Patrick Ewing, Senseless (1998)
Penelope Spheeris’s 1998 comedy Senseless threw together a random cast that included Marlon Wayans, David Spade, Rip Torn, Matthew Lillard, Jeff Garlin, and Brad Dourif. Patrick Ewing also makes an appearance as himself, sitting through a roast delivered by a visually impaired Wayans.
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Bo Jackson, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990)
Near the very beginning of its six-season run, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” featured an episode full of guest stars, including a brief cameo by two-sport superstar Bo Jackson. This was just Jackson’s way of preparing for his appearance on “Sesame Street” and his starring role in “Pro Stars,” a saturday morning cartoon in which he, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan formed a crime-fighting superhero team.
Cam Neely, Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Of all the athletes to make a cameo in a Farrelly brothers film, Cam Neely’s in Dumb and Dumber is, by far, the most memorable. In character as the truck driver Sea Bass, Neely famously hocks a loogie on Jeff Daniels‘ burger, and later tries to sexually assault Jim Carrey in a truck stop bathroom stall.
Unbeknownst to many, the Hall of Fame winger and president of the Boston Bruins also appeared as Sea Bass in the 2000 film Me, Myself & Irene. Near the end of the movie, as Charlie (Carrey) is reunited with his sons, he passes by a Rhode Island State Trooper and says, “Hey, Sea Bass.”
Keith Hernandez, “Seinfeld” (1992)
You can have the bubble-boy, the puffy shirt, and even the Soup Nazi — the two-part episode “The Boyfriend” was the high point of “Seinfeld,” and it starred former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez. Hernandez dates Elaine, befriends Jerry (who develops a man-crush on him), and defends himself again accusations from Newman and Kramer, who claim that he spit on them after a Mets game at Shea Stadium in 1987. This subplot cleverly mocks the “Magic Bullet Theory” from the JFK assassination. Hernandez’s returned to the show six years later for the final episode.
Don Mattingly, “The Simpsons” (1992)
1992 was a great year for New York first basemen to guest star on television shows. While Hernandez starred on “Seinfeld,” Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees made his famous appearance alongside Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Darryl Strawberry, Ozzie Smith, Jose Canseco, Mike Scoscia, Steve Sax, and Ken Griffey, Jr. on “The Simpsons” episode “Homer at the Bat.” While every guest star gave a hilarious and memorable performance, it was Mattingly’s constant run-ins with Mr. Burns (and his jab at then-Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner) that would make his stand out the most.
Many viewers believed that Mattingly’s clash with Burns was a parody of an actual incident. In the summer of 1991, Steinbrenner ordered Mattingly to cut his hair to comply with team regulations, and on August 15th, manager Stump Merrill dropped him from the team’s lineup for failing to trim his shaggy ‘do. The episode aired the following February — yet Mattingly had recorded his lines months before his absurd punishment.
Honorable Mentions: Xavier McDaniel, Singles (1991); Carney Lansford, Angels in the Outfield (1994); Lawrence Taylor, The Waterboy (1998); Lee Trevino, Happy Gilmore (1996); Wilt Chamberlain, Conan the Destroyer (1984)