15 Best Celebrity Guest Stars On Bones – TVLine

For 12 seasons, “Bones” delivered an addictive blend of gruesome murder mysteries, quirky humor, heartfelt character drama, and audience-pleasing romance, helping it become one of the best police procedural shows of all time. While viewers tuned in each week to watch Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) clash over science, faith, and human nature, the long-running Fox procedural also welcomed a bevy of surprisingly strong celebrity guest stars. Some appeared before taking the leap to superstardom, while others dropped in at the height of their fame to flex their superstar charisma.

Over the years, “Bones” welcomed everyone from future Marvel and “Breaking Bad” stars to comedy legends, cult television favorites, and respected character actors with decades of experience. Each performer brought a unique brand of talent to Booth and Bones’ strange investigations involving boxing rings, pony-play resorts, exploding Santas, and bizarre murder plots. Some guest stars fit the bill more than others, but each proved memorable in their own right. Without further ado, here are the 15 best celebrity guest stars to appear on “Bones.”

Perhaps it was always inevitable that Zooey Deschanel would drop by her sister’s show. Weirdly enough, the star of “Elf” and the TV series “New Girl” only made one visit to the “Bones” set. In the Season 5 episode “The Goop on the Girl,” Zooey plays Bones’ quirky second cousin, Margaret Whitesell, who is brought in by Max Keenan — Bones’ father, portrayed by Ryan O’Neal — in an attempt to reconnect his fractured family during Christmas.

It’s a fun episode that sheds a little more light on Bones’ unruly behavior, and gives Zooey a unique, Benjamin Franklin-obsessed character to play with. While an investigation does indeed occur — this one involving a bomb-toting Santa Claus — the emphasis on family adds a little more cheer to the often grim series.

For her part, Zooey leans a little too hard on her quirky charm, infusing Margaret with an awkward demeanor that feels too much like a riff on her more popular characters. It’s still fun to see the Deschanel sisters share the screen, but it would’ve been nice to see the cameo lead to something more profound.

Speaking of Ryan O’Neal, the veteran actor who passed away in 2023, enjoyed an extended cameo on “Bones,” appearing in 24 episodes as Max Keenan, Bones’ father. At first, he’s presented as a mysterious and dangerous figure, but he eventually reveals that he vanished to protect his family from criminals and corrupt FBI agents. Max spends much of his screen time trying to reconnect with his daughter — making O’Neal, whose career was defined by his boyish charm, a fitting choice for the role.

From “Love Story” and “Barry Lyndon” to “Chances Are” and “Paper Moon,” O’Neal displayed an easy-going demeanor that allowed him to play engaging, though flawed, characters. In “Bones,” he imbues Max with a blend of regret and warmth, while also revealing a darker side capable of violence when necessary. 

Still, for all his accolades, audiences probably remember O’Neal best for … well, an unfortunate bit of acting that was later turned into a popular GIF. 

Considering her storied career began back in 1945, it makes sense that iconic TV personality Betty White would eventually make her way to “Bones.” In her later years, long after “The Golden Girls,”  White appeared in numerous popular shows, including “Boston Legal,” “30 Rock,” “The Middle,” and “Community,” among countless others.

“Bones” enlisted White for two episodes — Season 11’s “The Carpals in the Coy-Wolves” in 2015 and Season 12’s “The Radioactive Panthers in the Party” in 2017. Uniquely, these marked two of her final projects before her death in 2021 at the age of 99.

As Dr. Beth Mayer, a brilliant forensic anthropologist with an affinity for fantasy football, White brought her usual plucky charm to the proceedings. In fact, her character is so accomplished that her success draws the ire of Bones herself. Regardless, the two make a fine team, especially since Mayer notices details — like Oliver Wells’ erectile dysfunction issues — that others miss. It’s a fun little role for White, and she knocks it out of the park, even if her appearance feels a tad unnecessary.

Yes, Freddie Prinze Jr. somehow found enough free time to guest star on a few episodes of “Bones.” First appearing in a small role in Season 9’s “The Secrets in the Proposal” as Danny Beck, a former brother-in-arms of Booth, Prinze was later upgraded to a juicier role in “The Source in the Sludge,” even becoming a prime suspect in a murder case. Thankfully, Danny is eventually absolved of all charges and appears briefly in a few episodes down the road.

For those unaware, Prinze emerged as a ’90s teen sensation following the one-two punch of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “She’s All That.” He also starred as Fred in the live-action adaptations of “Scooby-Doo” and “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.” While his movie career never fully took off beyond those early hits, Prinze found lasting success on the small screen with projects like “24” and the animated series “Star Wars Rebels.”

Many likely recognize Arnold Vosloo for his role as Imhotep in 1999’s “The Mummy” and its 2001 sequel, “The Mummy Returns” — not to mention the famous Universal Studios ride — but the gifted character actor has appeared in a slew of big-screen and small-screen projects throughout his lengthy career. His role on “Bones” marked the latest in a string of high-profile television appearances, including a lengthy supporting role on “24” and smaller parts on “Chuck,” “Psych,” and “NCIS.”

As Jacob Broadsky, Vosloo once again dips into bad guy territory with absolute relish. Introduced in Season 6’s “The Bullet in the Brain,” during which he assassinates The Gravedigger, Broadsky emerges as the mirror opposite of Booth. He’s highly skilled and intelligent, but uses his talents to eliminate criminals rather than seek justice through the law.

His arc serves as one of Season 6’s primary conflicts, with Vosloo given plenty to do in “The Killer in the Crosshairs” and “The Hole in the Heart.” The role fits the veteran actor perfectly, allowing him to bring the same cold intensity and quiet menace that defined many of his earlier performances. Since then, Vosloo has continued applying that style to notable TV series like “The Blacklist” and “Jack Ryan.”

Fans of the hugely popular series “Suits” may be surprised to learn that their beloved Jessica Pearson bumped shoulders with Bones and Booth in Season 4’s “The Bone That Blew.” Playing Dr. Toni Ezralow — a dermatologist and pilot having an affair with the murder victim — Gina Torres brings plenty of presence to what is admittedly a relatively small role. Still, it’s fun to see the former “Firefly” star get in on some “Bones” action regardless.

By that point in her career, Torres already had notable TV credits like “Angel,” “24,” and “The Guardian” under her belt, to say nothing of supporting roles in films such as “The Matrix Reloaded” and “Serenity” (and hopefully its animated follow-up). Overall, the actress has remained consistently busy, lending her voice to numerous video games and animated projects throughout her career. In 2021, she landed the role of Tommy Vega on “9-1-1: Lone Star” and currently stars as Special Agent Linda Grant on “Memory of a Killer.”

Before he rose to fame, fortune, and Academy Awards, Michael B. Jordan started out as a relatively minor television actor in shows like “The Sopranos” and “The Wire.” He also played Reggie Porter Montgomery on “All My Children” before landing guest spots on “Cold Case,” “Burn Notice,” and, yes, “Bones.”

In the Season 5 episode “The Plain in the Prodigy,” Jordan plays Perry Wilson and shares some screen time with our forensic heroes. It’s not a massive role, but Jordan handles himself well alongside the veteran ensemble.

At any rate, Jordan’s career really took off that same year thanks to his performance as Vince Howard on “Friday Night Lights” and, later, as Alex on “Parenthood.” From there, he jumped to the big screen in “Red Tails” and “Chronicle” before breaking through critically with “Fruitvale Station” — his first collaboration with director Ryan Coogler. And we all know where that eventually led. Jordan still has a slew of projects on the docket, including a big-screen remake of “Miami Vice,” “Creed IV,” and “I Am Legend 2,” among others.

Renowned British actor Stephen Fry lent his dry wit to “Bones” for six episodes across several seasons as the wry psychiatrist Dr. Gordon Wyatt. First appearing in Season 2’s “The Girl in the Gator” to counsel Booth following an encounter with the serial killer Howard Epps, Wyatt eventually becomes friends with Booth, who refers to him as “Gordon Gordon” based on the doctor’s unusual introduction — “Gordon, Gordon Wyatt.” Of course, we later learn that his legal name actually is Gordon Gordon Wyatt — and that’s only the beginning of the character’s wonderfully bizarre backstory.

The good doctor would occasionally pop up throughout the series to counsel the Jeffersonian team and help Booth and Brennan navigate their relationship.

Outside of “Bones,” Fry played Jeeves opposite Hugh Laurie in the television series “Jeeves and Wooster” and became hugely popular as the longtime host of the comedy quiz show “QI.” He also appeared as Mycroft Holmes in the film “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” among many other notable accomplishments.

We’re gonna get into some Marvel Cinematic Universe entries here, starting with Jaimie Alexander, better known as Lady Sif from the “Thor” films. Before that high-profile gig, however, the actress bounced between television shows and low-budget films before eventually landing the role of Molly Briggs in Season 4’s “The Beaver in the Otter.”

Molly forms part of a trio tied up in a peculiar case in which a football game stunt goes awry, revealing a charred corpse inside a school mascot costume. We won’t spoil the details — suffice it to say the episode takes some interesting twists and turns, and Alexander handles the difficult role quite well.

From there, the actress played Sif in “Thor,” “Thor: The Dark World,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” while also reprising the role in “Loki,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and “What If…?” Since then, she’s popped up in a handful of TV projects and starred in the series “Blindspot” from 2015 to 2020. More recently, she appeared in two episodes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

If we had to choose a career path, we’d likely follow the one Sean Gunn has traversed. Granted, it helps to have James Gunn as your brother, but either way, it’s hard to argue with Sean’s extraordinary success.

Appearing in everything from movies like “Pearl Harbor” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” to television shows like “The Terminal List” and “The Good Doctor,” Sean is one of those recognizable character actors who can pop up in virtually any project without much fuss. You’d probably recognize him if you saw him in public, but he might wander off before you could pinpoint exactly where you know him from — unless you’re a rabid “Gilmore Girls” fan.

Oddly, “Bones” doesn’t really give him that much to do apart from a few scenes as the uptight Dr. Howard Fitch in the episode “The Corpse at the Convention.” What should have been a fun “Angel” reunion between Gunn and David Boreanaz basically amounts to a few quick laughs — and that’s all she wrote. Honestly, if anyone on this list fit snugly within the quirky “Bones” universe, it was Sean Gunn, which is why it’s a shame the show didn’t make better use of him.

Zipping out of Marvel, we’re now going to visit three “Breaking Bad” alums who happened across “Bones” before their big breakouts. For Aaron Paul, best known for his incredible performance as Jesse Pinkman on the hit AMC series, “Bones” was merely another stop in a long line of television gigs. Believe it or not, the young actor got his start back in 1998’s television movie “Even the Losers” and steadily worked his way through bit parts in “Melrose Place,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “ER,” and “Veronica Mars.”

His performance as comic book junkie Stew Ellis in the “Bones” Season 1 episode “The Superhero in the Alley” coincided with a supporting role in the feature film “Mission: Impossible III” in 2006, just two years before he would join Bryan Cranston on the Emmy-winning “Breaking Bad.”

Stew doesn’t give Paul a whole lot to do, but you can already see shades of Pinkman peeking through the nerdy facade, adding a few fun wrinkles to an otherwise forgettable episode.

Later that same season, “Bones” received a visit from the dreaded Chicken Man himself, Gus Fring — aka Giancarlo Esposito. Of course, his one-episode turn as Richard Benoit was merely par for the course for the veteran actor, who had already appeared in well over 100 projects by that point.

No, really. Esposito appeared in films such as “48 Hrs.,” “Do the Right Thing,” “King of New York,” “Malcolm X,” and “The Usual Suspects,” among many others. He also stayed busy on television with appearances in “Nash Bridges,” “Touched by an Angel,” and “Law & Order.”

“Bones” only required his services for one episode — Season 1’s “The Man in the Morgue” — casting him as Richard Benoit, a voodoo shop owner. And yes, just like his roles in “Breaking Bad,” “The Boys,” and “The Mandalorian,” Esposito once again winds up playing a bad guy.

No matter — he’s very good at it, delivering a performance that’s slightly unhinged and more than a little creepy, at least until Brennan pokes him in the eye.

Dean Norris rounds out our final “Breaking Bad” entry. Best remembered as Walter White’s arrogant brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, Norris guest-starred in two episodes of “Bones” — Season 4’s “The Finger in the Nest” and Season 5’s “The Boy with the Answer” — playing Don Timmons in the former and an uncredited juror in the latter. Neither role gives him much to work with, but Norris still does his best with the material.

Like Giancarlo Esposito, Norris had already enjoyed a lengthy television and film career dating back to the early 1980s. Primarily a character actor, he appeared in theatrical hits such as “Lethal Weapon 2,” “Total Recall,” “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” On television, he appeared in series such as “The X-Files,” “ER,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Millennium,” and “Nash Bridges.”

All told, Norris has amassed nearly 200 acting credits, with several more projects still on the docket. Yeah, the man stays busy.

Next up, we have Theo Rossi playing Nick Arno in the Season 2 episode “The Woman in the Sand.” Nick becomes a key suspect in a murder investigation centered around the world of underground boxing. It’s one of the juicier guest roles on this list, and Rossi leans hard into the smugness, turning Nick into a twitchy and dangerous presence with a hair-trigger temper.

Airing in 2006, “Bones” marked one of Rossi’s earlier television appearances. The actor kicked off his career in 2001 with a film titled “The Myersons” before working his way through small roles on television shows like “NYPD Blue,” “Veronica Mars,” and “Lost.”

That steady grind eventually led to roles in “Cloverfield” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” as well as a supporting role in Zack Snyder’s 2021 zombie film “Army of the Dead.” These days, Rossi is perhaps best recognized for playing Herman “Shades” Alvarez on Marvel’s “Luke Cage” and Dr. Julian Rush on HBO’s “The Penguin.”

Finally, television viewers should recognize Michael Cudlitz from his days on HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” where he played Denver “Bull” Randleman — a fan-favorite character who even received his own spotlight episode. Six years later, the actor appeared on “Bones” in Season 3’s “Death in the Saddle” as Lucky.

Admittedly, it’s a bizarre episode centered around, um, pony-play role-playing, and Cudlitz, to his credit, plays the role completely straight, which somehow makes the whole thing even funnier. The more absurd the premise becomes, the more grounded and serious his performance feels.

Cudlitz would later go on to star in the acclaimed police drama “Southland” before famously having his head bashed in by Negan on “The Walking Dead.” His work isn’t limited to television, either, as the actor has lent his voice to video games like “Call of Duty” and several sequels. He also appeared in feature comedies such as “Sex Drive” and “Driven.” More recently, he appeared in four episodes of the TV series “Marshals.”