When Hollywood Stars Entered the Muppet Madhouse
On The Muppet Show, respectable actors became punchlines, glamorous singers argued with pigs, and serious performers shared scenes with chickens. The Muppets had a gift for making famous guests loosen up, embrace the chaos, and reveal personalities audiences rarely saw anywhere else.
#25: Twiggy
Twiggy was still closely associated with the fashionable, wide-eyed image that had made her an international modeling sensation. Her 1977 appearance allowed her to be warmer and more playful, discussing her unusual nickname and singing with the Muppets. She seemed less like a distant fashion icon and more like an amusing friend visiting backstage.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#24: Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen arrived with the polished image of a model and serious film actress, but the Muppets quickly pulled her into their peculiar backstage world. She participated in comedy sketches, sang, and traded jokes with characters who had no respect for Hollywood prestige. Bergen’s dry delivery proved especially effective when surrounded by total puppet disorder.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#23: George Burns
George Burns had already spent decades mastering the art of looking completely unbothered while madness unfolded around him. That made him an ideal Muppet guest. During his 1977 episode, Burns sang, joked about show business, and calmly observed backstage confusion as if conversing with frogs and bears were simply another night in vaudeville.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#22: Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman brought one of Broadway’s most powerful voices into a theater where the orchestra pit contained creatures of uncertain musical training. She performed show tunes, joined the cast for a medley, and treated the Muppets like fellow stage veterans. Her willingness to share the spotlight made her theatrical grandeur feel surprisingly affectionate and approachable.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#21: Lena Horne
Lena Horne’s elegance and commanding voice might have overwhelmed a less confident variety show. Instead, the Muppets gave her room to be tender, amused, and relaxed. Her musical performances were balanced by gentle interactions with the characters, revealing the warmth behind the glamorous public image audiences had known for decades.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#20: Joel Grey
Joel Grey arrived with impeccable Broadway credentials, including his celebrated performance in Cabaret. Rather than treating the Muppets as children’s entertainment, he committed completely to their theatrical world. His 1976 appearance combined polished musical performance with broad comedy, proving he could move effortlessly from sophisticated stagecraft to wonderfully ridiculous puppet business.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#19: Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller’s exaggerated laugh, wild outfits, and self-deprecating jokes already seemed perfectly suited to the Muppet universe. Her episode went even further, surrounding her with visual chaos and performers nearly as eccentric as she was. For once, Diller did not look like the strangest person in the room—and she appeared delighted by the competition.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#18: Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen was known as an electrifying Broadway dancer and singer, but The Muppet Show also highlighted his gentle comic instincts. He performed polished musical numbers while interacting naturally with the cast. Vereen never acted as if the puppets were beneath him, which made his episode feel like a real collaboration rather than a celebrity appearance.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#17: Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn could shift from glamorous sophistication to complete comic panic in a single expression. The Muppets happily exploited that talent, pairing her with oversized creatures and absurd situations. Her musical and comedy performances showed why she was so valuable in films: she could play every ridiculous moment sincerely without losing her natural elegance.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#16: Rudolf Nureyev
The appearance of celebrated ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev helped demonstrate that The Muppet Show could attract genuinely prestigious guests. Then the program put him into “Swine Lake” with a pig ballerina. Nureyev embraced the parody, sang in a steamy sauna scene, and revealed a mischievous sense of humor hidden behind his formidable artistic reputation.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#15: Bob Hope
Bob Hope was one of America’s most experienced entertainers, yet even he struggled to maintain control of the Muppet stage. His episode surrounded him with animals, jokes, and constant interruptions. Hope’s polished timing remained intact, but the Muppets made him seem less like an untouchable institution and more like a veteran comic enjoying an unusually unruly booking.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#14: Liberace
Liberace hardly needed the Muppets to make him more flamboyant, but they certainly accepted the challenge. His bird-themed episode placed him at the piano amid feathers, extravagant costumes, and musical poultry. Liberace played along without hesitation, revealing how knowingly funny his larger-than-life image could be when everyone was invited to share the joke.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#13: Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch was promoted as one of Hollywood’s great glamorous stars, but her Muppet appearance allowed her to mock that image. She sang, danced, argued with Miss Piggy, and entered a comic romance with Fozzie Bear. Welch’s willingness to look silly demonstrated a playful confidence that her carefully controlled movie persona did not always reveal.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#12: Sylvester Stallone
After Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was associated with physical strength, determination, and serious underdog drama. The Muppet Show dressed him as a gladiator, paired him with a lion, and encouraged him to sing. Stallone’s surprisingly gentle delivery and willingness to be ridiculous exposed a softer, more self-aware personality behind the famous tough-guy image.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#11: Gilda Radner
Gilda Radner already thrived on live television chaos, but even she met her match at the Muppet Theatre. Her episode featured technical disasters, oversized props, and a substance that caused performers to become stuck together. Radner responded with energetic confusion, making it difficult to tell where the scripted mishaps ended and her genuine amusement began.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#10: Steve Martin
Steve Martin’s episode abandoned the normal show after Kermit canceled the production to hold auditions. Martin remained anyway, performing banjo music, comedy, and balloon tricks for the Muppets backstage. The unusual format suited his deliberately awkward persona, making him seem less like a visiting star and more like another eccentric desperate to join the company.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#9: Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews brought her famously graceful singing voice to the show, but the episode did not leave her dignity completely untouched. She sang to Kermit, performed with the cast, and responded warmly to their interruptions. The Muppets revealed her sly comic timing, reminding viewers that the elegant star of musicals could handle nonsense beautifully.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#8: John Cleese
John Cleese reportedly wanted his episode to avoid obvious Muppet clichés, so the writers turned his resistance into the joke. He spent much of the show acting irritated by the production and its performers. His towering frustration worked perfectly against the Muppets’ cheerful incompetence, creating an episode that felt like Monty Python had invaded backstage.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#7: Peter Sellers
When Kermit asked Peter Sellers to be himself, Sellers joked that there was no real self left after playing so many characters. The episode leaned into that idea, letting him move through accents, disguises, and peculiar personalities. Rather than promoting a movie-star image, Sellers presented himself as a man most comfortable disappearing into someone stranger.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#6: Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli’s 1979 episode transformed the Muppet Theatre into the setting for an elaborate murder mystery. Minnelli threw herself into the melodrama, performed musical numbers, and reacted to the increasingly suspicious cast with full theatrical intensity. The Muppets brought out her gift for camp, allowing her to be glamorous and hilariously excessive at once.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#5: Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper arrived offering the Muppets suspicious contracts in exchange for their souls, which was quite a departure from the average variety-show guest. He performed amid monsters, smoke, and supernatural scenery. The episode revealed the humor beneath his frightening stage image, showing that Cooper understood exactly how theatrical and delightfully ridiculous his persona could be.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#4: Vincent Price
Vincent Price’s 1977 appearance turned the entire program into a horror-themed celebration filled with monsters, ghosts, and eerie jokes. Price never distanced himself from the silliness. His elegant voice and sinister reputation made every absurdity funnier, while his obvious enjoyment revealed the playful personality behind decades of terrifying screen performances.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#3: Elton John
Elton John’s feathered costumes, enormous glasses, and brightly colored stage wear looked completely natural beside the Muppets. He performed hits including “Crocodile Rock” alongside actual crocodiles and sang with Miss Piggy. Rather than toning himself down, John became even more theatrical, proving that his glamorous persona could survive—and thrive—inside a puppet variety show.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#2: Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno’s first-season appearance produced one of the show’s defining moments. During her sultry performance of “Fever,” Animal repeatedly interrupted until Moreno finally fought back using cymbals. Her combination of musical skill, comic fury, and perfect timing helped the episode win an Emmy and revealed how fearless she could be when comedy became physical.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
#1: Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte’s 1979 episode balanced joyful comedy with one of the series’ most moving performances. He sang “Turn the World Around” with Muppets wearing masks inspired by African artistic traditions, creating a sequence Jim Henson especially treasured. Belafonte treated the characters as genuine artistic partners, revealing warmth, spirituality, and playfulness in equal measure.
Screenshot from The Muppet Show, Muppet Productions / ITC Entertainment (1976–1981)
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