With “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” hitting theaters this week, it’s the perfect time to look back at our favorite primetime primates and silver screen silverbacks. Here’s our list of the Top 20 Screen Simians of all-time.
20. Chim Chim, Speed Racer: Every high-performance racing team needs a chimpanzee on staff. The Racer family from TV’s Speed Racer has Chim Chim, the lovable chimpanzee who’s always helping little brother Spritle get into trouble.
19. Clyde, Every Which Way But Loose: Long before he spent time talking to an empty chair, Clint Eastwood had to compete with Clyde for screentime in this trucker adventure. Unfortunately, this is mostly known as “that movie where the monkey gives guy the finger”.
18. Angry Monkey, 2001: A Space Odyssey: One of the most memorable opening scenes of all-time centers around what happens when a strange black monolith ends up amongst a group of agitated apes. Wouldn’t you start smashing skulls if this happened to you?
17. Suzanne, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: This is the monkey that finally taught Jay to love…even if it couldn’t shut him up for more than 2 minutes at a time. One of the best “monkey uses a tranquilizer gun to shoot someone in the butt” movies of all-time.
16. George, Curious George: You don’t have to be the man in the yellow hat to love a curious little monkey named George. Beloved since his first appearance in 1939, Curious George is now a PBS Kids favorite.
15. Lancelot Link, Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp: This was a television show about a monkey who was a secret agent which should pretty much explain why he’s made our list. Working with A.P.E. in a global effort to fight C.H.U.M.P. and with a boss named Darwin, this might be the genesis point for all monkey-based puns that followed.
14. Jack the Monkey, Pirates of the Caribbean: What’s better than a monkey who’s a spy? A teeny tiny monkey pirate! Although fierce and fearless, Jack’s greed ensures that he stays cursed long after the rest of the crew.
13. Abu, Aladdin: The monkey thievery continues with everyone’s favorite street rat sidekick, Abu. He may just be a monkey in a stylish vest, but at least he gets the chance to see what it would be like to be an elephant.
12. The Monkey on Sprockets, Saturday Night Live: At one point in the 90’s literally everyone was getting the chance to touch this monkey whether they wanted to or no. This is the part of the list where we dance!
11. Mr. Teeny, The Simpsons: It can’t be easy working for Krusty the Clown, but Mr. Teeny manages to always find a way to get by. Whether he’s roller skating through Krusty’s show, saving him from another Sideshow Bob plot or just having a smoke while waiting for Krusty outside the track, Mr. Teeny’s always got a smile on his face…and roller skates on his feet.
10. The Monkees, The Monkees: While not technically monkeys, the Monkees deserve a place on this list simply because of the number of catchy tunes they released on the world. Started as a fake band for TV, there was nothing more real than watching Davy Jones sing his way into Marsha Brady’s heart.
9. Betsy, Outbreak: Was she the cause of a massive outbreak of ebola virus that would have wiped out the entire human race if not for Dustin Hoffman and friends? Yes. But she was just so cute!
8. Steve, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2: There are few things in this world as funny as a monkey wearing a headband that reads his thoughts so they come out of the Speak & Spell around his neck. Add in the fact that Steve is played by one of our favorite actors (Neil Patrick Harris) and you’ve got one of our favorite monkeys!
7. Evil Monkey, Family Guy: Why is there an evil monkey living in Chris Griffin’s closet? Who knows. But there’s something comforting in knowing that he’s always going to be there, ready to point in murderous rage at Chris at the drop of a hat.
6. King Louie, The Jungle Book: Voiced by Louie Prima, King Louie just wants the man cub to teach him the ways of man so he can be like us and in turn, gives us one of the catchiest Disney songs of all time.
5. The Smoking Monkey, The Hangover Pt. II: Monkey pirates, secret agents, and thieves are all good fun, but it wasn’t until this 2011 sequel that a monkey final got to play the kind of gritty role that had been reserved for bears and snakes. This drug-smuggling primate also single-handedly brought back the sleeveless jean vest.
4. King Kong, King Kong: He conquered New York and nearly got away with the girl, that’s why after all these years, King Kong is still one of our greatest apes. Let’s just hope that next time he eats Adrian Brody a little earlier in the film.
3. Ceasar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes: If you threaten John Lithgow, this monkey will bite your finger off. If you lock him in a cage, he will eventually create an army of super smart simians that will ride across the Golden Gate Bridge in a blaze of glory. He is not a monkey to be messed with.
2. Rafiki, The Lion King: If you have ever picked up a cat/dog/baby/watermelon and sung the opening bars of “Circle of Life” then you know exactly why Rafiki is one of our favorite monkey. If you can’t quite place the name, simply “REMEMBER!”
1. Marcel, Friends: He may have only been on the show for about half a season, but Marcel is still one of the most memorable guest stars in Friends history. Whether he was changing the television so the gang could only enjoy sitcoms in Spanish or teaching Rachel’s dolls a thing or two about the birds & the bees, Marcel was one of the only things that could distract us from finding out whether Ross and Rachel would end up together. That’s why he’s our #1 Screen Simian!
Want to watch these amazing primates in action? Check out the “TiVo’s Top 20 On-Screen Simians” collection in the “Browse TV & Movies” section on your TiVo. Disagree with us or want to add your most memorable monkey to our list? Tell us about your favorite TV & Movie monkeys in the comments below!
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