Entertainment

5 Near-Perfect Thriller Shows Packed With Celebrity Appearances

Published

3 hours ago

29 March 2026

NewsAdmin

Thriller TV shows win over viewers with shocking twists and high-stakes mysteries that the audience wants to try to solve themselves. But, shows like Law & Order: SVU, Poker Face, American Horror Story, Barry and Only Murders In the Building also keep viewers hooked with their celebrity cameos. From A-list actors to people who appeared in the shows before they became famous, thriller series have used guest stars as a major draw for audiences.

Sure, celebrity guest stars can be used as gimmicks by shows to keep viewers engaged, but they can also be a way of bringing new energy or deepening the mystery. They bring a new energy than the series regulars and can leave the audience wondering what the purpose of them being on the show is. Are they a victim? A suspect? A clue to what happened? From long-running network dramas to prestige streaming hits, thriller shows love a good celebrity cameo and these five shows are proof.

5

‘Barry’ (2018)

At first, Barry seems like it’s just a dark comedy. But, it’s actually a psychological thriller just masquerading as a comedy. The tension in the show makes celebrity cameos especially effective, although it’s a technique the show really embraced in the fourth season. Unlike some shows that rely heavily on guest stars, Barry used them sparingly and only ramped up the effort in the final season. It makes the appearances even more impactful, even if some people might not have caught them all.

While big names like Jon Hamm and Guillermo del Toro were likely immediately noticeable to viewers, Barry also used a flurry of SNL alumni in the final season, a nod to star Bill Hader’s former home. As a thriller series, Barry proves that fewer celebrity cameos—used strategically—can be far more powerful than constant stunt casting.

4

‘American Horror Story’ (2011)

American Horror Story’s capsule seasons make it the perfect breeding ground for celebrity cameos. Ryan Murphy’s long-running thriller anthology built its reputation on shocking viewers both with the plot lines and headline-grabbing casts. It featured celebrities like Lady Gaga, Adam Levine, Naomi Campbell, Lena Dunham and Kim Kardashian.

As a horror-thriller television series, American Horror Story thrives on the chaos of the season. While some celebrity cameos – like Kardashian and Lady Gaga – were central characters for the entire season, others, like Dunham, were meant to be temporary guest stars that just helped move the season forward for an episode or two. Kardashian and Lady Gaga served as a way to bring viewers in ahead of the seasons, while Dunham and other guest stars often arrived with little warning and disappeared abruptly. They turned the season not only into a conversation about a show, but a pop culture event.

3

‘Poker Face’ (2023)

Kumail Nanjiani as the gator king in Poker Face Season 2

Rian Johnson’s Poker Face is a modern-day mystery-thriller that uses celebrity guest stars similarly to how SVU does, except they’re leaning into big names. Much like Columbo, the show introduces new characters every episode, making it ripe for using celebrity cameos to heighten interest among the audience.

The Peacock thriller stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a human lie detector who is constantly coming into contact with a rotating cast of suspicious characters. Over the past two seasons and 22 episodes, audiences have seen over a dozen celebrity guest stars, including Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo and BJ Novak. Despite the guest appearances happening in capsule episodes, each actor anchors the story. It allows each episode of Poker Face to feel fresh while contributing to the show’s larger arc.

2

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (2021)

Zach Galifianakis in Only Murders in the Building.

Only Murders in the Building may lean comedic, but its murder‑mystery backbone firmly places it among modern thriller TV shows—and its celebrity cameo roster is one of the most impressive on television. The show blends big names as side characters in the show with celebrities playing themselves throughout the seasons. It’s given the show a way of heightening the tension, because viewers aren’t always sure how long a character will be on the show and how important they’ll be to the story.

The show kicks off season one with an all-star celebrity cameo cast with Tina Fey playing true crime podcaster Cindy Canning, and Sting playing himself. Fey plays a central figure to all five seasons of the show, until she meets her untimely demise in the season five finale. While Fey is likely to be a smaller character for season six, her influence will still loom large with Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez working to figure out the circumstances of her death. Sting, however, plays a more fleeting character as a suspect-turned-witness in the investigation of Tim Kono’s death.

Season two brought Amy Schumer, playing herself, and at first, viewers are made to believe that she’ll be central to the investigation. But, time quickly moves beyond Schumer, relegating her to a relatively useless character. Then, in season 3, Matthew Broderick plays the nightmare version of himself as the cast investigate the murder of Paul Rudd. Rudd would later come back as another character in season four and then voice the robot doorman in the latest season.

With some celebrities playing themselves, some playing characters, and all of them having varying levels of importance, the show constantly encourages viewers to question whether a famous face is a joke—or a key clue. By blending mystery, suspense, and star power, Only Murders in the Building has perfected the formula for a thriller series packed with celebrity guest stars.

1

‘Law & Order: SVU’ (1999)

Jeremy Allen White was Michael Parisi in Law & Order: SVU

There’s really no show that comes even close to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit when it comes to the sheer number of celebrity guest appearances. Having been on the air for nearly 30 years, the show has become famous for featuring actors when they were in one of their first few roles or on the verge of stardom. With so many characters needing to be played, celebrity cameos run the gambit in Law & Order: SVU, ranging from kids before they became stars to well-seasoned acting veterans.

What separates SVU from other thriller series is how seriously it treats its guest stars. Since so many of the episodes are capsule stories, guest stars are often the main event. They’re the ones driving the plot lines forward, usually either as victims, suspects or key witnesses. Guest stars like Bradley Cooper, Adam Driver, Pedro Pascal, Sarah Paulson, Mahershala Ali, and Elizabeth Banks all appeared on the show before they were household names, and they all delivered emotionally heavy performances because they were critical for the episode.

While a lot of celebrities on SVU had roles before they were famous, for some, their time on the show came after they were household names. Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon and Carol Burnette all appeared on the show long after they were already famous, giving their episodes an extra level of intrigue for a show that thrives on uncertainty. That unpredictability has made SVU one of the most enduring thriller TV series with celebrity guest stars ever made.

Whether it’s the procedural intensity of Law & Order: SVU, the chaotic horror of American Horror Story, or the playful mystery of Only Murders in the Building, these series understand that celebrity guest stars can elevate suspense rather than undermine it. In an era crowded with streaming content, these shows stand out by combining gripping storytelling with unforgettable performances—proving that sometimes, the most thrilling twist is seeing who shows up next.