The Best Celebrity Appearances on Our Favorite Game Shows

First up on our list, in 2000, before becoming the Emmy-winning star of Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul made a celebrity appearance on our favorite game show, The Price is Right. Going by his birth name, Aaron Sturtevant, he brought an almost manic energy to the show from the second his name was called. Of course, he was a genuine fan, immediately proclaiming to host Bob Barker, “You’re my idol!”

Paul later revealed his enthusiasm wasn’t all natural… he’d consumed six Red Bulls before filming. “I look like I’m on drugs,” he joked during a 2019 interview. However, his excitement quickly turned to heartbreak when he lost during the Showcase Showdown. Unfortunately, the defeat didn’t help Paul, who was struggling financially at the time and had hoped the winnings might provide some relief.

Though his career eventually skyrocketed, Paul has repeatedly shared how the loss “depressed [him] for so long,” as he confessed to James Corden in 2017. But, to this day, his appearance remains a fan-favorite moment.

In a delightfully awkward mid-1990s episode of The Big Date, viewers can spot a struggling waiter trying his luck at love. None other than future Mad Men star Jon Hamm. This celebrity appearance captured Hamm at his most unpolished, earnestly dropping words like “fabulosity” while sporting that distinct ’90s hairstyle.

Looking back at these clips, the contrast between this eager young contestant and the sophisticated Don Draper he would later portray couldn’t be more stark. Hamm’s charm, unfortunately, failed to win his potential match. However, the unsuccessful dating show has become a treasure since resurfacing years later.

See! Even Hollywood’s most celebrated leading men had some dating disappointments before finding fame, making this moment all the more endearing.

Also Read: Top 10 Funniest Moments on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Years before playing Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, Brad Garrett graced television screens in a completely different format. This time, he was a celebrity appearance on our favorite game show, Super Password.

Garrett brought his natural comedic timing to the word association challenge, delivering each of his clues with that unmistakable voice that later became his trademark. Unlike his Raymond character, Garrett displayed a playful enthusiasm that entertained both contestants and audiences. And, funny enough, this wasn’t his only game show rodeo either. He also appeared on Hollywood Squares and The Match Game.

Related: Top 10 Appearances by Celebrities on ‘The Love Boat’

Next, before becoming the blonde bombshell of Charlie’s Angels, Farrah Fawcett appeared on The Dating Game in 1969. Of course, she charmed the bachelors with her smile.

Although it doesn’t appear that she and her chosen date were meant to be, they did get a nice skiing vacation to Austria out of it!

Within a few years, she became a cultural phenomenon with her iconic feathered hairstyle and record-breaking swimsuit poster. But, in the end, this game show appearance was the perfect glimpse at Farrah before fame. Beautiful, vibrant, and completely unaware of the superstardom awaiting her.

Prior to co-hosting Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White actually appeared on The Price is Right! In 1980, she was called to “Come on down!” as a contestant.

Vanna may have had charm, but her pricing skills? Not so much. She struggled with guesses, sticking around longer than some other contestants despite never quite hitting the mark. At one point, Bob Barker even joked about her paying more attention to her reflection on the monitor than the game itself!

She didn’t walk away with any prizes, but her luck changed just two years later. In 1982, she landed the job of a lifetime, turning letters on Wheel of Fortune. Decades later, she’s still on the show. Now, as the co-host. Although she wasn’t great at The Price Is Right, she absolutely won in some other aspects of life.

Another addition to our list of the best celebrity appearances on our favorite game shows was John Ritter, who appeared on The Dating Game in 1967. Before he became the lovable Jack Tripper on Three’s Company, John Ritter was just “Bachelor Number Three.”

At 19, he appeared on The Dating Game, introduced as a “college student majoring in drama.” His quick wit and charm won over the bachelorette, earning him a date on a lake in Arizona.

Although, yet again, it wasn’t exactly a love connection. But it gave the aspiring actor a little extra screen time and later became a TV icon.

Long before becoming a household name on Cheers, Kirstie Alley was just a confident young interior designer from Wichita. In 1979, she made several memorable appearances on The Match Game.

She impressed both the panelists and audiences with her wit and competitive spirit. And she was surprisingly successful, winning both her games and collecting $6,000 in Super Match rounds. $500 in her first appearance and $5,500 in her second.

This game show appearance also came during a transitional period in Alley’s life. Having recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology, she was still years away from her breakout role in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and her career-defining turn as Rebecca Howe on Cheers.

Related: Top 10 Funniest Answers on ‘Family Feud’

Capping our list of the best celebrity appearances on our favorite game shows was Simon Cowell’s appearance on Sale of the Century. Before becoming TV’s harshest critic on shows like American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent, Cowell appeared as “a record company director from London who enjoyed motor racing and is a keen go-kart racer.” Viewers saw a completely different Cowell than we know… friendly, polite, and surprisingly modest.

Dressed in a well-fitted suit, he showed none of the brutal honesty that would later make him famous. Instead, this early version smiled and joked his way through the competition, earning the final spot on our list.