The Bill & Ted franchise includes numerous time-traveling historical figures, so which ones show up in Bill & Ted Face the Music? Written by creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, the third movie installment follows the title characters as they attempt to realize their destiny and produce the song that will change the universe. First, however, they need to travel into the future while their daughters explore the past.
The positively reviewed Bill & Ted 3 begins with the most excellent leads performing questionable music at a wedding. Voiceover narration establishes the film's premise, and how the dynamic duo never actually saved the world after the events depicted in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Upon receiving a message from the future, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) travel through time and try to figure out the specifics of a song that can prevent the end of space and time.
In Bill & Ted Face the Music, living musicians such as Kid Cudi and Dave Grohl make cameos. Plus, Queen Elizabeth shows up, but since she's still alive in real life and not quite "historical" yet, so doesn't quite qualify for the official list. Also, Bill and Ted's daughters go way back in time to recruit a female drummer named Grom, who is actually a fictional character and thus isn't listed below. Here's the complete list of bodacious historical figures who experience what is known as "The Unravelling."
Jesus Christ
To Christians, of course, Jesus Christ is known as the Son of God; a carpenter-turned-preacher who was persecuted for his beliefs and who is the subject of lots of movies, including The Passion of the Christ. In religious art, Leonardo Da Vinci's iconic 15th-century painting "The Last Supper" depicts Jesus at a public event where he predicts that he will be betrayed by one of his disciples.
In Bill & Ted Face the Music, Jesus (Jared Bankens who confirmed he also played at least one other character - the future dweller pictured above - in the film) appears early on at "The Last Supper" as narration reveals that the universe started to unravel after Bill and Ted failed to produce a world-saving song. Jesus travels through time and arrives on stage at a Kid Cudi concert.
Babe Ruth
George "Babe" Ruth played Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1935. On October 1, 1932, "The Sultan of Swat" famously called his shot at Chicago's Wrigley Field by pointing at the stands before hitting a home run.
Portrayed by Reece Loustalot, Babe Ruth appears in Bill & Ted Face the Music right after Jesus disappears from "The Last Supper." Narration states that time has folded in on itself, which causes Ruth to disappear during the aforementioned shot-caller event. He then travels through time and replaces George Washington's spot on a boat.
George Washington
As fans of Hamilton will know, George Washington was the first President of the United States. Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" depicts him in December 1776 during the American Revolutionary War.
In Bill & Ted Face the Music, Washington (William E. Harris) appears briefly on a boat after Babe Ruth disappears. The politician swaps locations with Babe Ruth as the opening narration establishes the premise for the movie.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix rose to fame during the late '70s because of his groundbreaking guitar techniques. In 1966, he formed The Jimi Hendrix Experience and earned a huge following after moving to England. Hendrix evolved into a proper rock star but passed away in 1970 at age 27, just one year before Janis Joplin died at 27, and just one year before The Doors singer Jim Morrison also passed away at 27.
Portrayed by DazMann Still, Hendrix first appears in Bill & Ted Face the Music when Billie and Thea try to recruit him in 1967 London. Hendrix ultimately becomes the guitarist for a futuristic band that helps Bill and Ted.
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was a legendary jazz musician and trumpet player. In pop culture, he's known for his raspy voice, and for his 1967 single "What a Wonderful World" and James Bond movie theme "We Have All The Time In The World".
In Bill & Ted Face the Music, Thea and Billie travel to 1922 New Orleans to recruit Armstrong (Jeremiah Craft). They play him a clip of Jimi Hendrix playing in 1967 London, which convinces the jazz musician to participate in their time-traveling band. In real life, Armstrong died in 1971, less than a year after Hendrix passed away.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an 18th-century musical prodigy who heavily influenced modern music. He was born in Austria and composed his greatest works just as Ludwig Van Beethoven was transforming into an iconic composer. Mozart passed away at age 35 in 1791, the result of an unspecified sickness.
Portrayed by Daniel Dorr, Mozart first appears in Bill & Ted Face the Music when Thea, Billie, Hendrix, and Armstrong travel to 1782 Vienna. Hendrix captures the composer's attention with his guitar skills.
Ling Lun
Ling Lun is credited as the founder of music in ancient China. The actual gender of the musician isn't known, but they are presented as a woman in Bill & Ted Face the Music, portrayed by Sharon Gee. She first appears when Thea and Billie's group of musicians travel to China in the year 2600 B.C.E. Mozart shows the most interest and plays one of his melodies on Ling Lun's flute.
The Rest Of Bill & Ted Face the Music's Credited Historical Figures
Bridget Andrews as Cleopatra: Cleopatra ruled over Egypt from 51 BC to 30 BC. She was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, In pop culture, Cleopatra has been portrayed by Vivien Leigh in Caesar and Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, and Monica Bellucci in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. In Bill & Ted Face the Music, Cleopatra appears in Los Angeles when Bill and Ted's group arrives for their big performance
Georgia Cohran as Harriet Tubman: Harriet Tubman helped free slaves via The Underground Railroad during the Civil War era.
Artis Burney as Buddha: The Buddha (Siddhartha Gotama) was an ancient Indian philosopher.
Kharismisa Morris as Josephine Baker: The first black woman to star in a feature movie, Josephine Baker was a popular musician in Paris during the 1920s.
Linda Ayliff as Amelia Earhart: An icon of American aviation, Amelia Earhart disappeared in July 1937 during a flight.
Diana Barnes as Frida: Portrayed by Salma Hayek in the 2004 biopic Frida, Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican surrealist painter.
Jeff Pagano as Noel Redding: A bass player for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Noel Redding passed away in 2003.