Nickelodeon’s flagship cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, is still finding ways to reinvent itself, even after thirteen seasons and nearly 24 years on the air. It’s beloved by kids, adults, college students, and everyone on the internet who knows how to post a meme.
The series has also had its fair share of superstar fans. Stars who adore the spongey icon (or whose children adore the cartoon) have appeared in Bikini Bottom over the decades.The recent “Tidal Zone” crossover event featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson as a fish-headed announcer adds another celebrity to the constellation of big stars under the sea.
1.Jon Hamm as Don Grouper
The season 9 episode “Goodbye, Krabby Patty?” first aired in 2017. It is the 200th individual episode of SpongeBob, and to mark that special milestone, a fitting special guest voice joined the voice cast for the episode. Jon Hamm is the voice of Don Grouper, an ad executive at the Grouper, Goby, & Koi agency who tries to capitalize on Mr. Krabs’ plans to sell frozen Krabby Patties in supermarkets across Bikini Bottom.
Hamm is best known for his role as ad executive Don Draper on Mad Men.His most recent roles include Gabriel on Good Omensand Fletch in Confess, Fletch. Don Grouper, of course, is an aquatic version of his most famous, Emmy-winning character, so Nickelodeon nabbing an actor known for adult-geared drama to voice a character in their most popular children’s show is a bit of marketing genius.
2 Alton Brown as Nicholas Withers
Season 6 episode “House Fancy” focuses on Squidward’s efforts to get his house looking top-notch for a persnickety host of an interior design TV show, and to outdo his eternal rival Squilliam. (This episode is infamous among SpongeBob enthusiasts for a gross-out gag involving Squidward’s toe getting smashed by a sofa.) Alton Brown provides the voice of Nicholas Withers, the TV host of “House Fancy.” Withers even looks a bit like the real Brown.
Brown is the popular host of the Food Network series Good Eats and Cutthroat Kitchen.He also tours around the United States doing book talks and cooking science stage shows. Brown may be a food show host primarily, but his familiar voice coming from a TV host in Bikini Bottom works well for the character.
3. Pat Morita as Master Udon
Season 4’s “Karate Island” is an action-packed episode following Sandy and SpongeBob, who has been invited to the episode’s titular island to be crowned King of Karate. SpongeBob ends up imprisoned, and Sandy must fight, Kill Bill-style, across many floors of enemies to save her friend and face Master Udon, who turns out to be a scam artist, selling condos.
Master Udon’s voice is provided by Pat Morita. Morita is most famous for playing the wise and lovable karate sensei Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid franchise across multiple films. Bittersweetly, his appearance in “Karate Island” was one of his final roles, and the episode originally aired six months after Morita’s passing in 2005, with a dedication card at the end of the episode.
4. Patton Oswalt as Jim
In season 5’s episode “The Original Fry Cook,” the Krusty Krab is paid a visit by its original fry cook, Jim. SpongeBob spends the episode feeling a sense of inferiority to his predecessor, who tries to teach him how to make Krabby Patties as crave-able as his.
Jim is voiced by comedian and voice actor Patton Oswalt, whose voice acting credits include Max in The Secret Life of Pets 2and most famously, Remy the rat in Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille.”The Original Fry Cook” actually aired on Nickelodeon one month after Ratatouille released in cinemas, so Oswalt has a bit of a history playing characters who spend lots of time in the kitchen.
5. Kristen Wiig as Madame Hagfish
Season 7 episode “The Curse of the Hex” first aired as part of “Legends of Bikini Bottom,” a horror-themed anthology special in 2011. The episode follows the Krusty Krab crew trying to lift a curse that creepy Madame Hagfish may have put on the restaurant after Mr. Krabs refuses to give her discounted food.
Madame Hagfish is voiced by Saturday Night Livealum Kristen Wiig, who has also voiced her fair share of animated characters. Fans of the How to Train Your Dragonseries know her as Ruffnut, and Despicable Meenjoyers love her as Gru’s wife Lucy. In hindsight, it’s fun to see Wiig go from a spooky guest part on SpongeBob to a leading role in the Ghostbusters reboot.