- Lots of celebrities have found their way to “Sesame Street.”
- Guests including Michelle Obama, *NSYNC and Robin Williams have all made appearances.
- “Sesame Street” has been on PBS for almost 50 years.
- The show has released 4,480 episodes throughout the years.
For a kids’ show “Sesame Street,” has attracted a wide range of guest stars. Everyone from Sir Ian McKellen to former First Lady Michelle Obama has appeared on the show.
Here are 22 of the series’ most memorable celebrity appearances.
Sir Ian McKellen taught Cookie Monster the word “resist.”
In a segment from 2014, McKellen defined “resist” using examples such as a ring (a nod to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, in which he played the wizard Gandalf) and Cookie Monster’s favorite treat ― which the blue Muppet gobbled up at the end of the clip.
Ray Charles sang with Elmo.
After explaining to Elmo how he reads Braille, Charles performed a song about believing in yourself.
Julie Andrews starred in a 1973 special called "Julie on Sesame Street."
The hour-long episode, which featured Andrews singing with the Muppets (and Perry Como), aired on ABC. Produced by the British entertainment company ATV/ITV rather than PBS, it was filmed in England at Elstree Studios in London, where "The Muppet Show" would later be shot.
Andrews now stars in another Jim Henson Company show, the Netflix series "Julie's Greenroom."
Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in a "Sherlock"-centric segment.
Cumberbatch faced off against "Murray-arty," Murray Monster's alter-ego, in a 2014 segment. The Muppet insisted that the British actor and his detective character are the same person and asked him to solve a mystery involving apples and oranges. Cumberbatch succeeded, with help from the Count.
Destiny's Child sang a catchy song about walking.
If you want to see a young Beyoncé sing with the Muppets, look no further than Destiny's Child's 2002 "Sesame Street" appearance. Joined by Zoe, Grover, and Elmo, the R&B trio performed their take on the song "A New Way to Walk."
Fred Rogers stopped by "Sesame Street" to judge a race between Big Bird and Snuffy.
Two beloved kids' series collide in this "Sesame Street"/"Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" crossover. In the episode, the 1981 season finale, Fred Rogers judges a race between Big Bird and Snuffy and imparts wisdom about pride and friendship.
You can watch the clip here.
Andrea Bocelli serenaded Elmo to help him fall asleep.
World-renowned singer Andrea Bocelli brought his talent to "Sesame Street" to help Elmo fall asleep. In the episode, Bocelli serenaded the Muppet with a bedtime-themed take on his song "Time to Say Goodbye."
Lin-Manuel Miranda rapped as a "bird real estate agent."
Even die-hard "Hamilton" fans might not know that Miranda appeared on "Sesame Street." In 2009, he played a rapping real estate agent named Freddy Flapman who teaches Big Bird about avian habitats.
Miranda also wrote multiple "Sesame Street" tunes, such as "Murray Has A Little Lamb," which serves as the theme song for the eponymous segment.
Tina Fey portrayed a singing, book-loving pirate.
Fey played a singing, book-loving pirate, or "bookaneer," in a 2007 segment.
"I think there are similarities between 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Sesame Street' - [both] are massively influential cultural institutions that are unique to New York and started close to the same time. There is a lot of overlap in a weird way," she said in an interview with TV Guide.
Neil Patrick Harris played a "shoe fairy."
Harris gave a memorable performance as the "shoe fairy," a magical character who provides new kicks to the denizens of Sesame Street ― and sang about it, too.
Adam Sandler made up a tune about Elmo.
Sandler is known for his comedic songs, like the iconic "Hanukkah Song." For "Sesame Street," the actor and comedian wrote a tune about Elmo, rhyming the Muppet's name with nonsensical words like "yellmo" and "smellmo."
Michelle Obama has talked about healthy eating in several "Sesame Street" segments.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama appeared in several "Sesame Street" episodes. In one, she taught Big Bird, Elmo, and some kids how to grow a garden.
Another segment, featuring Obama and Grover, focused on why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Marisa Tomei brought her Brooklyn roots to the show.
Tomei stopped by Sesame Street to read a story called "The Monkey King," which centers on a waitress at a Bensonhurst restaurant. The segment even includes a nod to one of her best-known films, "My Cousin Vinny."
*NSYNC introduced the boy band craze to "Sesame Street."
Even "Sesame Street" jumped on the boy band bandwagon, with *NSYNC stopping by to sing "Believe in Yourself."
More recently, the show hosted another mega-popular boy band, One Direction.
Sir Patrick Stewart performed a Shakespearean soliloquy.
In a segment based on the most famous lines from "Hamlet," Stewart performed a soliloquy about the letter "B."
Liam Neeson made several appearances.
Neeson helped Ernie recite the alphabet and counted to 20 with the count. Letters and numbers never sounded better.
Super Grover helped Sarah Jessica Parker look for Big Bird.
"Sex and the City" fans will get a laugh out of Sarah Jessica Parker's "Sesame Street" segment. Super Grover helped the actress find Big ... Bird, that is.
Robin Williams visited the show a number of times.
Williams made a handful of appearances on "Sesame Street" beginning the 1990s. In his final segment, filmed in 2012, he taught the Two-Headed Monster about the word "conflict."
Sheryl Crow soaked up the sun with the Muppets.
The singer performed "Soak Up the Sun" to teach young viewers about words that start with the letter "I," from "itch" to "iguana."
Paul Simon sang one of his hit songs with a child actor.
In the 1970s, Simon sang "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" on the show with an adorable child actor.
Sonia Sotomayor brought her legal expertise to the series.
With help from the Supreme Court justice, Baby Bear and Goldilocks settled a dispute. In a different segment, Sotomayor also taught Abby Cadabby about the meaning of "career."
Janelle Monáe taught the Muppets about the "Power of Yet."
Monáe wore her classic tuxedo look while performing a song about positivity called "Power of Yet."
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