Game shows have given us more memorable moments than we can count. But there’s always something extra special about celebrity appearances on our favorite game shows. Whether it’s Aaron Paul’s appearance on The Price is Right years before Breaking Bad fame or Simon Cowell on the other side on Sale of the Century, these unscripted moments let us see stars at their realest!

First up on our list, in 2000, before becoming the Emmy-winning star of Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul made a celebrity appearance on our favorite game show, The Price is Right. Going by his birth name, Aaron Sturtevant, he brought an almost manic energy to the show from the second his name was called. Of course, he was a genuine fan, immediately proclaiming to host Bob Barker, “You’re my idol!”

Paul later revealed his enthusiasm wasn’t all natural… he’d consumed six Red Bulls before filming. “I look like I’m on drugs,” he joked during a 2019 interview. However, his excitement quickly turned to heartbreak when he lost during the Showcase Showdown. Unfortunately, the defeat didn’t help Paul, who was struggling financially at the time and had hoped the winnings might provide some relief.

Though his career eventually skyrocketed, Paul has repeatedly shared how the loss “depressed [him] for so long,” as he confessed to James Corden in 2017. But, to this day, his appearance remains a fan-favorite moment.

In a delightfully awkward mid-1990s episode of The Big Date, viewers can spot a struggling waiter trying his luck at love. None other than future Mad Men star Jon Hamm. This celebrity appearance captured Hamm at his most unpolished, earnestly dropping words like “fabulosity” while sporting that distinct ’90s hairstyle.

Looking back at these clips, the contrast between this eager young contestant and the sophisticated Don Draper he would later portray couldn’t be more stark. Hamm’s charm, unfortunately, failed to win his potential match. However, the unsuccessful dating show has become a treasure since resurfacing years later.

See! Even Hollywood’s most celebrated leading men had some dating disappointments before finding fame, making this moment all the more endearing.

Next, before becoming the blonde bombshell of Charlie’s Angels, Farrah Fawcett appeared on The Dating Game in 1969. Of course, she charmed the bachelors with her smile.

Although it doesn’t appear that she and her chosen date were meant to be, they did get a nice skiing vacation to Austria out of it!

Within a few years, she became a cultural phenomenon with her iconic feathered hairstyle and record-breaking swimsuit poster. But, in the end, this game show appearance was the perfect glimpse at Farrah before fame. Beautiful, vibrant, and completely unaware of the superstardom awaiting her.

Prior to co-hosting Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White actually appeared on The Price is Right! In 1980, she was called to “Come on down!” as a contestant.

Vanna may have had charm, but her pricing skills? Not so much. She struggled with guesses, sticking around longer than some other contestants despite never quite hitting the mark. At one point, Bob Barker even joked about her paying more attention to her reflection on the monitor than the game itself!

She didn’t walk away with any prizes, but her luck changed just two years later. In 1982, she landed the job of a lifetime, turning letters on Wheel of Fortune. Decades later, she’s still on the show. Now, as the co-host. Although she wasn’t great at The Price Is Right, she absolutely won in some other aspects of life.

Another addition to our list of the best celebrity appearances on our favorite game shows was John Ritter, who appeared on The Dating Game in 1967. Before he became the lovable Jack Tripper on Three’s Company, John Ritter was just “Bachelor Number Three.”

At 19, he appeared on The Dating Game, introduced as a “college student majoring in drama.” His quick wit and charm won over the bachelorette, earning him a date on a lake in Arizona.

Although, yet again, it wasn’t exactly a love connection. But it gave the aspiring actor a little extra screen time and later became a TV icon.