Image via Complex Original
All hail Nickelodeon. This week they announced that they'll be bringing back some of their classic, super-hit shows, including Rugrats, through a programming block called "The Splat," launching sometime in late October. Get ready to dive back into the world of animated glory and pretend it's the ‘90s all over again (Capri Sun not included).
In our '90s nostalgia haze, we went digging around Rugrats' IMDB page and had a moment of clarity—this show was more star-studded than we ever realized. Celebrities doing voice roles on animated shows is a Hollywood tradition—Michael Cera was Brother Bear in PBS’ The Berenstain Bears, Keith David voiced Goliath in Disney’s Gargoyles, Robert Downey Jr. was Pewterschmidt on Family Guy, Ringo Starr was Duck Brothers on Courage the Cowardly Dog—it just never occurred to us that Rugrats was flexing like that.
So what random celebrities voiced characters on Rugrats? Take a look while listening to the theme song. Your insatiable desire for nostalgia will thank us.
Busta Rhymes
Character: Reptar Wagon
Episode(s): "Wrestling Grandpa/Chuckie Collects" (Season 6, Episode 18)
Reptar Wagon first appeared in the The Rugrats Movie that came out in 1998 before appearing in a Season 6 episode a year later. Best Dad Ever Stu Pickles built the Reptar-shaped wagon, which ended up becoming the kids' means to drive in the city and the woods. Guess who voiced the wagon? Trevor Taheim Smith Jr., better known to the world as hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes. Makes sense.
Amanda Bynes
Character: Taffy
Episode(s): Nine episodes in Season 8
Before Amanda Bynes rocked that own pink hair (which looked good!) and sadly, broke down in front of our eyes, she (a Nickelodeon star in her own right) played Sarah “Taffy” Maynston on Rugrats. Her pink-haired alter-ego was 16-year-old Taffy, who was one of the best babysitters that the Rugrats gang ever had.
Jon Favreau
Character: Mack Granite
Episode(s): "Starstruck/Who's Taffy?" (Season 9, Episode 8)
First off, shout out to the Rugrats writers for the best Hollywood actor name ever—MACK GRANITE. Naturally, they had to get a Hollywood A-Lister, so they settled on the future director of Iron Man, Jon Faveau. He's randomly hanging out at a coffee shop and spots Kimi, who he decides will be perfect as the little girl in his next movie. The kids take that very literally and believe she is going to turn into a star in the sky, which honestly would have been cooler than being in a Jon Favreau movie.
Kim Cattrall
Character: Melinda Finster
Episode(s): "Mother's Day" (Season 4, Episode 2)
Post-Mannequin and pre-Samantha Jones (a.k.a. the best character on Sex and the City), Cattrall voiced Melinda Finster, Chuckie’s biological mother! There was always so much mystery surrounding the mother of our favorite bespectacled ginger. She appears in this flashback episode to finally explain the woman who gave birth to Chuckie. It's actually pretty sad when you think about it.
Dan Castellaneta
Character: Jonathan
Episode(s): Six, from Season 3 onwards
Castellenata, long known for voicing Homer Simpson, lent his vocal talents to Rugrats as Jonathan, Charlotte's ever suffering assistant. One of the perks of his job? Getting to babysit Angelica and co.—what a nightmare!
Mo’Nique
Character: Aunt Moo
Episode(s): "Rugrats Tales from the Crib: Three Jacks and a Beanstalk"
This one is a personal favorite. Mo’Nique voices a cow that is always up for adventure but is also a caring mother figure in the life of the Rugrats. Oh, the cow/Mo'Nique also wears really cool clothes: blue overalls with a pink hat. Unfortunately for us, the cow was only featured once, in this straight-to-DVD movie.
Joe Mantegna
Character: Jack Montello
Episode(s): "The Mattress/Looking for Jack" (Season 4, Episode 13)
Is Angelica the most resourceful of the Rugrats? Yes, because she has the clout of an alleged Mafia leader and restaurant owner on her side. Mantegna voiced Jack Montello, who Angelica befriends accidentally when looking for a "Jack," when she was supposed to be looking for a car jack. He helps them fix their car and gives them free food. Not shown: when Jack subsequently asks the Pickles to hide a murder weapon.
Alyson Hannigan
Character: Cynthia P.I., Young Starlet
Episode(s): Three episodes in Seasons 8 and 9
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and How I Met Your Mother alum voiced Cynthia P.I.—Angelica's fav TV character—in two episodes and then returned to play another starlet in another episode. No, her character did not say anything about band camp.
Pamela Adlon
Character: Dean, Brent Whistley, and Baby Drew Pickles
Episode(s): Seven episodes in all
No wonder Louis C.K. loves her so much. Adlon has done a surprising amount of voice work in her career, and her contribution to Rugrats—playing three different boys across multiple seasons—is downright impressive. It's funny to think of her voicing the infant version of a Rugrats character and then watch her talk about how anal sex has "tapered off" for her in Louie. No seriously—try it.
Alex Trebek
Character: Alex Quebec
Episode(s): "Game Show Didi/Toys in the Attic" (Season 2, Episode 24)
Alex Trebek parodied himself for this one as the host of the game show, Super Stumpers. Really, cannot get any better than this when it comes to celebrity guest spots, right? Alex Quebec is such a dope fake name for Alex Trebek.
Jeremy Piven
Character: #12, Car Salesman, Hank, Mailboy
Episode(s): Four between Season 1 and 6
Ari Gold once voiced four different characters on your favorite childhood cartoon. Vince, how does that make you feel?
Yeah... we were surprised too.