11. Sting

Character: Himself, as a charitable pop-star digging Bart out of a well

Episode: 'Radio Bart', Season 3 (1991-'92)

It’s weird to think that Bruce Springsteen was the producer’s first choice for the part of a puffed-up charidee-doing rocker, since Sting, with his Live Aid performances and general air of serene self-righteousness, is so utterly perfect.

“There's a hole in my heart, as deep as a well, For that poor little boy who's stuck halfway to Hell...” he sings in the cheese-riffic tribute song. Props to the Tantric warrior for not being afraid to mug himself.

10. Danny DeVito

Character: Herb Powell, Homer’s long lost brother

Episode: 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?', Season 2 (1990-'91) - and 'Brother Can You Spare Two Dimes?', Season 3 (1991-'92)

DeVito brought his wise guy warmth and down-and-out charm to the role of Herb, the (much smarter) brother Homer never knew he had.

Such was DeVito’s pull on audiences that after the sad ending of the first episode (Homer bankrupts Herb’s successful car manufacturing business) a happier follow-up was made in which Herb gets rich again by inventing a machine that translates baby noises. Like this one…

9. Patrick Stewart

Character: 'Number One', leader of the Freemason-like Stone Cutters Society

Episode: 'Homer The Great', Season 6 (1994-'95)

High praise all round for the sonorous Mr Stewart. Producer David Mirkin describes the actor’s secret-sect leader as “one of the best guest performances", while the actor himself gushes, “I think my appearance in The Simpsons, and an appearance that I did on Sesame Street, in praise of the letter 'B', were perhaps the two most distinguished bits of work that I've done in the US.”

Presumably he was speaking before X-Men, but even then – the letter 'B' is strong.