The Simpsons Creator Has Two 'Dream' Cameos That Will Never Happen

One of the remarkable things about "The Simpsons" was how quickly the show built enough cultural cache to attract big-name guest stars. As early as its first season, Albert Brooks was playing French bowling instructor Jacques in "Life on the Fast Lane." Since then, celebrities have continued to flock to the series, to the extent that the best guest stars on "The Simpsons" include some of the most well-known and influential cultural figures of the last three decades.

From A-list actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Dustin Hoffman to musical legends such as Johnny Cash, the show has drawn talent from across the cultural sphere — though Bruce Springsteen still refuses to cameo in "The Simpsons." But even Bruce Springsteen isn't as tough to get as two of producer Al Jean's dream cameos. These two figures are just as prestigious as anyone else who's appeared on "The Simpsons," but there are a few issues that stand in the way of them making an appearance — the biggest being that they've both passed away.

There are lots of reasons celebrities agree to guest star on "The Simpsons," even in an age when most people agree the series is long past its prime. Aside from the fact that lending their voice is often a lot easier than showing up for a live-action cameo, the show still retains some of its cultural appeal. Having a cameo or guest-starring on "The Simpsons" is sort of like a right of passage for any big name at this point, regardless of the show's quality. Unfortunately, longtime producer and showrunner Al Jean will never be able to get his ultimate guest stars.

Jean joined "The Simpsons" for its first season all the way back in 1989, becoming showrunner alongside his writing partner Mike Reiss for the third and fourth seasons. Though Jean left the show after its fourth season, he returned for season 10 and remained with the series until its 33rd season. But even during just those first four years, he saw the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and even Ringo Starr grace the series.

But it turns out that another member of the Beatles will forever remain Jean's ultimate guest star that never was. Speaking to NME, the former showrunner said, "Many of the ones that I'd say would be a dream are never going to be on, like John Lennon." The legendary songwriter passed away in 1980, almost a full decade before "The Simpsons" aired, so that particular guest appearance was ruled out before the show even started. But Jean's second pick could very well have made it to the show during his lifetime, making him the "Simpsons" guest star that truly got away.

Though "The Simpsons" did get Buzz Aldrin, the second man to ever walk on the moon, they never quite managed to get the first. That's a shame considering Neil Armstrong was alive until 2012 — well into the show's run — and is also one of Al Jean's dream cameos.

Fans of the show might remember Armstrong appearing in the season 10 episode "Mayored to the Mob," where he shows up in a booth at the Springfield Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con only for attendees to ignore him completely. That particular appearance was actually voiced by Homer voice actor Dan Castellaneta. Likewise, John Lennon has appeared on the show but his voice was provided by cast member Hank Azaria.

Elsewhere, Armstrong's actual voice did appear in the show but only by way of archive audio from his famous moon landing quote, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In that sense, Jean did at least sort of land his dream cameo. The showrunner also revealed that the other "Holy Grail" guest star would have been a US President but all the Presidents who were approached said no, making this the one type of guest star "The Simpsons" has never been able to land — well, them and Bruce Springsteen.