25 'Family Guy' Guest Stars Who Will Surprise You

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Because Family Guy has aired off and on since 1999, dozens of celebrities have guest-starred on the show, usually as themselves, and usually during flashbacks. But you might be surprised to find out which actors voiced fictional characters as Family Guy guest stars.

See which blockbuster movie stars, award winners, and celebrities have guest-starred on Family Guy and which characters they played.

01
of 25

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey, Jr.

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Before he became Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. voiced Lois's brother, Patrick Pewterschmidt. This was his only guest star appearance on Family Guy. The role was later voiced by Family Guy producer and writer Danny Smith.

("The Fat Guy Strangler," Nov. 27, 2005)

02
of 25

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett

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Who would think Oscar winner and graceful actress Cate Blanchett would voice a character on Family Guy? The star of Blue Jasmine, ​Elizabeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley and the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies played Penelope, the devious and cunning girl who stole Stewie's heart. (Seth MacFarlane has a way with classy, foreign actors. Patrick Stewart, of Star Trek: The Next Generation, stars on American Dad.)

("Mr. and Mrs. Stewie," April 29, 2012)

03
of 25

Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston

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Tom Hiddleston is world-famous for playing Loki in the Thor and Avengers movies. He also voiced the statue of Peter's ancestor on Family Guy.

("No Country Club for Old Men," May 19, 2013)

04
of 25

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp

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A year after Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and the same year Dark Shadows opened in movie theaters, Johnny Depp reprised his role as Edward Scissorhands in a cutaway scene on Family Guy showing him as a babysitter. You can guess what happened to the baby. Snip, snip!

("Lois Comes Out of Her Shell," Nov. 25, 2012)

05
of 25

Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick

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Anna Kendrick had a good year in 2012. She was in the midst of releasing the two-part Breaking Dawn movies from the Twilight series, as well as singing her way through Pitch Perfect. This Oscar-nominated actress played Nora, the female police officer Joe had an affair with on Family Guy, who was pictured at the top of this list.

("Internal Affairs," May 20, 2012)

06
of 25

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

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Ariana Grande found time between leaving Nickelodeon behind and exploding onto pop charts to record the voice of a blink-and-you'll-miss-her character named Italian Girl on Family Guy.

("Mom's the Word," March 9, 2014)

07
of 25

Ray Liotta

Ray Liotta

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Ray Liotta is famous for playing tough guys, usually ones with mob ties, like in Goodfellas. In this episode of Family Guy, he plays Zack, a porn movie producer.

("Brain Does Hollywood," July 28, 2001)

08
of 25

David Thewlis

David Thewlis

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David Thewlis is most famous for playing Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter movies. He played a British father in Stewie's new family on Family Guy ​after Stewie uses a time machine (again) to be reborn.

("Chap Stewie," May 18, 2014)

09
of 25

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

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After fighting giant monsters in Godzilla and before becoming Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Jaidan, one of Stewie's older, bullying brothers in Stewie's British family on Family Guy (Yes, he's really British).

("Chap Stewie," May 18, 2014)

10
of 25

Ellen Page

Ellen Page

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Ellen Page is known all over the world for a variety of roles, including starring roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Inception. On Family Guy, she played Lindsey, Chris's girlfriend who looks exactly like Lois.

("Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream," Feb. 12, 2012)

11
of 25

Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz

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Jason Mraz is a Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter who rose to fame with the single "I'm Yours." He played Some Guy with a Hat on Family Guy, who Peter thinks is Jason Mraz.

("April in Quahog," April 11, 2010)

12
of 25

Sean Bean

Sean Bean

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Sean Bean is a veteran actor, starring in the Lord of the Rings movies as Boromir, as well as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. In this episode of Family Guy, the British actor voiced one of Peter Griffin's ancestors in a portrait.

("No Country Club for Old Men," May 19, 2013)

13
of 25

Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer

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Jon Cryer is famous for being one whole of Two and a Half Men. He voiced Kevin Swanson, Joe's son, in only this episode of Family Guy. Kevin is voiced other times by Seth MacFarlane until the tenth season when Scott Grimes (American Dad) takes over.

("A Hero Sits Next Door," May 2, 1999)

14
of 25

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks

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Elizabeth Banks is a talented actress, deftly handling comedy, like in 30 Rock, and drama, like in The Hunger Games movies (although she still manages to provide comic relief amid the tragedy). She also voiced Wyldstyle in The LEGO Movie. In this episode of Family Guy, she voiced Pam Fishman, the wife of Ross Fishman. Peter challenges Ross to race to the top of Mount Everest.

("Into Fat Air," Sep. 30, 2012)

15
of 25

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning

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Dakota Fanning became famous at a very early age for her amazing work in I Am Sam, opposite Sean Penn. That year she also voiced "Little Girl" on Family Guy, who tells Meg her daughter would love her. Since then Dakota Fanning has starred in Taken, War of the Worlds and the Twilight series of movies.

("To Love and Die in Dixie," Nov. 15, 2001)

16
of 25

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds

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Ryan Reynolds appeared in two episodes of Family Guy as the Overweight Guy, including this one when he was the first son of God. Ryan Reynolds has starred in romantic comedies, like The Proposal, and action films, like Green Lantern.

("Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Dec. 23, 2012)

17
of 25

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie

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Hugh Laurie is most famous for playing Dr. Gregory House in House M.D. In this episode of Family Guy, he voiced a bar patron who explains to Peter how cricket is played.

("One if by Clam, Two if by Sea," Aug. 1, 2001)

18
of 25

Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell

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Will Ferrell is known for the many movie comedies he's starred in, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The Campaign, The Other Guys and Old School. In this Family Guy episode, he played two roles: Fat Greek Guy and Miles "Chatterbox" Musket, the founder of Quahog.

("Fifteen Minutes of Shame," April 25, 2000)

19
of 25

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais

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Ricky Gervais played Billy Finn on Family Guy, the talking dolphin who shows up on Peter's doorstep. Ricky Gervais is a world-famous comedian, writer, and actor. His most famous work is The Office.

("Be Careful What You Fish For," Feb. 19, 2012)

20
of 25

Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes

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Forever known as Westley in The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes voiced the role of Dr. Watson (as in Sherlock Holmes) in a cutaway scene on Family Guy, when Chris tells Stewie how well they work together.

("Secondhand Spoke," March 30, 2014)

21
of 25

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston

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Emmy award-winning actor Bryan Cranston played Dr. Jewish, Brian's veterinarian on Family Guy. Bryan Cranston is most famous for playing Walter White on Breaking Bad. In another episode, "Herpe, the Love Sore," he played himself in a joke where he simply sneezes and is handed an Emmy award.

("Long John Peter," May 4, 2008)

22
of 25

Ioan Gruffudd

Ioan Gruffud

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Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh-born actor who has starred in many movies and TV shows. He played Dr. Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four< movies and starred as Henry Morgan in the TV series Forever. He has voiced characters three times on Family Guy. He played Asia's lead singer John Payne in "The Splendid Source" (May 16, 2010), the narrator of the National Geographic documentary in "Seahorse Seashell Party" (Oct. 2, 2011) and Prince Charles in "Family Guy Viewer Mail No. 2" (May 20, 2012).

23
of 25

Daniel Stern

Daniel Stern

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Daniel Stern rose to fame playing goofy characters in the Home Alone and City Slickers movies. He also voiced the Narrator on the beloved TV series The Wonder Years. He parodied that role on Family Guy, narrating the end of the episode and recapping events.

("FOX-y Lady," March 22, 2009)

24
of 25

Ed Helms

Ed Helms

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Ed Helms is a talented comedic actor. He kept TV audiences laughing for several seasons of The Office playing Andy Bernard. He also starred in the Hangover movies and We're the Millers. On Family​ Guy, he provided the voice of Al Gore.

("FOX-y Lady," March 22, 2009)

25
of 25

Allison Janney

Allison Janney

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Allison Janney is one of the hardest working actresses in Hollywood. She has starred in dozens of films and TV series, including Masters of Sex, Bad Words, and The West Wing. On Family Guy, she voiced the editor for Teen People ("Dial Meg for Murder," Jan. 31, 2010). She also voices Crystal Quagmire in "Quagmire's Mom" (Feb. 8, 2015) and Mistress Vita in "Encyclopedia Griffin" (Feb. 15, 2015).