Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was offered a role on The Simpsons, but his refusal led an equally famous singer to take on the part instead. Over the show’s 33 seasons and 700+ episodes, The Simpsons has featured more than its fair share of celebrity guest stars. Some Simpsons outings like season 27’s premiere have even been criticized for their over-reliance on famous faces cropping up for brief appearances, although the show has featured the likes of Michael Jackson and Danny DeVito as far back as its first seasons.
However, even the allure of The Simpsons is not enough for some celebrities. Although a lot of stars would give anything to appear on the anarchic animated sitcom, from time to time, celebrities have rejected the chance to appear on The Simpsons for a variety of reasons. Tom Cruise turned down a season 4 role while every living US president turned down the chance to make a cameo appearance on The Simpsons the same year.
Even the musical legend Bob Dylan was offered a part on The Simpsons, with the Pulitzer Prize winner instead letting the role go to an almost equally famous country music icon. In "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)” (season 8, episode 9), the coyote that Homer hallucinates while tripping thanks to hot chili was originally intended to be voiced by Bob Dylan. This was only the latest of many attempts the writers made to woo Dylan into appearing on The Simpsons, none of which have yet been successful. Dylan turned down the series but paved the way for Johnny Cash to take on the part, something that series creator Matt Groening later referred to as one of the greatest achievements of The Simpsons.
Many fans agree with Groening, and the episode is often cited as a classic from The Simpsons’ so-called Golden Age. However, Dylan’s casting in the role would arguably have made more sense than Cash's, since the musician is more closely associated with psychedelia than the comparatively straight-laced Cash. That said, while Dylan’s music may have been tripper than Cash's back catalog, Cash’s stoic performance proved spot-on for the role of Homer’s spiritual guide during his surreal trip, The deadpan responses provided by the talking animal contrasted perfectly with the mind-melting visuals of the stunning episode, meaning the unexpected casting may have worked in the show's favor.
Cash’s cameo remains one of The Simpsons’ most fondly-remembered episodes for many fans, but the series has still been unable to secure a cameo from Dylan even decades after the episode aired. The critical and fan hate that Elon Musk and Lady Gaga’s Simpsons cameo episodes received may have something to do with Dylan steering clear of the series, which has fallen from critical grace since Cash appeared on the show. However, it may also be possible that Dylan never wanted to appear on The Simpsons regardless of its fame, leading him to clear the path for Cash’s beloved appearance on the series.