# Growing Class of "Celebrity": the Professional Guest Star. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419 "2002-10-01T16:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/1 "2002-10-01T16:04:49Z")
Hell, yes I watched [Celebrity Boot Camp](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=137400) last night. I thought it was a riot. And when Coolio won, well, it was more moving than when he won Celebrity Fear Factor. Then it occurs to me: in the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen quite a bit of Coolio as a “guest star” on re-runs of V.I.P., Charmed, and Sabrina: the Teen-Age Witch (yes, I watch mostly brain-dead TV; but I likes it!) And he’s not alone–in the above-cited thread, Barry Williams is quite a standout. I think we are seeing a rise in a not-so-new, but growing, class of “celebrity”: the professional guest star. Actors and Musicians who may or may not have once been big names in their respective fields of celebrity, but now pretty much just play guest roles on TV shows and the requisite “Celebrity” editions of game shows (including Reality TV). Indeed, not only are “true” starts of TV and movies no longer seen as “guest stars”, but guest stardom has become somewhat of a twilight-hearalding career move. But _who_ exactly are the professional guest stars and–here’s my official question for Café Society–who or which group of celebrities past was/were the _first_ professional guest stars? Examples, using [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com) for hard data: [Coolio](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Coolio) is an obvious one–25 listed guest appearances to 28 “actor” listings (wherein a significant number he portrays either “himself” or someone with a name like “Cool”). [Barry Williams is another](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Williams,+Barry+(I)), with only 15 listings as “actor” versus 23 as “guest”. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/2 "2002-10-01T16:11:54Z")
Did Charo ever do anything other than be “Special Guest Star, CHARO!”? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/3 "2002-10-01T16:36:04Z")
I recall a whole slew of people from the '60s and '70s who never seemed to do much of anything but “guest star.” Remember all those _Movie of the Week_ stars? They showed up on every goddam ABC Tuesday night, and guest-starred on every episode of _Medical Center_ and _Marcus Welby_: Salome Jens, Kim Darby, Monte Markham, Ruta Lee, Bert Convy, Gary Collins . . . Excuse me, I’m having junior-high flashbacks . . . ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/4 "2002-10-01T16:46:27Z")
Let’s not forget Gary Coleman who’s now living on his ability to poke fun at his old role. At least he’s doing better than his co-stars, though… ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/5 "2002-10-01T18:35:10Z")
Oh man, the Love Boat and Fantasy Island developed entire programs around the washed up celebrity! ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/6 "2002-10-01T18:48:11Z")
Charo is also, in addition to living the coochi-coochi life, an accomplished classical guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/7 "2002-10-01T20:27:25Z")
Check out the Game Show Network for a near-endless supply. Many of these people were huge Broadway stars back when the country still cared about Broadway and being in a hit could make you famous. As they got older and as Broadway lost prominence to television (and to a lesser extent movies although movies for whatever reason dimmed the Great White Way less than the idiot box) they moved into supporting and guest star roles (and in some cases starring roles) on TV. Game shows, afternoon talk shows (think Merv and Mike Douglas) and pretty much any of Samantha’s relatives on Bewitched became their new venues. What I find more interesting is the rise in the 70s of celebrities who were famous for apparently no other reason than appearing on game shows as celebrities. People like Elaine Joyce and Joyce Boullifant must have done _something_ to get booked on Match game but I’m damned if I know what it is. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/8 "2002-10-01T20:42:05Z")
Pretty much everyone who was ever a regular on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In falls into this category, wouldn’t you say? But there’s a whole other category of “celebrities” worse than the standard game-show / “Love Boat” / “Fantasy Island” celeb. I mean, Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams ARE washed-up has-beens, but at least I know what they USED to be famous for: they WERE stars on very popular TV sitcoms, once. Charles Nelson Reilly hasn’t had MUCH of a career, but at least he WAS a second banana on “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” But… what the heck makes Bruce Villanch a “celebrity”? What did Grace Jones ever do to become famous? Did Zsa Zsa Gabor EVER make a movie? What are those people famous for BESIDES being famous? ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/9 "2002-10-01T20:47:37Z")
[Charo](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Charo) may indeed be the patroness of professional guest stardom: 11 actress credits (6 as “herself”, so make that 5) and 26 guest credits! [Gary Coleman](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Coleman,+Gary) has quite the résumé, too, with 24 actor credits (5 as "himself) and an amazing 44 guest credits. And for a Professional Guest Star Mill, let’s not forget **Hollywood Squares** , which seems to be the one credit they all have in common! ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/10 "2002-10-01T20:47:42Z")
Back in the day: Nipsey Russell, Jaye P. Morgan, Rip Taylor, anyone who was ever on the panel of the gong show… Today, there’s George Foreman and everyone who used to be on Baywatch. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/11 "2002-10-02T00:53:44Z")
astorian writes: \> But… what the heck makes Bruce Villanch a “celebrity”? Bruce Vilanch is supposed to be one of the all-time great quip writers. He’s written quips for many Oscar shows, for instance. Check his IMDb entry. Another interesting case of a professional guest star was George Gobel. In the '50’s he hosted a talk/variety show that was extremely influential. (Johnny Carson learned how to do it by watching Gobel, supposedly.) But then he just gave up full-time work and became a professional guest star. In the '70’s version of \_The Hollywood Squares he was very funny, but many people watching the show had no idea who he was. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/12 "2002-10-02T01:00:25Z")
What about celebrity guest hosts – someone needs to put the ol’ kibosh on Paula Abdul as an ET “special correspondent.” :o Make. It. Stop. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/13 "2002-10-02T01:02:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*Did Zsa Zsa Gabor EVER make a movie? \*\* For your enjoyment, I provide you with [Queen of Outer Space](http://www.rocketshipvideo.com/reviews/queenofouterspace.html) ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/14 "2002-10-02T01:03:27Z")
Grace Jones put out a few albums, which were known more for the album covers then for what was in the grooves, she was a constant prescence at **Studio 54** back when that was actually a cool thing to do and she has some influential friends in the entertainment world, plus I think she was a villianess in one of the more awful Roger Moore Bond movies, maybe _View To A Kill_. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/15 "2002-10-02T01:10:02Z")
> [@](#): > > I mean, Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams ARE washed-up has-beens, but at least I know what they USED to be famous for: they WERE stars on very popular TV sitcoms, once I think Danny Bonaduce is elevated slightly from the Professional Guest Star category. He is, after all, the morning DJ for a major L.A. Radio station that reaches over a million people (including yours truly.) IOW, he has a career other than guest appearances. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/16 "2002-10-02T01:11:03Z")
The quintissential example of this has to be [Brett Somers](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Somers,%20Brett). She was Jack Klugman’s wife, and had virtually no TV career at all. She got her gig on Match Game PM b/c she was in the partying crowd and had a flair for it. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/17 "2002-10-02T12:34:59Z")
Another group: Playboy Playmates. It seems that almost all of them fade into obscurity rather quickly, but before they do they manage to make a couple of quick bucks as professional guest stars (e.g., Nikki Ziering (sp?) on the aforementioned Celebrity Boot Camp). And in the recent past, Jenny McCarthy may’ve gotten some employment as a co-host and a shortly-lived sitcom, but I’d wager that she has far more “guest star” than “guest” credits. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/18 "2002-10-02T16:26:49Z")
A well-represented Kato Kaelin makes no bones about his absence of any talent other than that of a celebrity media hanger onner. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/19 "2002-10-02T16:29:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*The quintissential example of this has to be [Brett Somers](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Somers,%20Brett). > > She was Jack Klugman’s wife, and had virtually no TV career at all. She got her gig on Match Game PM b/c she was in the partying crowd and had a flair for it. \*\* Thank you! I have always wondered just who the hell she was. I liked - like - her, she was very good for the show, but there was always this niggling question. And as for Grace Jones: I lump her with Cher. Both are striking looking and have ranges of about four notes - but wow, what notes. _Nightclubbing_, appropriately, is probably her best album (known for the title track, “Pull Up To the Bumper,” and her cover of “Demolition Man”), but I’m also especially fond of _Slave to the Rhythm_. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419/20 "2002-10-02T19:51:29Z")
I give you shark-jumper extraordinare [Ted McGinley](http://www.jumptheshark.com/ted.htm). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-class-of-celebrity-the-professional-guest-star/130419.md?page=2)