During its over 10 year run, many characters appeared on The Big Bang Theory – from the regulars to one-time guest stars – we’ve grown to love pretty much every character that appeared on the show. Have you ever wondered what they do other than play the colorful characters we’ve grown to know and love? Look no further! From Leonard Hofstadter to Wil Wheaton, Sheldon to Rajesh, have all the answers you could possibly want, right here.
Johnny Galecki / Leonard Hofstadter: Then
While Sheldon is probably the first character that comes to mind when The Big Bang Theory is mentioned, it’s Leonard who was originally framed as the show’s main character – so we think it’s fitting to start with him. Leonard is a talented experimental physicist with very nerdy leanings: he loves video games, comics and D&D. The series starts when Leonard, who has Sheldon Cooper as a roommate, falls desperately in love with beautiful neighbor Penny. Leonard has a good understanding of social norms and behaviours, but his friends’ and roomate’s actions constantly get in the way of him tryin to live the life he wants.
Johnny Galecki / Leonard Hofstadter: Now
The role of Leonard is not the first one for Galecki, but it is the biggest one he’s ever had.
While today, Galecki is best known for his portrayal of Leonard, he first started out with another extremely popular sitcom: Roseanne!
Galecki played David Healy for the first 5 seasons of the show – but his role there was eclipsed by TBBT. Galecki’s salary grew with the TBBT‘s popularity, and he’s currently earning around $1 million per episode – one of the highest TV actor salaries in history.
Alessandra Torresani / Claire: Then
Alessandra plays Claire, a cute bartender who asks Raj for help with the science fiction movie she’s writing. Raj helps her out and falls for her in the process, ending up dating her….and Emily Sweeny, a macabre dermatologist who likes “cutting thing” – at the same time. Raj is torn about two-timing both of these women, and after a long, torturous bout of self flagellation, he decides to break up with them both.
Alessandra Torresani / Claire: Now
Alessandra Torresani is no stranger to television – she even landed a lead role in another geeky TV show – the Battlestar Galactica science fiction spinoff series, Caprica. Other than her role in The Big Bang Theory, she had a string of appearances in other succesful TV shows, including Two and a Half Men, Husbands and American Horror Story. It seems like Torresani’s star is on the rise, and she recently starred in Netflix’s comedy movie, Step Sisters.
Sara Rue / Stephanie Barnett: Then
Stephanie first appears in the show’s second season as a doctor at a hospital Howard visits. Howard tries to seduce her by taking her to his workplace, where he lets her drive the Mars Rover around – but when she accidentally drives the Rover into a ditch, Howard freaks out and asks Leonard to drive her home. Unfortunately for everyone, Leonard and Stephanie end up hooking up in Leonard’s car, and Stephanie and Leonard enter a comitted relationship far too quickly.
Sara Rue / Stephanie Barnett: Now
Johnny Galecki isn’t the only Roseanne alum on The Big Bang Theory. When she was a kid, Sara Rue played a very young Roseanne on the show, in a scene depicting Roseanne’s first meeting with Dan at a dance. Since leaving TBBT, she’s appeared in guest roles in many other television shows; We’ve seen her as Brenda in Rules of Engagement, Kim Sallinger in Malibu Country and Candice in Mom.
As of 2018, she can be seen in a recurring role on Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Sara Gilbert / Leslie Winkle: Then
Most fans agree that Leslie is Leonard’s female version. She works in the same experimental physics department as him, wears the same thick glasses and generally displays similar behavior and attitudes towards many subjects. Still, where Leonard is kind hearted, Leslie often seems to be cynical and cruel, and while they both date, (and Howard finds himself in a relationship with her, too!) Leslie eventually ends up as season 2’s main villain.
Still, over the years, things seem to have mellowed out, and in season 9 Leslie even comes to Sheldon’s birthday party.
Sara Gilbert / Leslie Winkle: Now
Johnny Galecki and Sara Rue aren’t the only former Roseanne cast members to make it to The Big Bang Theory – or even the best known ones.
Sara Gilbert is perhaps stil best known for her portrayal of Darlene Conner on Roseanne – and when the Roseanne was rebooted, she actually became the show’s executive producer, alongside playing her old, well loved character.
Gilbert and Galecki used to date when they were teens, but following their relationship, Gilbert found out she was a lesbian, and has become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights.
Simon Helberg / Howard Wolowitz: Then
At the beginning of the show, Howard lives with his overprotective – and overbearing – mother, and works as an aerospace engineer at Caltech. Howard is the only one in the group who hasn’t earned a doctoral degree, but rather “only” has a Master’s. Still, his professional acheivements are formidable. Despite this, his behavior is often quite creepy, especially towards women. In the third season, he meets Bernadette, who manages to tone his behavior down and ultimately becomes his wife and the mother of his children.
Simon Helberg / Howard Wolowitz: Now
Simon Helberg has been appearing on film and television since the late 1990s, but The Big Bang Theory was his first big break. His appearance on the show has garnered him a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and his appearance on the film Florence Foster Jenkins along with Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant has earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. But perhaps most importantly, he provided the voice for Bian Zao in Kung Fu Panda.
Laura Spencer / Emily Sweeney: Then
Emily Sweeney was Raj’s love interest, starting with the show’s seventh season. Emily’s quirky personality, macabre sense of humor and love of horror and gore all led her to become a dermatologist – a profession which allowed her to “cut things.”
She reached Raj through his dating website, and didn’t mind him dating Lucy simultaneously – but he eventually broke up with both of them so he could date Claire. They got involved in another triangle when Emily called Raj while he was with Claire, until he ended things with both of them.
Laura Spencer / Emily Sweeney: Now
Laura Spencer started to act in 2009, and since then has managed to land a few very impressive roles other than that of Emily in the Big Bang Theory.
The actress went on to appear in several other roles after this one, appearing on Bones and short movie Vitality, as well as a Pride and Prejudice based web series,
There isn’t much chance of Laura returning to TBBT, at least for now, but you never know what the future might hold!
Kunal Nayyar / Rajesh Koothrappali: Then
Raj is one of the main characters on the show. A Cambridge trained astrophysicist, he’s best friends with Howard – through which he would later meet Leonard and Sheldon. While Raj is talented, confident and fairly well adjusted in comparison to some of his friends, for a major part of the show he suffers from deep social anxiety which results in “selective mutism”: Raj can’t speak to girls. However, as the show progresses, we’ve seen him grow as a character and as a person.
Kunal Nayyar / Rajesh Koothrappali: Now
Kunal was born in London to Punjabi parents, and was raised in New Delhi, where his parents still live today. He originally came to the United States when he was 18 to study business administration in the University of Portland, Oregon – which was where he started to participate in school plays and taking acting lessons.
His talent for acting soon took off and he went on to study acting outright at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – and soon after, he auditioned for the role of Raj. Today, he is one of the highest paid television actors in the world, making something like $750,000 per episode on The Big Bang Theory.
Melissa Rauch / Bernadette Wolowitz: Then
Bernadette became friends with Penny after two met working at The Cheescake Factory. In season 3, Penny introduced her to Howard – and at first, it seemed as if the two had nothing to talk about, but they soon bonded over their relationships with their overbearing mothers.
As the series progressed, Howard and Bernadette fell in love, and by its end were happily married, with two children.
Melissa Rauch / Bernadette Wolowitz: Now
Melissa appeared on TV before The Big Bang Theory but none of her other roles were as big as Bernadette. We saw her on The Office and True Blood, to name a few.
Today, she can have her pick of roles due to her incredible success on Big Bang, and is a highly successful and sought after actress.
She says she modelled her character’s voice on Big Bang after her parents, with the sweet, soft purr of her regular speech after he mother and the harsh bark of her shouts after her father. Both voices are very different from her real life speaking voice.
Kaley Cuoco / Penny Hofstadter: Then
Penny has been on the show since the first episode. Originally Leonard and Sheldon’s ditzy blonde neighbor, Leonard fell in love with her as soon as they met, and soon, she became a part of the gang, lending them an important, non-geeky perspective on the world. After many years of on-again, off-again romance, Leonard eventually managed to win Penny over, and the two are now happily married, living in Leonard and Sheldon’s old apartment.
Kaley Cuoco / Penny Hofstadter: Now
Kaley Christine Cuoco had been playing in TV shows from a very young age. After a string of supporting roles on film and TV, she landed her first big part in the AVC sitcome 8 Simple Rules, where she starred between 2002 and 2005. Two years later, she started acting as Penny Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory – and the rest is history. One of the highest paid TV actresses in history – receiving a staggering paycheck of $900,000 per episode by the show’s end – Kaley was able to start her own production company.
Kevin Sussman / Stuart Bloom: Then
Stuart’s comic book store is a sanctuary for the main characters. They are all nerdy types who love comics and find their regular trips to the store a time spent well. Stuart is an awkward, lonely guy, but also an incredibely talented artist with an encyclopedic knowledge of comic book characters and lore. He’s dated both Penny and Amy, Leonard’s and Sheldon’s love interests, and while his dates with them weren’t successful, he helped the two couples realize their interest in each other.
Kevin Sussman / Stuart Bloom: Now
Kevin was already a famous Hollywood name before he got engaged with The Big Bang Theory. He had the role of Supernerd in Spielberg’s 2001 movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence. While he’s not among the show’s core cast, he has been credited alongside the rest of the show’s series regulars in the show’s opening titles, and has appeared in the show more than almost any other supporting character – a fact that is reflected in his $50,000 salary for each episode he appears in.
Brooke D’Orsay / Christy Vanderbel: Then
Christy Vanderbel appeared in the season 1 episode, “The Dumpling Paradox.”
She was engaged to Penny’s cousin at the time, and Penny regarded her as a sort of family member – but was very critical of her promiscuity.
When Christy hooks up with Howard, effectively driving Penny out of her own apartment, Penny gets angry – but Howard continues to see her, even though she flat out admits to dating him only for his money and gifts. Howard eventually breaks up with her after his mother threatens that if he doesn’t, she’d write him out of her will.
Brooke D’Orsay / Christy Vanderbel: Now
The Big Bang Theory helped Brooke become recognized as an actress, and brought her many new roles and opprotunities. Before she played Christy on Big Bang, she had a short role on Two and a Half Men, and following her appearance on the show she acted in Happy Hour and How I Met Your Mother – and she even returned to Two and a Half Men years later, in a new, recurring role!
Steven Yeun / Sebastian: Then
We meet Sebastian in a Season 3 flashback to the day Leonard first moved in with Sheldon.
Leonard bumped into Sebastain in the staircase, as Sebastian was leaving, with all of his things. At first, Leonard thought Sebastian was deranged, but upon further reflection, he realized his strange behavior might have been the result of living with Sheldon for too long.
When Leonard entered the apartment, he saw that Sebastian had written “Die, Sheldon, Die” in red spray paint on his room’s wall – on which Sheldon dryly commented that he might want to repaint before he moves in.
Steven Yeun / Sebastian: Now
Steven’s appearance on The Big Bang Theory was among his first acting gigs – but very far from being his last. Today, he’s a well-established actor with roles in Glenn and The Walking Dead, as well as in the award winning films Okja and Burning.
Following his appearance on TBBT, Yeun started acting in The Walking Dead – and stayed on the show for 6 years, earning multiple awards and award nominations in the process. In recent years, he’s appeared on many other shows and lended his voice to animated characters and video game protagonists.
Riki Lindhome / Ramona Nowitzki: Then
Ramona is a postdoctoral researcher who is in love with Sheldon’s work – as well as with him.
She offers to help Sheldon with his research, providing him with food, hygenic working conditions, footrubs and anything else he might need to properly concentrate on his research – but while everyone thinks she’s stalking him and acting inappropriately, Sheldon doesn’t find her behaviour suspicious at all and insists on looking at it as a positive thing. When Sheldon finally solves the theorem he was working on, he asks her if there’s any way he could repay her – but when she asked to be listed as a co-author of the article, Sheldon asks her to leave.
Riki Lindhome / Ramona Nowitzki: Now
Riki is one half of the comedy duo “Garfunkel and Oates,” with her friend and collaborator Kate Micucci. Garfunkel and Oates started as an online comedy duo, but soon gained national attention after being featured on multiple comedic television shows as guests and actresses.
After her appearance in The Big Bang Theory, Lindhome went on to appear in titles like The Lego Batman Movie, Criminal Minds, Bones, Nip/Tuck, Adventure Time, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Modern Family and many, many more.
Eliza Dushku / Angela Page: Then
Angela Page is an FBI agent sent to perform a background check on Howard, which he needed for him to receive a security clearance which would allow him to take part in a Defense Department LAser Equipped Surveillance Satellite team. And while she seemed pretty patient when it came to the boy’s antics – Raj, who insisted on assuring her he was in the U.S. legally and Leonard hitting on her – when Sheldon told her Howard crashed the mars rover while trying to impress a girl, he killed any chance Howard might have had to receive his clearance.
Eliza Dushku / Angela Page: Now
Eliza had a few well-known roles before appearing on The Big Bang Theory. She starred in Bring it On, and is perhaps best known for her role as Fatih, the rogue Slayer on the cult TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Dushku’s role in Buffy was played for laughs during the episode – she is seen reading a vampire book when the guys first meet her, and Leonard, who is a huge Buffy fan, sneaks in a few references in conversations with her.
Courtney Henggeler / Missy Cooper: Then
Did you know that Sheldon has a twin sister? Her name is Missy and she couldn’t be more different from her twin brother. Melissa “Missy” Cooper and her brother, Sheldon Cooper, are almost exact opposites. Where Sheldon is socially awkward, Missy thrives in social situations. Where Sheldon is standoffish and snobbish, Missy is amicable and forthcoming – and depicted as quite attractive. Despite their differences, the two seem to have a mutual understanding, and Missy even tells Sheldon she is proud of him, and likes to tell her friends about her brother, “the rocket scientist.”
Courtney Henggeler / Missy Cooper: Now
Courtney Henggeler’s role as Missy was only her second time appearing on TV – but her first role was in the critically acclaimed House, so it seems like her career had started off with a bang.
Following The Big Bang Theory, Courtney went on to appear in a string of television shows, including NCIS and Bones, before she got her big break in 2018 playing the main supporting character in Cobra Kai.
Kate Micucci / Lucy: Then
Raj and Lucy met at a singles night held at Stuart’s comic book store. Lucy is socially awkward, and suffers from a severe form of social anxiety. Paradoxically, Raj finds that relatable, and the two bond over their social issues. But while things seem to go pretty well at first, eventually their mutual problems and anxieties get the better of them, and the two end up breaking up, with Lucy cutting things off. Ultimately, this leads to Raj finding a new partner, but their relationship and love for each other are still one of the show’s most heartwarming stories.
Kate Micucci / Lucy: Now
Kate is one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates – the other half being another actress who appeared on the show – Riki Lindhome.
As part of her career in entertainment, Micucci has had many parts in TV, film and animation to date. She’s worked with Disney (DuckTales, Milo Murphy’s Law) and appeared on other cartoons such as Scooby-Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Be Cool.
John Ross Bowie / Barry Kripke: Then
Barry is a theoretical physicist, specializing in string theory. He works with Leonard and Sheldon at Caltech, and is perhaps best remembered for his rhotacism – that is, the fact that he pronounces “R” and “L” as “W”, kind of like Elmer Fudd in Looney Tunes.
Barry loves messing with people – especially with Sheldon.
While he’s a friend to Raj, Leonard, and Howard, his relationship with Sheldon is more complex – although they do eventually make amends and become friends as well.
John Ross Bowie / Barry Kripke: Now
John Ross Bowie is a famous comedy actor with plenty of roles outside The Big Bang Theory. He’s been acting on television since the late ’90s, and has appeared in titles like Speechless, Road Trip, The Exes, He’s Just Not That Into You, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fresh Off the Boat and many more.
In addition to his acting work, Bowie has authored a book about the cult film Heathers, and written for publications like Go Metric and The New York Press.
Wil Wheaton / Wil Wheaton: Then
Wil Wheaton is an actor, famous in geeky circles for his role as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wesley was a controvertial character on the show, with some fans loving him and others – feeling like he was a tacked on addition that didn’t add much to the beloved television series. Regardless of the controversy – or perhaps because of it – Wil plays a fictionalized himself on The Big Bang Theory, becoming a sort of arch-nemisis to Sheldon, using his wits and celebrity status to outdo Sheldon in all sorts of geeky undertakings.
Wil Wheaton / Wil Wheaton: Now
In real life, Wheaton’s full name is Richard William Wheaton III. While Wheaton is most famous for his role in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he also acted in Toy Soldiers, Eureka and Stand By Me, hosts a podcast and a YouTube board game show – a hobby which, much like his fictionalized version on The Big Bang Theory, he is truly passionate about.
Today, he continues to act – most prominently by lending his voice to animated characters in TV, film and video games.
Laurie Metcalf / Mary Cooper: Then
Mary Cooper is Sheldon’s religious, traditional, bigoted – but also kind, loving and clever mother. She’s the only person he’s willing to listen to, even though they are worlds apart, and seems to be the only one who can get him under control and behaving like a civilized person.
The gang have referred to her as “Sheldon’s kryptonite” – and when Sheldon goes too far or becomes unreasonable, they call upon her to help sort things out.
Laurie Metcalf / Mary Cooper: Now
Laurie Metcalf is, perhaps, one of the most decorated actors on The Big Bang Theory.
She’s been acting for over 40 years, and during her career has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
In addition to playing Sheldon’s mom, she appeared on the shows The McCarthy’s, Roseanne, Getting On, Fraiser, Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, and in the movies Scream 2, Toy Story and Mistress – to name a few.
Christine Baranski / Dr. Beverly Hofstadter: Then
Leonard’s mother, Beverly, is the exact opposite of Mary, Sheldon’s mom. She is a brilliant – but cold – scientist who has brought her son up using scientific methodology rather than emotional attachment. Leonard was more of a science experiment to her than a child needing love, and is quite resentful of her for it. Beverly, on her part, is quite distant from her son – but fascinated with Sheldon, whom she considers to be a prime specimen.
Despite their differences, Leonard and his mother are able to overcome their past with the help of Sheldon’s mother.
Christine Baranski / Dr. Beverly Hofstadter: Now
Christine Baranski is one of TV’s most instantly recognizable actresses. The Julliard School of performing arts’ alum has been playing colorful characters since the mid 1970s, and has appeared in classic films like Chicago, Mamma Mia! and Into the Woods, as well as on TV shows like All My Children, The House of Blue Leaves, Law & Order, Cybill, Fraiser, The Good Wife, BoJack Horseman and many more. Her unique acting style and character have made her a fan favourite in almost everything she did – and with good reason!
Brian George / Dr. V.M Koothrappali: Then
Dr. V. M. Koothrappali, MS, MBBS is Raj’s father, who lives back in India.
Dr. V. M. Koothrappali is apparently extremely rich – we know he drives a Bentley and owns a large house full of servants – and because of his wealth, believes his son’s academic pursuits are a bad choice, since they won’t make him rich.
Raj’s father is an amicable person, but quite set in his ways, and sees Raj not for who he is, but rather, for who he wants him to be. This has caused a few misunderstandings over the years, such as his expectaion of his son to become a gynecologist, despite Raj’s inability to speak to women.
Brian George / Dr. V.M Koothrappali: Now
Brian George was born in Jerusalem, moved to London with his parents when he was a young child, studied theater in Canada and appeared in various comedic and dramitc roles on stage and television since the 1970s. He got his first big break in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, playing the UN seceratary. Like Wil Wheaton, he is a Star Trek alum, playing Dr. Julian Bashir’s father in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Lately, he’s appeared on a few more shows like The Orville and Pickle and Peanut.
Alice Amter / Mrs. Koothrappali: Then
Raj’s mom gets less screen time than his dad, especially since they got divorced in 2015. We mostly saw her in the video chats Raj held with his parents, and mostly know that she disapproved of Penny as a possible partner for her son, because she is not Indian.
As the series progresses, Mrs. Koothrappali and Dr. Koothrappali get a divorce, following which we see and hear much less of her.
We do know that she considers Howard to be the closest thing she has to a daughter in law, though.
Alice Amter / Mrs. Koothrappali: Now
Alice Amter was born Alice Edwards, and was raised in England – but lived all around the world; France, Germany, the U.S. and Japan, where she taught English in the early 1990s.
After her stay in Japan, she moved to Los Angeles, where she pursued an acting career. She eventually managed to land a role as Mrs. Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory and as Dr. Kappor in Hot in Cleveland.
Despite her role as Raj’s traditional Indian mother, Alice has stated she has no Indian ancestry, herself.
Casey Sander / Mike Rostenkowski: Then
Mike Rostenkowski is Bernadette’s father – and a retired police officer. Because he is his father in law, Howard was particularly determined to impress Mike whenever the two met – and although they’re very different people, they managed to overcome their differences after Howard became an astronaut and earned Mike’s respect.
Casey Sander / Mike Rostenkowski: Now
Casey may not be among the most known faces in Hollywood, but the list of shows he’s worked on is amazing. It includes titles like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mad Men, Hunter, Malcolm in the Middle, Sons of Anarchy, Rules of Engagement, and more.
Mark Harelik / Dr. Eric Gablehauser: Then
Dr. Eric Gablehauser is Sheldon’s boss and the the director of Caltech’s physics department.
Sheldon doesn’t hold Gablehauser in very high regard, saying he hasn’t done any real research in the past 25 years, and looks down on his popular science publications.
When Sheldon insulted Dr. Gablehauser to his face, he was fired – but eventually re-hired after Sheldon’s mother made him apologize. Gablehauser wasn’t very impressed with Sheldon’s apology, but found Sheldon’s mother attractive.
Mark Harelik / Dr. Eric Gablehauser: Now
We didn’t see a lot of Mark on The Big Bang Theory, but he’s been on plenty of other shows, including Breaking Bad, Prison Break, Battle of the Sexes and Seinfeld.
April Bowlby / Rebecca: Then
We meet Rebecca on the 10th season episdoe, The Separation Agitation, when she’s introduced as Bert’s girlfriend. The two have met online, after Bert mentions the huge research grant he’s received, causing the group to suspect Rebecca is only with him for his money. The group intervenes, and Rebecca is eventually outed as a fraud.
April Bowlby / Rebecca: Now
The Big Bang Theory wasn’t the first sitcom April Bolby appeared on. She had recurring roles on Two and a Half Men as well as on How I Met Your Mother, as well as on many other TV shows – but her first major role was on Drop Dead Diva, where she played Stacy Barrett, the leading role on the show.
Following The Big Bang Theory, April continued to act in various TV roles, and lent her voice to the animated Titans show, where she played Rita Farr / Elastigirl, a role she well return to in 2019’s Doom Patrol.
Mayim Bialik / Amy Fowler: Then
We first met Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on the third season episode, The Lunar Excitation – after Sheldon’s friends try to set him up on a date without his knowledge. Sheldon later admits that Amy is likely the person most similar to him “by any standard,” and we learn that she, too, wasn’t interested in relationships – romantic or otherwise – and was only on a dating site to appease her mother.
Following her appearance on season 3, the accomplished neurobiologist has become a series regular.
Mayim Bialik / Amy Fowler: Now
Mayim Bialik got her start in acting long before The Big Bang Theory playing the titular role in the early 1990s sitcom, Blossom. Blossom skyrocketed her career, and she went on to act in a huge amount of television and film productions, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Doogie Howser, M.D., MacGyver, 7th Heaven and many more.
Like her character Amy, Mayim has a doctoral degree in neuroscience from UCLA, which she completed in 2007.
Jim Parsons / Sheldon Cooper: Then
One character that needs no introduction is Sheldon Cooper. A gifted theoretical physicist working at Caltech, Sheldon is an odd, stubborn creature of habit with little regard for social conventions or norms. He is a genius – and he knows it, often overestimating his own importance at the expense of others. Sheldon’s strange idiosyncrasies are a huge part of what’s made The Big Bang Theory such a popular and well loved television series, and much of the show deals with him and his growth as a person.
Jim Parsons / Sheldon Cooper: Now
It’s easy to make the argument that Jim Parsons is the person responsible for The Big Bang Theory’s outrageous success. A classically trained actor from Texas, Parsons studied theater for many years before landing the role of Sheldon. He says he auditioned for something between 15 to 30 other sitcoms before one of them was picked up by a network. His performance in his Sheldon audition was so spectacular that the show’s producer, Chuck Lorre, demanded he come back for a second one, just to see if he could reproduce the performance.
Today, Parsons is one of TVs highest paid actors, making as much as $1 million per episode.