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The celebrity cameo has been a thing in movies for decades, and now that video games have as big a market share as the film industry, famous people are also appearing in our favorite MMOs and RPGs. World of Warcraft has a veritable A-list of household names cleverly hidden within its NPCs, and although none of them are exactly the same the real-life person to which it refers is fairly obvious.
Celebrities appear in a variety of ways in WoW, and often in ways that reflect how we know them as characters or voices. These famous people appear as parodies and tributes, or if they’re no longer with us, as memorials.
8/8 Robby Flay
It’s one of the first celebrity NPCs that most players find, and it’s a tribute to Bobby Flay. He’s the celebrity behind several famous American restaurants and a variety of cooking shows on the Food Network.
Find this NPC in Stormwind City standing between a couple of stores on the northernmost corner of the Mage Quarter, helping aspiring cooks as a Profession trainer. He also sells reagents, recipes, and ingredients.
7/8 Robin The Genie
When Robin Williams passed away in 2014, calls poured in for a tribute or memorial to be erected somewhere in the World of Warcraft in his honor. It’s located off the southern coast of the Legion version of Nagrand, on a peaceful little island littered with references to the characters he played along with the NPC with his namesake, Robin the Genie.
Robin is the only NPC out here, but the island isn’t lonely. Besides his role as the Genie, there’s a broken egg as a tribute to Mork and Mindy. A more obscure reference is the Elekk plushy. Most of the trinkets throughout the island reference the movie Toys, but this one is connected to an Achievement that you can get with your Elekk Squishy Pet called “An Awfully Big Adventure.” This is a reference to the character of Peter Pan, who Williams played in Hook.
6/8 Fabian Lanzonelli
He was known as Fabio at the peak of his popularity, and he was an Italian model that everyone has seen but nobody really knows. His full name is Fabio Lanzoni, and he became a celebrity by appearing on a whole slew of romance novel covers.
The dramatic poses, open shirt, and long flowing blond hair generated a lot of jokes, and if memes had been a thing back then, there would have been plenty. Thankfully, an NPC exists with all the attributes of his real-life namesake. Fabian Lanzonelli can be found selling general goods in the Allerian Stronghold in Terrokar Forest.
5/8 Haris Pilton
The World’s End Taven was the hottest place in Outland during the heyday of the Burning Crusade expansion, so it’s no surprise to find some of the most popular celebrities hanging out there. Haris Pilton, an obvious parody of Paris Hilton, can be found here selling some of the trendiest wares in the known universe.
Her most popular item is the Gigantique Bag, which was once the biggest container in the game before the Master Tailoring of Northrend. Her dog Tinkerbell is also here and for those players that happen to be Priests and still have the Eye of Eternity, you can also see her ghostly friend Ricole Nichie, a reference to fellow socialite Nicole Richie.
4/8 Farrah Facet
This NPC is intended to be a tribute to celebrity Farrah Fawcett, a ’70s fashion icon and one of Charlie’s Angels. She can be found in Stormwind, standing outside the Jewelcrafting shop, selling a variety of designs.
The outfit the character is wearing is supposed to be reminiscent of the clothing she wore on the classic television show, and for players that notice, she’s standing with two other women that are similar to the other two Angels from the show.
3/8 Caregiver Ophera Windfury
It’s interesting that she’s cast in the role of caregiver, and this seems to be her role in real life as well. Ophera Windfury, one of the only Dranei you will ever meet with a last name, works tirelessly and without fear to give her visitors a safe place to rest from the dangerous grind of daily life.
The name is obvious enough that we know this NPC is based on Oprah Winfrey, actor, producer, author, talk-show host, and beloved mentor to millions of admirers and fans.
2/8 The Rokk
The Rock was a wrestler, not a chef, but he often talked about cooking. When Dwayne Johnson was a wrestler, he was known as The Rock, and his catchphrase was, “Can you smell what The Rock is cookin’?” It makes sense that a character based on him would be a cook.
This goblin NPC is the person to talk to in Outland when it comes to cooking. He sells reagents, and recipes, and can also give you the daily Outland cooking quest.
1/8 Barney Farley
When Chris Farley was on Saturday Night Live, he gave us some of the best moments in the show’s history. One of them was the Chippendale skit that he did with celebrity guest host Patrick Swayze, and this dancing ogre in the Legion version of Nagrand is not only a tribute to his memory but also to that hilarious sketch.
Find him on the northern side of the wall that lines the Ring of Blood, facing the ocean and ready to dazzle you with his physique.
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