Who doesn't love a good roast? Well, maybe the roastee and even a few of the roasters who are not exempt from ribbing that, in some cases, is even more incendiary than what the person of the hour endures. However, for the viewer, watching comedians take turns bringing famous people down to size by spewing insults at them in jest is an absolute joy.
At least, we should say, these occasions are enjoyable when they are funny and, as the case tends to be with most comedic events, some are funnier than others. Luckily, for your viewing pleasure, we have compiled our choices for some of the funniest celebrity roasts of all time, along with where to watch them, below. See if you end up feeling sorry for these stars when they become subject to some of the most bizarre and offensive ridicule ever caught on camera.
The Roast Of Tom Brady (2024)
One of the most recent, hot-topic celebrity roasts is The Roast of Tom Brady, which was originally broadcasted live on Netflix on May 5, 2024. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the event saw comedians like Nikki Glaser and Tom Segura (who has performed some of the best stand-up specials on Netflix), athletes like Rob Gronkowski and Peyton Manning, and even Academy Award winner Ben Affleck tackling the former NFL quarterback with jokes about his his divorce, the Deflategate scandal, and more. At one point, Brady even earnestly retaliated against “roastmaster general” Jeff Ross for a joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s own controversies.
Stream The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix.
The Comedy Central Roast Of Pamela Anderson (2005)
Despite her vocal protest of Hulu’s Pam & Tommy — a miniseries revolving around the stolen sex tape she made with then-husband, Tommy Lee — years earlier, Pamela Anderson accepted the opportunity to be made fun of for that topic, among others, in her Comedy Central Roast. Lee was actually part of the dais — which also included Eddie Griffin, Sarah Silverman, Bea Arthur, and roastmaster Jimmy Kimmel — for the network’s first roast of a female honoree and still one of its funniest to this day.
Stream The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson on Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson on DVD on Amazon.
The Comedy Central Roast Of William Shatner (2006)
A year after taking aim at Pamela Anderson, Comedy Central set its sights on another television icon with his own fair share of career ups-and-downs: Emmy winner William Shatner. Under roastmaster Jason Alexander, an ensemble of self-professed nerds like Patton Oswalt, other TV icons like Betty White and Farrah Fawcett, and fellow Star Trek franchise stars George Takei and Nichelle Nichols brought the Captain Kirk actor down a rank in this roast that would earn a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Variety Special in 2007.
Stream The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of William Shatner on Amazon.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on DVD on Amazon.
Jonas Brothers Family Roast (2021)
Years before taking aim at Tom Brady, one of Netflix’s first attempts at (dis)honoring celebrities saw world-famous pop music sensations the Jonas Brothers in the hot seat all at once. In addition to bits by the likes of roastmaster Kenan Thompson, Pete Davidson, and John Legend (who presented his jokes in song), the brothers’ own respective spouses — Nick’s wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sophie Turner (who has since divorced Joe), and Kevin’s wife, Danielle — were also present for funnier ribbing than most of the comedians. The siblings were also sure to take turns poking fun at each other, resulting in a truly funny family outing.
Stream Jonas Brothers Family Roast on Netflix.
The Comedy Central Roast Of Rob Lowe (2016)
With a successful career that has lasted decades — including classic ‘80s movies like St. Elmo’s Fire and playing Chris Traeger in the Parks and Recreation cast — Rob Lowe seems like an unlikely choice as honoree for a Comedy Central Roast. However, believe us when we say that the dais — including roastmaster David Spade, Jimmy Carr, and Lowe’s The Lion’s Den co-star, Jewel — find some real juicy dirt to make it a brutal attack. Yet, at times it seems like the real roastee here is conservative political commentator Ann Coulter, who also claimed her set was heavily edited by Comedy Central, but you be the judge if her jokes earn a laugh.
Stream The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe on Amazon.
The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen (2011)
Not long after he gave the world more than enough good material about him, Charlie Sheen stepped up to the plate for his own Comedy Central Roast. Seth MacFarlane returned for his third consecutive appearance as a roastmaster, joined by Anthony Jeselnik, Steve-O, Mike Tyson, and more, to show the tiger-blooded, former Two and a Half Men star who is really “winning” this time.
Stream. The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen on Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen on Amazon.
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1974-1984)
Years before Comedy Central became the most essential spot for bringing celebrities down a peg on an annual basis, it was a weekly occasion on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. The Rat Packer brought on some of the most talented names in comedy — from Don Rickles to Flip Wilson — to poke fun at iconic honorees like Betty White, Johnny Carson, Mr. T, and plenty more from the MGM Grand Hotel’s Ziegfeld Room in Las Vegas. It was impossible for us to pick just a few of the best specials from this long-running program, so we recommend sifting through them all.
Stream The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts on Freevee on Amazon.
The Comedy Central Roast Of James Franco (2013)
While this special hits differently today following the allegations against James Franco that have come out since, not watching it would rob you the chance of seeing some of the all-time best moments in Comedy Central Roast history. Roastmaster Seth Rogen, Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman, among others, do a fine job, but the show-stealers are Bill Hader as “the President of Hollywood” and Andy Samberg with an intentionally over-confident, self-effacive set.
Stream The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco on Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco on Amazon.
The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget (2008)
A classic Comedy Central Roast special that is bittersweet in retrospect, but still a joy to watch, is the roast of the late Bob Saget, which was hosted by the Full House co-star, John Stamos. The dais included Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman, Jeff Garlin (as a fictional sitcom producer named Saul Schwartz), and SNL’s Jon Lovitz, but the most legendary set came from the late Norm Macdonald, whose cheesy dad jokes left some viewers confused, but made Saget and others close to the comic charmed.
Stream The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on Paramount+.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on Amazon.
Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on DVD on Amazon.
Historical Roasts (2019)
Roastmaster General Jeff Ross takes his unparalleled talent for insult comedy where no one has dared before: roasting prominent figures who are no longer with us in Netflix’s Historical Roasts. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (played by Bob Saget), boxing legend Muhammad Ali (played by Jaleel White), and even Holocaust victim Anne Frank (played by Rachel Feinstein) are among the six esteemed icons falling prey to playful ribbing in these six funny and educational specials.
Stream Historical Roasts on Netflix.
Do you think you could take a joke as well (or, perhaps, better) than these celebrities did at their roasts?
