Top 20 Spongebob Guest Stars
#20: Marion Ross as Grandma SquarePants Various
Although she acted throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, most audiences would truly come to know Marion Ross in 1974, when she found mainstream success as Marion Cunningham in “Happy Days.” Decades later, she would land a recurring role on “SpongeBob SquarePants,” this time acting as grandmother instead of mother. The character’s premiere episode, “Grandma’s Kisses,” established Grandma SquarePants as a sweet and caring caretaker to SpongeBob, whose love for her grandson would not wane just because he was getting older. Ross was already pitch perfect for this traditional kindly grandmother character, but really proved her range as a voice actor in episodes like “The Abrasive Side,” where Grandma Squarepants shows off a harsher side of her personality while teaching SpongeBob a lesson.
#19: Henry Winkler as Sharkface “Sharks vs. Pods”
After jumping the shark on both “Happy Days” and “Arrested Development,” Henry Winkler became a shark himself — an animated one that is. In “Sharks vs. Pods” Winkler played Sharkface, a hammerhead whose tough guy demeanor was similar to that of the actor’s “Happy Days” character, Fonzie. Sharkface and his group of friends, called The Sharks, initially appeared to both Spongebob and the audience to be troublemakers. They were shown to be banned from a local bar, and seemed to inspire fear in locals they came in contact with. But this clever referential role was also a subversive one, and by the end of the episode it was revealed that The Sharks were actually competitive dancers - and famous ones at that!
#18: Gene Simmons & Shannon Tweed as a Sea Monster & Mom Fish “20,000 Patties Under the Sea”
While some “SpongeBob” guest roles play with their performers’ pasts in tongue-in-cheek ways, others are less overt. In Gene Simmons’ case, his sea monster character was practically indistinguishable from any other minor antagonist in the series, lacking the KISS frontman’s glitz and glam, as well as his distinctively long tongue. Nonetheless, Simmons reportedly claimed that the role was one he was “born” to play, and that being a sea monster was “in [his] blood.” And to his credit, he does do a good job, creating a fun new character who feels natural alongside the show’s seasoned regulars. His wife, Shannon Tweed, makes an appearance in the episode as well, voicing a fish who defends her son against Plankton.
#17: John O'Hurley as King Neptune Various
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When it comes to recurring “SpongeBob” characters, King Neptune was one of the most inconsistent in terms of both voice and design. “Party Pooper Pants” showed the character in live action, physically portrayed by Sergio Ristie but voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. The 2004 movie gave him an alternate design and new voice courtesy of Jeffrey Tambor. More often than not, however, when King Neptune appeared in Bikini Bottom he was portrayed by John O’Hurley. And it’s no question why the show kept coming back to this version of the character. O’Hurley’s voice work was truly fit for a god, shaping King Neptune to be a pompous, and often antagonistic, character who was nonetheless still enjoyable to watch on-screen.
#16: Johnny Depp as Jack Kahuna Laguna “SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One”
In recent years, Johnny Depp’s image has been marred with controversy surrounding a number of very public legal issues, but his star power in the 2000s was undeniable. So much so that he was advertised as “SpongeBob”’s “biggest guest star ever” in the time preceding his role in the 2009 special episode “SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One.” His character Jack Kahuna Laguna, or JKL for short, was treated with a similar kind of star power within the show. The character was a mysterious surfing legend with a humanoid face and body likening him to the season 5 “handsome Squidward” gag design. Squidward himself didn’t seem to be too impressed by JKL, but SpongeBob and Patrick hung on his every word…and drumbeat.
#15: Johnny Knoxville as Johnny Krill “Extreme Spots”
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Hi. He’s Johnny Krill, and welcome to [Dolphin Noise]. When casting an episode of “SpongeBob” all about extreme sports, calling up Johnny Knoxville must have been a no-brainer. The actor, producer, and stuntman is best known for co-creating and starring in the “Jackass” TV and film series, which documents Knoxville and his castmates performing a series of increasingly dangerous, disgusting, and absurd stunts. In “SpongeBob,” Knoxville’s character, Johnny Krill, was a part of the Drastic Radicals, a small group of fish who performed similarly outrageous stunts under the sea. When SpongeBob and Patrick saw the group’s act, they hoped to join their team, and Krill did his best to teach the pair how to make their everyday fun and games more explosive.
#14: Pat Morita as Master Udon “Karate Island”
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It’s no secret that SpongeBob loves karate, so it should come as no surprise that “The Karate Kid”’s Pat Morita was one of the show’s best guest stars. The late actor, who played Mr. Miyagi, put a new spin on the role of karate master with Udon. The supposed sensei initially appeared to be in charge of Karate Island, where one could be crowned the King of Karate, but it was slowly revealed that he was actually a scammer who lured people to his island to force them to buy real estate. Prior to the reveal, Morita’s familiar voice added an authenticity to the otherwise suspicious character, and created a fun extra layer to the episode for those in the know.
#13: Bob Barker as Bob Barnacle “Sanctuary!”
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If you’re familiar with Bob Barker, you’ve likely heard his unique sign-off, in which he told game show viewers to have their pets spayed and neutered. The reminder had nothing to do with “The Price is Right,” but was important to Barker as an animal activist. When it came time for him to guest star on “SpongeBob,” this activism would become a large part of his character and the episode he appeared in. Through the well-meaning actions of its title character, the show portrayed the dangers of pet hoarding. It ended with the big-hearted sponge giving up the stray snails he’d collected to Barker’s character, Bob Barnacle, who owned a snail rescue center.
#12: R. Lee Ermey as Prison Warden “The Inmates of Summer”
Actor R. Lee Ermey wasn’t just a Gunnery Sergeant in “Full Metal Jacket,” he was also a real life Marine drill instructor, and that reputation presumably led to him being cast as everything from a police captain in “Se7en” to the leader of the green army men in “Toy Story.” This trend followed him to “SpongeBob,” where he appeared as a militaristic warden in “The Inmates of Summer.” In the episode, SpongeBob and Patrick accidentally ended up at the wrong place, trading summer camp for prison camp, but surprisingly enjoyed themselves. Their complete obliviousness to their mix-up was only made funnier by Ermey’s harsh, no-nonsense tone and demeanor.
#11: Kristin Wiig as Madame Hagfish “The Curse of the Hex”
Nickelodeon appears to have made a habit of casting “SNL” legends in “SpongeBob,” as Kristen Wiig is not the only one on this list. She’s unrecognizable as a rather unsavory old witch for whom only SpongeBob shows sympathy. When Squidward and Mr. Krabs’ stinginess causes her to curse the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs are tasked with receiving a doubloon from a giant mythical eel. It’s at this point we realize the hagfish isn’t quite as powerful as we thought, as the “curse” was simply a “closed” sign outside the restaurant. Thanks to Wiig’s brilliant guest spot, this is one of the rarer later episodes that reminds us of the older seasons.
#10: Brian Doyle-Murray as The Flying Dutchman Various
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Did you know that The Flying Dutchman was voiced by Bill Murray’s older brother? The actor is famous in his own right, having a recurring role in the long-running sitcom “The Middle,” and providing the voice of K'nuckles in “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.” But our favorite role of his has to be his recurring appearances as The Flying Dutchman on “SpongeBob SquarePants.” The character is arguably the show’s most iconic antagonist, providing the perfect foil for SpongeBob’s sunny optimism. The phantom pirate’s actions are often genuinely threatening, and could be scary on any other series. But SpongeBob’s unique ability to make the best of any situation, paired with Doyle-Murray’s pitch-perfect delivery, creates one of the show’s funniest dynamics.
#9: Mark Hamill as The Moth “Night Light”
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When SpongeBob gets scared from reading a spooky book, he convinces Patrick to go on a ridiculous rampage wherein they fill every possible dark spot in his pineapple with light. Naturally, this attracts the attention of Mermaid Man and Barnacleboy, but also their malicious rival, The Moth. Though he’s a formidable opponent, made even more sinister by the legendary Hamill’s impressive voice work, he proves no match for the sponge. Although, The Moth does manage to get away with his pineapple in the end. We guess he doesn’t have to worry about getting all those night lights anymore?
#8: Betty White as Beatrice “Mall Girl Pearl”
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The late Betty White plays a much kinder elderly fish than Kristen Wiig did, when Pearl gets a job at her shop, Grandma’s Apron. Some of Pearl’s friends, including Nocturna, in another wonderful guest appearance by Aubrey Plaza, torment her for the job. Thankfully, Beatrice is on hand to teach her a valuable lesson about being oneself and enjoying youth while she can. She also uses her…Granny Power to give those jerks what they deserve. It’s a little out of left field, but a character voiced by Betty White having the ultimate power of a grandma just feels right.
#7: Andy Samberg as Colonel Carper “Hello, Bikini Bottom”
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Colonel Carper is a band manager with a southern twang who takes an interest in SpongeBob and Squidward’s musical talents as a duo. Of course, after hearing that money is involved, Mr. Krabs steps in and demands to be their manager instead. As usual, Mr. Krabs commits a series of crimes, drawing the ire of Colonel Carper, who demands that he be compensated for the misdeeds. SpongeBob and Squidward ultimately throw a successful concert, which Mr. Krabs mooches off of, but once again Colonel Carper shows up to get what he is owed. Samberg’s memorable villain is an episode highlight, and he is indeed yet another “SNL” vet to make his way to Bikini Bottom.
#6: J.K. Simmons as Maestro Mackerel “Snooze You Lose”
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Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons guest stars in this parody of “Whiplash” as Maestro Mackerel, a band director whom Squidward hopes to impress with his audition. Unfortunately, Squidward can’t wake up, so SpongeBob and Patrick literally jump down his throat to create a body horror monstrosity so that he won’t miss his audition. The Maestro is actually impressed with Spongebob/Patrick/Squidward’s performance, but when Squidward regains control…well, this is the man who played J. Jonah Jameson we’re talking about, so you shouldn’t be surprised exactly where Squidward’s clarinet ends up. There’s also a monster Squidward who is better at the clarinet than the real one. Yeah, it’s a weird episode.
#5: Amy Poehler as Granny “Have You Seen This Snail?”
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Here we have one more “SNL” star, giving an unrecognizable performance as an elderly villainess! When Gary runs away due to SpongeBob’s neglect, he takes comfort in the arms of Granny, a kind-looking old fish who’s happy to feed Gary anything she can reach. Though, just as Gary discovers that SpongeBob misses him deeply, a dark twist reveals that Grandma has a habit of overfeeding her snails to death, and we finally understand how Poehler’s performance manages to be sweet, yet somehow sinister. Moving as swiftly as we’ve ever seen a snail move, Gary returns to his remorseful owner, though it looks like Grandma’s days of overfeeding snails aren’t over.
#4: John Goodman as Santa Claus “It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!”
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John Goodman is always a wonderful choice to play Santa, and this time he brought Saint Nick to Bikini Bottom. In this supremely charming stop-motion holiday special, Plankton has infected the entire town with Jerktonium, so that he’ll be the only one on his nice list. SpongeBob and Sandy are able to fix this with a song, but Santa still arrives to announce everyone’s naughtiness. In the nick of time, SpongeBob defeats Plankton’s robot SpongeBob and exposes his scheme, making everything right under the sea once again. Of course, it wouldn’t be a SpongeBob Christmas special without some fun at Patchy’s expense.
#3: Every Celebrity as Themselves “SpongeBob's Truth or Square”
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For a tenth anniversary special, Nickelodeon recruited live action appearances from *deep breath* Rosario Dawson,Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, LeBron James, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell (we weren’t lying about the “SNL” presence on this list), Eddie Deezen, Craig Ferguson, the late Robin Williams, and Pink, who all appear in live-action moments. And that goes without mentioning Ricky Gervais, who served as narrator, and Cee-Lo Green, who provided the theme song. Sure, it might be a shameless way to trot out guest stars to prove how much street cred SpongeBob has received over his years, but it’s a lot of fun to see all these celebrities pay tribute to pop culture’s number one sponge.
#2: David Bowie as Lord Royal Highness “SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePantis”
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We’re gonna be entirely honest here: this is not everyone’s favorite “SpongeBob” episode. But we got David Bowie aka Ziggy Stardust aka Aladdin Sane aka so many other characters playing a role with SpongeBob, so what more could you ask for? The late musical legend played the appropriately majestic Lord Royal Highness of Atlantis, who shows SpongeBob and his friends through the lost city of Atlantis. With Plankton in tow, things go predictably south and the group is more or less forced out of the city. Bowie is one of the world’s most beloved and missed musicians, so this guest appearance forever holds a special place in our hearts.
#1: Ernest Borgnine & Tim Conway as Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy Various
This entry is a bit different, since Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were much more recurring characters than others on this list. Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway played these retired superheroes from the show’s very first season up until Ernest Borgnine’s passing in 2012. These two lovable old geezers were the stars of SpongeBob and Patrick’s favorite show, and if you need any indication of who inspired them, take a gander at Adam West and Burt Ward guest-starring as their younger selves. They’re kooky, always good for a laugh, and an important part of understanding what makes SpongeBob the fun-loving optimist he is.
