Why JFK Jr. Made a Surprise Cameo on Sitcom ‘Murphy Brown’ at the Height of His Fame: ‘He Was a God’

John F. Kennedy Jr. was one of the most recognizable figures of the 1990s — but few fans remember that he once made a rare appearance on a hit television sitcom.

The son of President John F. Kennedy briefly stepped in front of the cameras in 1995 for a cameo on the CBS comedy Murphy Brown, starring Candice Bergen. The appearance wasn’t about launching an acting career, however. Instead, it cleverly tied into Kennedy’s latest professional venture.

At the time, JFK Jr. had just founded George, a glossy magazine that blended politics and pop culture. His cameo, per the outlet, aired just days before the publication’s debut, helping introduce the magazine to a broader audience.

“I hope the show will introduce George to an audience of potential readers who clearly enjoy politically related entertainment,” he said at the time, per the Tampa Bay Times.

In the episode, titled “Altered States,” the publisher visits Murphy’s office to deliver a wedding gift — a mock cover of George featuring the sharp-tongued journalist herself.

The moment became memorable not only for fans but for the show’s cast as well.

“He was a god,” Bergen later recalled to People in 2018. “Every woman on the Warner lot was on our soundstage.”

JFK Jr. died in 1999 when the plane he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. His wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister Lauren Bessette were also on board and died in the tragic accident.

Interest in their glamorous — and often scrutinized — lives has surged again in recent months thanks to the FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, which revisits the couple’s whirlwind romance and the legacy they left behind.