale prostitution ring. She reprised that role in 2012, but in that episode, she was the senior vice president of marketing at a cosmetics company. Interesting departure.

Sheryl Underwood played the character of Emmy on The Bold and The Beautiful. Emmy was a local city clerk who was willing to work after hours to help out Bill, and it was up to her to find out whether or not Wyatt and Steffy's marriage was valid.

The music legend has appeared in two separate soap operas. The first one was in 2004, when he played himself on The Young and The Restless and was involved in the storyline between J.T. and Colleen. In 2006, he appeared on Days of Our Lives, where he played himself again. Robinson was the man who rescued Marlena Black after she got lost in the snowy wilderness when her plane crashed.

The B-52s enjoyed time onscreen throughout a whole episode of Guiding Light back in 1982. They performed two songs: "Throw That Beat In The Garbage Can" and "Private Idaho." They also talked to residents and basically had a good time playing themselves.

An unlikely fan of The Young and The Restless, Ventura made an appearance on the show in 2000. He played himself as the governor of Minnesota, where he asked Victor Newman to be his running mate in a bid for the U.S. presidency. Things didn't work out for either of them.

Betty White has done so many different roles that it almost isn't surprising to hear that she was on a soap opera. And she didn't just cameo—she had a role on The Bold and The Beautiful from 2006 until 2009. White played Stephane Forrester's mother, Ann Douglas, for 23 episodes.

In 2018, Cowboys legend Drew Pearson snagged a little role on The Young and The Restless. He told CBS, "The part they had me playing was a security guard, working for Victor Newman, which is perfect, because he's my hero. He's the real person I gravitated toward back in the day when I first started watching Young and the Restless...I was so blessed and honored that they included me."