3rd Rock From the Sun was a solid hit over six seasons in the late 1990s, in no small part due to the cast. The main roster was made up of John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jane Curtin. But what made this show work was the incredible group of guest stars.
They made the show amazing. Some were famous when they showed up and others would make their names down the road but they all brought great moments of comedy to the scenes they were in.
Dennis Rodman
This is one of the more interesting guest stars on the series. The NBA legend made an appearance in season two as a fictionalized version of himself. While Rodman is playing Rodman, he's also an alien from the same planet as the Solomons.
They run into him on one of their adventures and he helps them out. The gag plays on his strange look on the court and even more strange personal life choices. At least Dennis is comfortable enough with who he is to make jokes.
Bryan Cranston
The year before Malcolm in the Middle debuted and gained Bryan Cranston is first substantial taste of notoriety, he was a guest star on 3rd Rock. He played a Neil Diamond impersonator on a gambling riverboat cruise. It wasn't Walter White, but it was a funny character.
Cranston wasn't the only Breaking Bad alum to pop up on 3rd Rock. Aaron Paul had a guest spot in season four and Bob Odenkirk popped up in season five. As strange a coincidence as this was, it would have been even better if they ended up in the same episode.
Elaine Stritch
The late Broadway actress was known for playing hard nosed characters that spoke their mind. For modern sitcom fans, they probably know her best as Jack Donaghy's mom on 30 Rock, which was an amazing character. Stritch stole every scene she was in and did the same on 3rd Rock From the Sun.
On 3rd Rock, Stritch played Jane Curtin's overbearing, judgmental mother. It's like she was preparing for the 30 Rock role years before the show even started.
Dom DeLuise
A big part of Dick Solomon's life on Earth was his physics class, which included a cast of recurring students. One of them was actually played by John Lithgow's oldest son, Ian. But another regular student was played by David DeLuise, son of the late iconic comedian Dom DeLuise.
Dom appeared in one episode alongside his son by playing his son's character's father. Dom's mob boss character was flanked by two thugs, both of whom were played by David's brothers, Peter and Michael. That scene was a true family affair.
Enrico Colantoni
In the business for over two decades, Enrico Colantoni has been part of several huge TV series. Just Shoot Me. Veronica Mars. Person of Interest. Flashpoint. He only appeared on 3rd Rock once but it was a memorable episode. He played one of Mary Albright's former students who has returned to see her.
Dick forges an unexpected bond with him as Colantoni's character is gay and thinks Dick is, too. It's a memorable episode that would not have worked in the hands of a less capable actor.
Phil Hartman
The death of Phil Hartman was a huge loss for Hollywood. He was a talented, hilarious actor that could take any scene over the top. Phil had two appearances on 3rd Rock as two different characters. In season one, he played a cosmetics worker in a department store that treated Harry.
Then in the season three finale, he played the ex-boyfriend of Vicki Dubcek who kidnapped Harry. Hartman died the summer between seasons three and four, altering how the resolution to the cliffhanger played out.
Christine Baranski
The impressive range of Christine Baranski cannot be overstated. She has had a stellar career on stage, screen and television. Most recently, she has been best known for her roles on The Good Wife and The Big Bang Theory, two shows that couldn't be more popular or more different.
Baranski appeared once on 3rd Rock as a supposedly demure librarian who threw herself at Dick. The character allowed Baranski to show off her impressive comedic range alongside her outstanding singing voice.
Rosanne
Since her first appearance on The Tonight Show doing stand up comedy, Rosanne has done nothing but make waves. Her eponymous sitcom defined an era of comedy and launched her to super stardom. In the season three 3rd Rock premiere, she played a new wife sent from the Solomon's home planet.
Rosanne's cloying, homemaker character was a far cry from the version of herself she played on Rosanne, which was why the character worked. At the end of the episode, she was still on Earth but left the Solomons behind, a plot thread that was never really resolved.
William Shatner
If you're gonna spend three seasons building up an alien leader called the Big Giant Head, you had better cast the right actor to play the part. On 3rd Rock, that actor was William Shatner. The first time he stumbled drunkenly off a plane to torment Dick and his family, fans knew the right choice had been made.
Shatner filled the role of an overbearing lout to perfection. Also, he and Lithgow played extremely well off each other. Bringing Shatner in was a perfect casting decision.
John Cleese
Monty Python's Flying Circus remains one of the most iconic comedy institutions to date, and one of its biggest stars was John Cleese. He's still one of the funniest guys around. Cleese appeared in seasons three and six as Professor Liam Neesom, a hostile alien from a different planet than the Solomons.
Watching Lithgow and Cleese work together on screen never gets old. There are only a few episodes with John Cleese in them but they are infinitely re-watchable, a true master class in comedy.