Boy bands have taken the world by storm for decades, living off radios, iPods, 90s playlists or Spotify. And while many have seen their music featured on the soundtracks of TV shows and movies, some boy bands have gone further, turning into triple threat when they appeared on people’s TV screens in guest star roles on popular TV shows.
While some of these boy band members are also accomplished actors – some even starring in their own series – surprising an audience by appearing on TV alongside your bandmates brings a whole new dynamic, not to mention a lot of views.
New Kids On The Block, More complete house (2016)
Although it is not mentioned when DJ and Kimmy were teenagers on Full house, as an adult on the Netflix spin-off Fuller House, best friends never hide their obsessions with New Kids On The Block. Kimmy is mostly a self-proclaimed “Blockhead”. So when she accidentally receives counterfeit DJ tickets for her birthday, the house becomes even fuller when NKOTB stops by for a little pre-show to wish a happy birthday to one of their biggest fans.
Although the Boston-based boy band consists of two well-known actors, one was unable to make this appearance. Due to filming Blue blood, Donnie Wahlberg must have missed singing “Happy Birthday” to the DJ, despite appearing via video chat dressed in his Danny Reagan outfit.
street boys, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1998)
What happens when you combine one of the hottest shows of the 90s with one of the hottest boy bands? It’s magic, of course. When Sabrina churns bottles of talent to help her band win a contest, you end up in the wrong hands – five pairs of hands, to be exact. After all of the Backstreet Boys take sips of talent, they drop the basketball they’re playing with and launch into their hit “As Long As You Love Me.”
The show ends with the band continuing the song for a gymnasium full of students, including Sabrina. Although the members acquired an acting gig list themselves, this was the Backstreet Boys’ only acting credit as a group.
Boyzone, general hospital (1999)
Fresh off their European tour, Irish hit-makers Boyzone stopped in Port Charles, of all places, to serenade the cast of the daytime drama general hospital. The band performed their biggest hit, “No Matter What”, for all of Luke’s club, including the then teenage band: Elizabeth, Nikolas, Emily and Juan.
This was Boyzone’s second TV show appearance, their first being in the British comedy The dirty deeds of Zig and Zag.
A direction, iCarly (2012)
Amid One Direction’s takeover in 2012, the group made an appearance on Nickelodeon’s fifth season. iCarly. When Carly invites the group to her web show, a series of antics ensue, including Sam falling in love with Zayn and Harry falling ill with “jungle worms”. At the end, the boys perform “What Makes You Beautiful” for all iCarly online viewers.
The members of One Direction have had a long repertoire of guest appearances and commercials, but only Harry Styles — who played the biggest role in “iGo One Direction” — has continued to rack up acting credits, most recently as Starfox in Marvel Eternals.
Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana (2007)
Somewhere between their film debut in camp rock and featured in their own Disney Channel series JONAS, the group of brothers made an appearance on Hannah Montana. Kevin, Joe, and Nick appear as themselves alongside Nick’s former crush, Miley Cyrus’ pop star character. Rather than fanboying Hannah Montana, the brothers find themselves fanboying her songwriter father.
The group ends up collaborating with Hannah. Their song “We Got The Party” was featured on Hannah Montana’s second album and was later performed on the Best of Both Worlds Tour, which featured the Jonas Brothers as the opening act of Cyrus.
Boyz II Men, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993)
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Season 4 Christmas episode featured special guests Boyz II Man, which Will attempts to book to perform at his cousin’s christening by sneaking into the band’s vacation recording session. After antics involving eating the band’s donuts and a stolen Santa outfit, the band show up at church singing “Silent Night”.
Although this was one of the group’s first acting stints, the group still appears on TV shows to this day, with their most recent guest star appearance being on the 2017 NBC series. Marlon.
beach boys, Full house (1988, 1990, 1992)
the beach boys and Full house alum John Stamos had a decades-long friendship that saw the band members make several appearances on the 80s sitcom. Their first guest spot was in season 2, when DJ wins tickets to their concert and the whole house turns up argues over who can join her until the Beach Boys themselves show up to let them know they’re all invited.
The other of the group Full house appearances include them joining the Tanner household for a jam session at Jesse’s recording studio, and mike love shows up unexpectedly to celebrate Wake up San Francisco telethon achieves its goal.
N*SYNC, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1999)
Sabrina, the teenage witch was home to many pop star guest stars in the 90s, and in season 3 they had a special appearance in N*SYNC. After 17-year-old Sabrina retrieves a fake “other realm” ID in order to enter an over-18 club to see N*SYNC perform, she later faces the consequences when she learns her ID is fake, now so is her magic.
Although they made several guest appearances during their career as a group, some members also found themselves with solo acting and producing careers, including by Justin Timberlake Television and film credits and Lance Bass’ effort to produce an N*SYNC movie.
Big time Rush, Marvin Marvin (2013)
In Nickelodeon’s hour-long series finale Marvin Marvin, other Nickelodeon stars Big time Rush appear as themselves. When the group is kidnapped and replaced by alien doppelgangers, it’s up to Marvin and his pals to save the group from their alien captors.
While Big Time Rush starred in their own series of the same name, this was the band’s second time performing on a Nickelodeon show, the first being in 2012 with a guest appearance on How to switch.
98 degrees, Just shoot me! (2000)
Season 5 of the late 90s early 2000s NBC hit Just shoot me! included a guest appearance by 98 degrees. Finch’s new band, called “2 Fine,” features all four members of 98 Degrees, who perform their 2000 hit “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” alongside by David Spade personage.
Before their Just shoot me! passage, the group had a guest role in ABC general hospital prime time spin-off Port Charles in 1999.
Read more
About the Author
