While it doesn’t match the satirical bite and razor-sharp storytelling of its adult-oriented animated cousins The Simpsons and South Park, Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy is still one of the funniest shows on the air. It was initially dismissed as derivative, then grew into its own thing as the pitch-black version of The Simpsons, then eventually developed meta layers as the show began regularly deconstructing itself.
Across the past two decades (weathering two cancelations along the way), Family Guy has attracted some impressive A-list talent to make guest appearances. Like The Simpsons’ recent seasons, those celebrity guest stars are a mixed bag.
10 Best: James Woods
James Woods played himself as a Kwik-E-Mart clerk preparing for a role in The Simpsons, but his most renowned animated avatar is the exaggerated degenerate that stole Peter Griffin’s identity in Family Guy.
Every time Woods appears on the show, the writers get more ruthless in lampooning Woods’ infamous traits – difficult to work with, dangerously amorous etc. – and every time, Woods is game.
9 Squandered: Tony Sirico
Paulie Walnuts was always one of the funniest characters on The Sopranos and Tony Sirico is clearly on good terms with the Family Guy staff, so he and the show seem like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, Sirico faced the insurmountable challenge of briefly replacing Brian.
After the writers inexplicably killed off Brian, only to resurrect him a few episodes later, the Griffins got a new talking dog, Vinny, a thinly developed collection of Italian-American stereotypes that paled in comparison to Brian.
8 Best: Carol Channing
Carol Channing played herself in “Patriot Games,” in which she participates in a celebrity boxing match with Mike Tyson and somehow manages to win by never going down, eventually exhausting Tyson.
On top of that, the bet that Brian loses on the fight is what leads to the classic running gag of Stewie mercilessly beating Brian every day he doesn’t pay up: “Where’s my money? You gonna gimme my money? Where’s my money, man!?”
7 Squandered: Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds guest-starred as himself in the B-plot of “Stewie Goes for a Drive.” He moves into Cleveland’s house while he’s shooting a movie in Quahog and inexplicably flirts with Peter until an uncomfortable Peter calls him on it and Ryan claims he was never attracted to him and moves away.
The actor behind the Merc with a Mouth is a seemingly perfect fit for the juvenile, darkly comic world of Family Guy, but they squandered him with a bizarre storyline that goes nowhere.
6 Best: Robert Downey, Jr.
Long before the role of Tony Stark put Robert Downey, Jr. back on top of the world, Family Guy featured him as a guest star in the episode “The Fat Guy Strangler.” Downey plays Lois’ long-lost brother Patrick, who was sent to a mental institution after being scarred by his mother’s affair with Jackie Gleason.
Lois releases him from the institution and invites him to stay in the house. The Griffins are uncomfortable around Patrick and his imaginary wife Marion and it’s eventually revealed that he’s a serial killer who targets overweight guys.
5 Squandered: Ed O’Neill
Ed O’Neill, who made his name starring in Married…with Children but is now best known for playing Jay Pritchett on Modern Family, guest-starred in the Family Guy episode “Papa Has a Rollin’ Son.” He played Bud Swanson, Joe’s ableist dad who he never told about his disability.
There’s plenty of comic potential in Peter pretending to be Joe until he can build up the courage to tell his dad who he is, but the ableist jokes are offensive without Family Guy’s usual bite, so they get old quickly.
4 Best: KISS
In the early seasons of Family Guy, one of Peter’s defining characteristics was his obsession with KISS. In that spirit, the glam rockers appeared as themselves in a few episodes of the show.
They appear in a snippet of a corny holiday special in which the band saves Santa Claus in “A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas,” while “Road to Europe” revealed that Lois used to date Gene Simmons.
3 Squandered: Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston had played a couple of minor roles on Family Guy, like reprising his role as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle for a gag about murdering his wife, before being cast to replace the late, great Carrie Fisher as Peter’s boss at the brewery.
The only problem is that Cranston’s character, Bert, has been given no distinguishing characteristics that make him stand out. The actor who gave the world Walter White deserves better material.
2 Best: Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore’s guest spot on Family Guy turned into a recurring role as Brian’s relationship with the dim, but well-meaning Jillian was extended across a few episodes. At one point, Brian moved in with her, and had to take in Stewie as a roommate to make up the rent.
Whenever Jillian appears on the show, like in the Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery episode “And Then There Were Fewer,” Barrymore always brings her A-game to the role.
1 Squandered: Kaitlin Olson
Kaitlin Olson, best known as “Sweet Dee” Reynolds from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, was cast to play Quagmire’s sister in the season 10 episode “Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q.”
Olson brought her all to the episode – and has a proven track record of pitch-black humor from It’s Always Sunny’s storied history – but “Screams of Silence” is widely considered to be one of Family Guy’s worst installments. It’s about domestic violence and the rationalization of an abusive relationship; it’s uncomfortable at best and unwatchable at worst.
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