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Archer is possibly the most character driven animated series out there. While its contemporaries may thrive in strange backgrounds, societal commentary, and high concept scenarios, Archer could nearly go its entire run by sitting its characters down and just having them rant at each other. And this is just on top of its super spy background, historical commentary, and intense missions.
While the core group may be the series’ driving force, that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to enlist help every now and then. Throughout Archer‘s decade spanning run, it’s included the eclectic voices of some of Hollywood’s most gilded and comedic. This list will be running through those shining faces as it looks through some of the best celebrity guest roles in the series’ history.
10 Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton has essentially become the voice of all animation. With his distinctive, deep tone, Patrick has made an entire career from being an overpowering, slow voiced giant in nearly all of his roles. One of his most distinguished ones being as ex-ISIS agent, Rip Riley. After Archer runs away after Katya’s death, Malory sends in in Rip to find and collect him.
What Rip doesn’t expect is that Archer is a drunken, impulsive beast who both hijacks his seaplane and takes over an entire, pirate society. All throughout, Warburton’s and H. Jon Benjamin’s voices clash in fine-written and hilarious rapport between two, different ISIS legacies.
9 Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain left behind an incredible legacy as an acclaimed chef and connoisseur; and while he had a legendary television career, one of his most distinctive roles had to be when he put on his best Gordon Ramsay impression and joined the cast of Archer for a fun romp.
Anthony Bourdain plays cutthroat chef Lance Casteau, who must deal with the ISIS agents when they need to pull security duty after a terrorist threat on his restaurant. Even for the series’ foul-mouthed world, Lance’s words still stand as some of the most cutting and sassy, and seeing Archer just kiss hiss feet as an idol was amazing.
8 George Takei
While Pam initially started as ISIS’ butch, HR representative, the series would thread every now and then elements of a much grander life. When Archer’s new, spy car gets stolen, Pam surprisingly jumps in with some intel on a local, underground racing league managed by the Yakuza.
Its leader is the vicious Mr. Moto, played by Star Trek alum George Takei. Moto has an ongoing rivalry with Pam that sees the two share a competitive spirit for racing and, much later, Pam attempting to scam the entire Yakuza.
7 Michael Gray
Celebrities just randomly appearing as themselves in a show is a weird yet hilarious new trope in modern television, and it doesn’t get any better than Archer’s inclusion of Michael Gray or, in its rendition, “TV’s” Michael Gray. For those who don’t know, Michael Gray played Billy Batson in the old, Shazam TV show. That fact is mentioned several times during this story arc.
When the gang undergoes a Fantastic Voyage-esque mission that requires shrinking down to microscopic size, their client tries to explain the process to them in what is totally not Slim Goodbody but instead just TV’s Michael Gray in a body suit. As the episode goes on, they reveal more and more about Michael’s sensual past with the arc’s head scientist as well as his obsessive behavior with sticking around the laboratory.
6 Thomas Lennon
Thomas Lennon has had quite a career in comedy. After starring in MTV’s iconic sketch series, The State, he’d go on to play the sexually ambiguous police officer, Jim Dangle, in Reno 911!. He’d, in a way, reprise that impression as Charles, one-half of a recurring, gay duo that torments Archer and a member of freelance hit squad.
He and his partner, Rudy, would give Archer some tips as to how to appear gay and would later stab him in the back, as they would use him to get closer to his target.
5 Jeffrey Tambor
Archer has a lot of connections with Arrested Development. Not only does it share similar roles within its core cast, such as Jessica Walter as an alcoholic, distant mother and Judy Greer as the crazed secretary, but it also sees frequent appearances from other members of the cast.
Jeffrey Tambor played Jessica Walter’s husband in Arrested Development and would return as Len Trexler in Archer. Len Trexler is an ex-lover of Malory’s (possibly Archer’s biological father) and the chief of the competing spy agency, ODIN.
4 J.K. Simmons and Keegan-Michael Key
When people think of iconic duos, they’d rarely think of Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and comedy veteran Keegan-Michael Key. However, Archer still finds a way to make it work, as it puts these two in uniform and has them play two detectives trying to control a hostage situation and, not too long after, an attempted murder on Archer.
J.K. Simmons plays the gruff, hard boiled Detective Harris, and Keegan plays his more emotional, snappy partner, Detective Diedrich. Together, they make the perfect comedic duo bumbling to solve serious police issues.
3 Kenny Loggins
If anyone has ever seen Archer for at least five minutes, they’d know that the series, or at least Sterling Archer, is an incredible fan of Kenny Loggins, or at least his hit song “Danger Zone.” Every chance he gets, Archer uses “Danger Zone” to describe either an emotionally intense situation or a dire mission ahead.
Ironically enough, both are in play when Archer tries to secure (or kidnap) him for Lana’s baby shower. However, doing so wraps him up in another adventure when he finds that Kenny Loggins is in position of a secret briefcase. While hijinks ensue, Kenny does in fact sing “Danger Zone” by the end of the story.
2 Burt Reynolds
Archer has a very specific childhood. He listens to Kenny Loggins, has a strong affinity for cooking and lacrosse, and has a deep knowledge of a variety of Burt Reynolds movies. That love for Burt becomes strained when the iconic Casanova starts dating his mother.
Having to choose between his real-life inspiration for becoming a spy or being an obsessive mama’s boy, Archer goes for the latter and attempts to kidnap Burt Reynolds. Burt Reynolds is in great form here, as he matches the group wit-for-wit and gets to use some of his iconic action against Archer.
1 Christian Slater
Last but not least, this list reaches on of the best recurring guests in Archer‘s history. As the gang tries to position themselves as new, drug kin pins, they frequently cross paths with a man simply named “Slater.”
As the story went on, they’d eventually learn that Slater was actually a CIA conspirator responsible for heading a convoluted plot to handle U.S. relations with Central America. He’d soon become a reoccurring character when the CIA would enlist the ex-ISIS gang as agents, allowing the series to revel in Christian Slater’s iconic charm.
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