Will and Grace saw nearly 200 guest stars in its eight season run. In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the finale, we ranked them.
10 years ago on May 18, 2006 Will & Grace took its final bow on NBC. After 194 episodes, two of which were performed live for both coasts, Will & Grace more than earned its place in the NBC Thursday night comedy block of the late ’90s and early ’00s legacy. The ensemble, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes brought Will, Grace, Karen, and Jack to living rooms all over the nation every night in both primetime and syndication, but there was something special beyond the the core four.
Over 150 guest stars made their way across Stage 17 in the eight seasons of the sitcom’s run. Some guests came and went in one episode, others stuck around to become series regulars. Characters ranging from family members to maids to friends and flings made the show just as memorable as Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen.
This ranking takes into consideration the impact the character left on the series, on the characters, and on the individual episodes in which they were featured. When you think of “Strangers with Candice” are you going to Tom Everett Scott or Candice Bergen, Karen’s best-friend-slash-archenemy? When you think of an iconic episode such “Fanilow,” sure Barry Manilow comes to mind, but Debbie Reynolds and Sara Gilbert are arguably more important.
From season 1 through season 8 we present the definitive ranking of Will & Grace guest stars. (** denotes more than one appearance in the series)
- Debbie Reynolds as Bobbi Adler**
- Shelley Morrison as Rosario Inés Consuelo Yolanda Salazar**
- Harry Connick Jr as Leo Markus**
- Molly Shannon as Val**
- Leslie Jordan as Beverley Leslie**
- Bobby Cannavale as Vince D’Angelo**
- Blythe Danner as Marilyn Truman**
- John Cleese as Lyle Finster**
- Woody Harrelson as Nathan**
- Sydney Pollack as George Truman**
- Alec Baldwin as Malcolm**
- Tim Bagley as Larry**
- Jeff Goldblum as Scott Woolley**
- Gregory Hines as Ben Doucette**
- Gary Grubbs as Harlin Polk**
- Minnie Driver as Lorraine Finster**
- Tom Gallop as Rob**
- Kevin Bacon as Himself**
- Leigh-Allyn Baker as Ellen**
- Laura Kightlinger as Nurse Sheila**
- Eileen Brennan as Zandra**
- Jennifer Elise Cox as Nurse Trainee Pittman
- Sandra Bernhard as Herself**
- Neil Vipond as Julius**
- Gene Wilder as Mr. Stein**
- Sara Gilbert as Copacafana82
- Madonna as Liz (Karen’s roommate)
- Lesley Ann Warren as Tina**
- Michael Angarano as Elliot**
- James Earl Jones as Himself
- Dan Futterman as Barry**
- Kari Lizer as Connie**
- Britney Spears as Amber-Louise
- Matt Damon as Owen
- Parker Posey as Dorleen**
- Matthew Botuchis as Dave aka Elizabeth (Jack’s straight assistant)**
- Jerry Levine as Joe**
- Veronica Cartwright as Judith McFarland
- Charles C. Stevenson Jr. as Smitty**
- Glenn Close as Fannie Lieber
- Marshall Manesh as Mr. Zamir**
- John Slattery as Sam Truman** (later recast)
- Emily Rutherfurd as Joanne (acting student)**
- John Fleming as Russell (acting student)**
- Patrick Dempsey as Matt**
- Dylan McDermott as Tom
- Cher as Herself**
- Bernadette Peters as Gin
- Corey Parker as Josh**
- Michael Douglas as Officer Gavin Hatch
- Edie Falco as Deirde
- Chloe Sevigny as Monet
- Candice Bergen as Herself (Karen’s “archenemy-slash-best-friend”)
- Sharon Stone as Dr. Georgia Keller
- Jennifer Lopez as Herself**
- Kristin Davis as Nadine
- Will Arnett as Artemus Johnson
- Dave Foley as Stuart Lamarck**
- Taye Diggs as James Hanson**
- Joan Collins as Helena Barnes
- Brian Setzer as Benji**
- Suzanne Pieshette as Lois Whitley (Karen’s mother)**
- Adam Goldberg as Kevin Wolchek
- Lainie Kazan as Aunt Honey
- Sara Rue as Joyce Adler
- Rosie O’Donnell as Bonnie
- Wanda Sykes as Cricket
- Earl Schuman as Driver**
- Alan Arkin as Martin Adler
- Seth Green as Randall
- Rosanna Arquette as Julie (Grace’s neighbor)**
- Megan Cavanagh and Henriette Mantel as couple Terry and Annie
- Tom Everett Scott as Alex
- Neil Patrick Harris as “Welcome Home” leader Bill
- Andy Richter as Dale (Grace’s Blind Date who lives on Staten Island)
- Reed Alexander as Jordan Truman**
- Macaulay Culkin as Jason “JT” Towne (Karen’s divorce lawyer)
- Natasha Lyonne as Grace’s Intern Gilian
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Ro
- Lily Tomlin as Margot**
- Tim Curry as Marion Finster
- Victor Garber as Peter Bovington
- Camryn Manheim as Psychic Sue
- Geena Davis as Janet Adler
- Chris Potter as Michael
- Kathleen Archer as Molly (the UPS delivery woman)**
- Mira Sorvino as Diane (Leo’s ex and the only woman Will slept with)
- Andy Garcia as Milo
- Ellen DeGeneres as Sister Louise
- Edward Burns as Nick**
- Bebe Neuwirth as Herself
- Daryl Hall and John Oates as Themselves
- Tom Verica as Danny**
- Demi Moore as Sissy
- Wendie Jo Sperber as April
- Beau Bridges as Daniel McFarland
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Weathers
- Dan Bucatinsky as Neil
- Jason Marsden as Kim “The Pocket Gay”
- Hallee Hirsh as Olivia Walker
- Patti LuPone as Herself
- Jim Rash as Brent
- Lea DeLaria as Nurse Carver
- Clark Gregg as Cam
- Judith Ivey as Eleanor Markus**
- Tom Skerritt as Jay Markus**
- Ever Carradine as Pam
- Kali Rocha as Stephanie
- Jack Black as Dr. Isaac Hershberg
- Chita Rivera as Lenore
- Chris Penn as Rudy
- Nick Offerman as The Plumber
- Elton John as Himself
- Jason Biggs as Baby Glenn
- Ellen Albertini Dow as Sylvia Walker
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Pam
- John Ducey as Jamie**
- Stuart Townsend as Pastry Chef
- Scott Patterson as Donald Dorio
- Derek Basco as Mipanko
- Jamie Kaler as Gary
- George Takei as Himself
- Hal Linden as Alan Mills
- Jo Marie Payton as Mrs. Freeman
- Tom Poston as Norman
- Tracy Nelson as Allison
- Orson Bean as Professor Dudley
- Piper Laurie as Sharon Timmers
- Sharon Osborne as bartender Nonny
- Stacy Keach as Wendell Schacter
- Lee Majors as Burt Wolfe
- Rip Torn as Lionel Banks**
- Katie Couric as Herself
- Eric Stoltz as Tom Cassidy**
- Rudy Galindo as Himself
- Tamlyn Tomita as Naomi
- Steve Valentine as Kai
- Tracey Ullman as Ann
- Miguel Ferrer as Nathan Barry
- Martina Navratilova as Herself
- Matt Lauer as Himself
- David Sutcliffe as Campbell
- Janet Jackson as Herself
- Peter Jacobson as Paul
- Rip Taylor as Himself
- Mary Pat Gleason as Sally (the crazy homeless woman)**
- Ken Marino as Mark
- Al Roker as Himself
- Alice Kapp Horner as Alice Robinson
- Terry Kiser as Carl
- Bruno Campos as Anton
- Maggie Wheeler as Polly
- Patrick Kerr as Choral Director
- Nicollette Sheridan as Dr. Danielle Morty
- Todd Stashwick as Gabe Robinson
- Matthew Glave as Kirk
- Jon Teney as Paul Truman
- Helen Slater as Peggy Truman
- Debra Mooney as Sister Roberta
- Daryl Sabara as Broccoli Boy
- Jeremy Piven as Nicholas
- Maria Pitillo as Paula
- Barry Manilow as Himself
- Jennette McCurdy as Young Girl at The Sound of Music
- Richard Chamberlain as Clyde
- Josh Lucas as Himself
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