For a show that hinges on making fun of Hollywood, BoJack Horseman has no trouble attracting some of its biggest stars. The animated series takes place in a world where anthropomorphic animals and humans co-exist. Will Arnett voices the self-loathing titular horse, and is supported by the likes of Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and GLOW’s Alison Brie. Those names are impressive enough as it is, but BoJack Horseman’s star power goes well beyond its main cast.
The show was one of the original Netflix Originals, debuting on the streaming service back in 2014. Though Netflix announced BoJack Horseman’s cancellation earlier this year, the black comedy remains a fan favourite thanks to its unrelentingly sarcastic and quietly devastating commentary on fame, mental health and death.
While BoJack Horseman features celebrities voiced by other actors, this comprehensive list only includes those who voice themselves.
Margo Martindale. Always referred to as Esteemed Character Actress Margo Martindale, the prolific star first appeared in season 1 episode “Zoës and Zeldas” and has popped up in several episodes since. Naomi Watts. Watts’s made fun of herself and strong female character roles in season 1 episode “One Trick Pony”. Wallace Shawn. The Princess Bride actor also appears in “One Trick Pony” and plays BoJack in the movie Mr. Peanutbutter’s Hollywoo Heist. Henry Winkler. The Happy Days star gives Herb Kazzaz’s eulogy in season 2 episode “Still Broken”. Paul McCartney. Who could forget The Beatles’ singer bursting out of Diane’s birthday cake in season 2 episode “After the Party”? Scott Wolf. The Party of Five actor voices a wolf version of himself alongside an impersonated Matthew Fox fox in Season 2 episode “Hank After Dark”. Daniel Radcliffe. The Harry Potter star enthusiastically dismisses BoJack in season 2 episode “Let’s Find Out”. Lance Bass. The former NSYNC singer appears as himself with a sea bass head in the aptly titled season 2 finale “Out to Sea”. Greg Kinnear. If voicing a sea bass and wolf version of yourself counts, so does playing a puppet. The actor plays himself as a puppet in season 3 episode “Start Spreading the News”. Jessica Biel. The Sinner actress is a recurring BoJack Horseman character. She plays Mr. Peanutbutter’s ex-wife and first appears in season 3 episode “The BoJack Horseman Show”. Jorge Garcia. The Lost star has a very brief cameo (he only says three words!) in the same episode. Leonard Maltin. The film critic and historian hosts the fictional Leonard Maltin Awards in season 3, episode 6 “Brrap Brrap Pew Pew”. Wiz Khalifa. The rapper voices himself in season 3 episode “That’s Too Much, Man!”. Carla Hall. The celebrity chef appears as Spaghetti Scientist Carla Hall in Season 3 episode “That Went Well”.
David Chase. The director has a cameo as himself in season 4 premiere “See Mr. Peanutbutter Run”. Vincent D’Onofrio. The Daredevil baddie also voices himself in the same episode as Chase. Paul Giamatti. The actor appears as himself playing BoJack in American Dead Girl: The Sarah Lynn Story in season 4 episode “The Old Sugarman Place”. Tim Gunn. Gunn is at the Sharc Jacobs show in season 4 episode “Hooray! Todd Episode!”. Felicity Huffman. The Desperate Housewives actress has two cameos in season 4, in “Stupid Piece of Sh*t” and “The Judge.” Zach Braff. The Scrubs star flaunts his fame and taunts BoJack in season 4 episode “Underground”. Sir Mix-a-Lot. The rapper voices himself in season 4 episode “The Judge”. Laura Linney. The Love Actually actress has a short-lived but memorable cameo in Season 5 episode “The Dog Days Are Over”. Mark Feuerstein. The actor appears in season 5 episode “BoJack the Feminist”. Cindy Crawfish. Season 6 premiere “A Horse Walks Into a Rehab” features the supermodel in fish form. Jeanne Tripplehorn. Also in “A Horse Walks Into a Rehab”. Jay Hernandez. The Suicide Squad actor pretends to be in rehab in the same episode. Flea Daniels. The flea version of writer and director Lee Daniels is in season 6 episode “The New Client”. Chloë Grace Moretz. Moretz is in Flea Daniels’ The Diary of Anne Frankenstein in “The New Client”.
Impressive list, right? There’s also a whole gag involving Diane’s ringtone and personalities from NPR. Throughout the show, big names like Ira Glass, Sarah Koenig and Peter Sagal give voice to the character’s ringtone, offering some soft humour moments like when Jonathan Lethem’s recalls his inspirational journey to becoming a ringtone or Audie Cornish reporting on the proposed bill to answer your phone.
Of course, there’s also a lot of celebrities playing other characters. But the ones who voice themselves always make for some interesting takes on Hollywood and celebrity culture. Take Jessica Biel, for example, who urged writers to be harsher when she read her character’s first script, making her appearance one of the most hilarious, and thus most memorable, on the show. With BoJack Horseman season 6, part 2 hitting Netflix on January 31, 2020, the list is sure to grow even more.
Next: BoJack Horseman: What To Expect From Season 6, Part 2
