Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Best Comedians Who Have Been On The Show Ranked

Even without TikTok throwbacks bringing it back into relevance, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" is a show that has not only lasted the test of time but has linked generations with the shared experience of a comedy-filled early and late night. Flipping through channels in the wee hours of the morning and coming to an abrupt stop at the sight of Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles, or Colin Mochrie performing on the improvisation comedy gameshow made many a sleepless night thoroughly enjoyable over the years.

Now that the series, after being revamped in 2013, has begun its 19th season this year, it's fulfilling the promise of fresh improvised material from some of our favorite and cleverest comedians. Despite that, though, Mochrie recently confirmed in a Tweet that next season will unfortunately be the last, bringing the end to the show where everything is made up. The points may not matter on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" but the people sure do, and that's why we've taken a look at everyone who has been on the hilarious series over the years and ranked the very best cast members and guest stars, so get ready to revel in some improv genius of the past.

The 2012 revival of "Whose Line" brought a slew of guest stars from all over pop culture, and "Supernatural" fans everywhere were thrilled to see their favorite angel grace the show as his real-life counterpart's charismatic self. Misha Collins is one of the nicest guys to play a villain on TV and he's pretty funny as well. His humorous, wacky, and all-around good nature has helped him gain a huge cult following — his goofy antics can be seen in "Supernatural" bloopers, at Comic Con events, and on his own YouTube channel. For these reasons, he's a pretty brilliant choice to ask on the show.

Collins guest starred on Episode 13 of Season 10 of the collective American "Whose Line" series, and fans actually turned out to be a little disappointed. This wasn't due to him being unfunny, though; in fact, fans wished he would have had more opportunity to speak. According to Reddit, his appearance was "underwhelming" due to how little participation he had, but the small amount he did do was pretty awesome. As a guest worth mentioning and being one of the better guest stars on the newer version of the show, Misha Collins gets the lowermost spot on our list, which is still pretty great.

When you think of Wil Wheaton, comedy probably isn't the first thing to come to mind. While he certainly needs a sense of humor to be able to laugh at himself and how he is portrayed in "The Big Bang Theory," you probably correlate his name with a geekier vibe than that of a master comedian. While on "Whose Line" in Episode 5 of Season 13, he paired his legendarily geeky lifestyle with comedy superbly.

Thanks to Wheaton, we now have a surprisingly fantastic Dungeons & Dragons themed duet featuring himself, Wayne Brady, and Gary Anthony Williams. Not only is it a banger, but the unrehearsed song is scary detailed, which means that Wayne Brady not only knows a decent amount about Dungeons & Dragons, but if the duet is any indication, he gets pretty passionate about it. (There is more evidence supporting the hypothesis that Wayne Brady loves Dungeons & Dragons.) For gifting us with that knowledge and mental image, Wheaton gets a solid spot as one of the best guest stars to kill it on "Whose Line."

Robin Williams was great in pretty much everything and could always elicit a smile, so it's no wonder his appearance on "Whose Line" back in Episode 9 of Season 3 had the audience and cast members alike in stitches. It's been 22 years since Williams was on the "Whose Line" stage, and last year a Reddit user celebrated the anniversary by posting a throwback video of the episode. The post has over a thousand upvotes and a hundred comments, which makes sense when you see how utterly at home Williams was on the stage.

Williams resonated more like a full cast member than a one-time guest; he tended to lead scenes rather than simply follow cast members who are used to being in absurdly unlikely improv situations. Watching Robin Williams on the "Whose Line" stage is like watching a genius at work, even over two decades later. He certainly deserves his spot on the list, and his episode was a highlight of the entire series.

Former satirical political talk show host and current regular talk show host Stephen Colbert is a highly recognizable Emmy-winning TV personality with decades of history appearing as himself on various television programs. Colbert appeared as a special guest on two "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" episodes — once in the very first season and once in Season 8, the last season before the revival. His most memorable moment, as posted on Reddit, was arguably when he rapped — somehow in both an awkward and aggressive manner — alongside Wayne Brady.

It was revealed in an episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" that Colbert had "comedy beef" with Drew Carey over the rap. Colbert explained that the one thing he asked production before filming his episodes was to not make him rap, and his special request seemed to almost ensure that a rap would be in his future on the improv show. Colbert's discomfort is clear in the episode, but he does end up getting a solid laugh mid-rap from Wayne Brady, and Colbert certainly made up for his lack of rap skills with his sweet skiing moves. The TV dynamo gets some major brownie points for making the best of being thrust out of his comfort zone, and he certainly deserves a spot on this list surrounded by other "Whose Line" icons.

Whereas most guests on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" were one or two offs, Brad Sherwood came back time and time again to show off his improv chops, and he consistently stood on a relatively even playing field with Mochrie, Stiles, and Brady. His personal website boasts him as one of the world's most talented improvisation comedians alive, and fans seem to agree that he is pretty good at the art of coming up with clever things to say at the drop of a hat.

One Reddit user even suggested that Sherwood would have made a great permanent fourth chair on "Whose Line." The truth is, though, that Sherwood over the years has been pretty close to a permanent fixture on the show. He has appeared on the American version in all of its different forms. He and Colin Mochrie also take a version of the show on the road with their Scared Scriptless comedy tour, so it's pretty safe to say that improv is embedded into Sherwood's blood at this point in his expansive career.

Jeff Bryan Davis is another improv comedian who became a pretty regular rotating fourth chair on "Whose Line," appearing even more often in the show's revival. During the show's hiatus, he continued to grow his career by reaching into other projects, like the live podcast "Harmontown" hosted by "Community" creator Dan Harmon where Davis served as the primary comptroller. While "Harmontown" opened the door for Davis to work with a wide range of comedians and comedic actors, in an interview with Indulge Express, he referenced his roots on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" as the project that introduced him to many of his comedy heroes.

"I'm lucky I get to work with my comedy heroes," he told the Indian publication. "Ryan Stiles is brilliant, Greg Proops is a mad genius." He later opened up about getting to work with Wayne Brady on the musical segments of the show. Being a musician as well, Davis naturally excels at making funny songs alongside the "hilarious and brilliant" Brady. Having someone who is musically inclined on the show to pair with Brady was a treat and earns Davis his spot here on the list.

Wayne Brady is frequently thought of as the triple threat on "Whose Line," but Chip Esten is a serious contender for the title as well. He may not sing and dance with the effortless grace of Brady, but he does have some widespread talent that has boosted his career beyond the comedy genre. Not only has Esten starred in musicals, multiple Kevin Costner films, and popular TV series, but he has some serious brain power as well as star power. One Reddit user pointed out that, oddly enough, he went all the way to the million-dollar question on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

Chip Esten has also appeared in every rendition of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" from the original British series to the newer American revival, even taking part in the semi-related "Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza" and "The Drew Carey Show," which featured a number of comedians who would go on to grace the stage of "Whose Line." Esten was a part of a number of fantastic musical numbers on the show and is a highly underrated rotating cast member. Some of his best moments have been compiled in a fan-made video where he's seen not only getting massive laughs from the audience, but the regular cast members as well.

If there was ever one single greatest decision ever made regarding "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" it would probably have to be inviting Richard Simmons on as guest performer. He is one of fans' all-time favorite additions to the game show and his episode is always a source of laughs. Simmons is, of course, known for his eccentric energy and the flamboyance he put into his fitness programs, and he certainly brought that same vigor to the "Whose Line" stage.

One fan posted a clip of Richard Simmons' "Whose Line" episode to Reddit, calling his "Living Scenery" segment one of the greatest moments in TV history. The post has over a thousand upvotes and many comments that seem to be in agreement. In the scene, Simmons enthusiastically volunteers to be used as "all the props" by the other comedians. This arrangement puts him nose to nose with Colin Mochrie and quite literally wraps him around Ryan Stiles, which has Drew Carey, the audience, and the cast members all almost laughing too hard to function. The pure joy and vivacity radiating from Simmons only adds to the hilarity, making it a moment of solid gold in the long running series.

Although he isn't one of the permanent fixtures on "Whose Line," Greg Proops is as close to a fourth chair as the show ever had, appearing in more episodes throughout the history of the series than even Brad Sherwood. He has been a recurring guest on the series since 1989 and appeared in a whopping 50 episodes of the original British version of the show. He also travels with the live version of the show, "Whose Live Anyway," along with Ryan Stiles and other regular rotating guests.

There is no real wonder why Greg Proops has kept getting invited back as a main component to the show over the last few decades, because he is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Incredibly intelligent and outspoken enough to let it show, he infuses comedy with his quick wit making his style a great match for improv. In an interview with The Guardian, Proops surprisingly revealed that being on stage doing improv is, "The one time I'm confident." With how sure of himself he comes across on stage, it's a shock that he would be less so when he isn't directly on the spot.

It's almost impossible to rank the three mainstay cast members of "Whose Line," because they are honestly quite equally matched and excel in different ways. In a straight-forward sense, Ryan Stiles just might be the funniest comedian on "Whose Line." Towering over all the other contestants in vibrant and entirely custom shoes, Stiles instantly sets himself apart. He can stand on his own and illicit plenty of laughs, but when paired with Colin Mochrie, the duo consistently delivers some of the very best scenes and scenarios on the show — that is, when Mochrie isn't trying to kill Stiles.

Stiles is the only player on "Whose Line" other than Wayne Brady to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his individual performance. There's nothing wrong with any of the other comedians on the show, but Stiles is clearly a standout. His legacy from "Whose Line" is one that has lasted, as Stiles has been a part of every variation of the show — including the touring performances — along with a handful of other players. He owns the stage both live and through a TV screen and is more than deserving of his high spot on this list.

Colin Mochrie is an improv genius. Having worked on the stage for decades, he has a way of playing off of the person he is acting opposite of — no matter who that person is — and creating quality scenes. According to UPROXX, Mochrie's value as a player on "Whose Line" comes from his ability to "ruin jokes" just to turn around and spin them into better jokes.

We don't have to spend a ton of time explaining why we put Mochrie among the best "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" comedians, though, as he is often at the heart of some of the very best moments on the show – whether they be hilarious lines coming from his mouth or with him as the butt of bald jokes. His dedication to the show is clear as well, as Mochrie has been a mainstay in all its forms, both on-screen and on the live stage. All in all, he is an absolute gem that has brought laughter to generations of comedy lovers.

Wayne Brady gets the number one spot because of his massive talent. He is not only hilarious but has the voice of an angel and his famously smooth dance moves earned him a spot on Season 31 of "Dancing with the Stars." He has made a successful career out of being a man of many talents, all of which are on full display on "Whose Line." He is also the only person who has won a Primetime Emmy for his performance on the long running show.

In fact, one of the most famous skits from "The Chappelle Show" is based on the idea that Wayne Brady is a nice guy, and definitely not a psycho. Brady has been in the entertainment business a long time and in an interview with Complex about a different "Chappelle Show" joke that he didn't love so much, he explained how his presence and milestones in the industry opened the door to other Black comedians who have skyrocketed to success. "I've done so many firsts. I've broken through walls and doors so that there are cats behind me now," he said before name-dropping stars Donald Glover, Steve Harvey, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele. (Brady was talking about to the latter two's days as the "Key & Peele" sketch comedy duo, rather than Peele's eventual career as a horror director.) "I was in that space first," he said, referring to all the different industries he has conquered with "Whose Line" and other endeavors.

Both "Whose Line" judges from the American version of the show deserve a special mention on this list. While they may not be regular players of the many games they command comedians on the show to participate in, they do add major value to the show. What would the game where everything is made up and the points don't matter be without that glaring buzz going off in the background when a joke doesn't quite land?

Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler give their own flair to the show, both being funny people in their own right. Carey has obviously helped make the show a lasting part of TV history, and Tyler has taken the reins with grace and become a fan favorite. Both of these points are discussed in a Reddit thread dedicated to Tyler being the "best damn thing" on the show. While commenters seem to agree that she is wonderful, others have had to point out that Carey was the backbone of the show for some time and there would be no show for Tyler to host without Carey. Either way, though, both hosts deserve recognition as some of the great talent displayed on "Whose Line."