The Big Bang Theory has been making audiences laugh since its premiere in 2007, when we were first introduced to the geeky but brilliant crew of CalTech researchers and their neighbor, Penny. After 10 years on the air, here’s what the cast looked like then and now.
Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz – Then
Though often looked down upon by Sheldon because he ‘only’ holds a Master’s degree in engineering from MIT, Howard eventually manages to parlay his expertise into becoming an astronaut for NASA. In the early seasons, Howard was often trying and failing to score a date with a variety of different women, That all changed with Penny introduces him to her coworker Bernadette in season 3, who was working at the Cheesecake Factory in order to pay for grad school.
Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz – Now
Simon is another one of the original cast who has been with The Big Bang Theory since day one, when he was introduced as the nerdy mama’s boy, still caught under his overbearing mother’s thumb. Recently, Simon has also managed to fit in several film appearances in addition to his work on The Big Bang Theory, including a turn as the pianist Cosme McMoon in Florence Foster Jenkins, which also starred Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant.
Laura Spencer as Emily Sweeney – Then
Laura Spencer plays the slightly morbid dermatologist that Raj meets via online dating during the seventh season of the show. She becomes entangled in a love triangle with Raj and another woman he’s dating, Lucy, but Emily is unfazed. The two enjoy watching horror movies together, and she entertains Raj with macabre jokes. They eventually enter into a fairly serious relationship, but Raj finds in the end that he is still struggling with commitment.
Laura Spencer as Emily Sweeney – Now
Raj wasn’t the only one two timing, as Laura Spencer was also appearing in Bones as Jessica Warren, which recently wrapped production. While it’s unclear whether or not Laura will reprise her role as Emily in the near future, as Raj recently broke up with her again, she doesn’t seem to have ruled out the possibility. In the meantime, Laura recently filmed a short film called Vitality, where she plays the role of Christine.
Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom – Then
Kevin Sussman was introduced to the show as Stuart during the second season, as the owner of comic book store that the guys frequent in Pasadena. Though he isn’t one of the core members of the group, Stuart often pops up during their misadventures, though the character struggles even more than they do to fit in. Stuart is characterized by his often depressed demeanor that is usually the result of some mishap or another.
Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom – Now
Kevin has been working for a long time prior to starting The Big Bang Theory.His prior roles included appearances on Ugly Betty, as well as working on the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, which Steven Spielberg directed in 2001. Kevin’s real life isn’t exactly similar to the struggling existence he portrays at Stuart. In addition to his regular work on The Big Bang Theory, Sussman reprised his role as Steve in the Netflix series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp in 2015.
Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle – Then
Sara Gilbert is another actress who got her start on Roseanne that went on to appear on The Big Bang Theory. Playing Leslie Winkle, essentially the female version of Leonard, the two got to re-live their onscreen relationship when Leonard asks Leslie out in Season 1, fearing that a girl like Penny would never go out with him. Leslie, however, often clashed with Sheldon, making the relationship difficult to maintain. Leslie would eventually go on to have a dalliance with Howard as well.
Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle – Now
Though it has been several years since Sara has appeared on The Big Bang Theory, she is still most often recognized for her years playing Darlene Connor on Roseanne, a role she has agreed to reprise in the upcoming revival that is set to be released in 2018. Sara will also be serving as an executive producer on the new production. Sara is also the co-host of CBS’s The Talk and is married to wife Linda Perry, with whom she is raising three children.
Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Wolowitz – Then
We’re first introduced to microbiologist Bernadette in season three when Penny offers to set her up with Howard. The pair struggled to find common ground early in their relationship, until Bernadette realized that Howard’s mother was similar to her own. The two eventually married, making Howard the first of the gang to settle down and to start a family. Bernadette quickly became an integral part of the formula on The Big Bang Theory and was Penny’s first regular female companion on the show.
Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Wolowitz – Now
Melissa Rauch got her start working as a stand up comedian in New York City, while she studied acting at Marymount College. Though she had performed a successful solo show in New York City, The Big Bang Theory was her breakout role. During the course of her run on The Big Bang Theory, she has also had roles in several other TV shows and films, including True Blood and The Bronze. She also voiced Francine in 2016’s Ice Age: Collision Course.
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper – Then
Sheldon has been charming audiences with his bumbling social mishaps since the very first episode of The Big Bang Theory. He works alongside Leonard at CalTech as a theoretical physicist, an occupation he often finds superior to Leonard’s experimentation. Jim Parsons perfectly captures Sheldon’s misguided sense of superiority that earned him a Ph.d at an exceptionally early age, but fails to recognize the nuance of social situations. Despite his lack of social mores, his friends continue to stick by his side.
Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper – Now
It can be hard to believe sometimes that Sheldon proved to be Parson’s big break, given his facile performance on the show. He has gone on to win a number of prestigious awards for playing Sheldon, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and one Golden Globe. Parsons made his Broadway debut in 2011 in A Normal Heart, and has parlayed his popularity into a salary of $900,000 per episode alongside his costars.
Sara Rue as Stephanie Barnett – Then
When Stephanie was introduced, she was yet another woman Howard was trying to make a move on. A sassy surgical resident at Fremont Memorial Hospital, she has no interest in Howard, but sets her sights on Leonard instead. Though Howard was initially upset, Leonard and Stephanie proceed to get into a serious relationship, until Leonard realizes that she has essentially moved into his room little bit little. Leonard ends the relationship by dumping her over text message.
Sara Rue as Stephanie Barnett – Now
Sara hasn’t appeared on The Big Bang Theory since she and Leonard broke up in 2008, but she has been working consistently on television ever since. She spent three years playing Brenda on Rules of Engagement between 2010 and 2013, followed by a run on Mom as Candace. From 2015 to 2017, Sara played Karen Delfs on Bones, which just wrapped recently. Next year, she will appear in a number of episodes of the Netflix show, A Series of Unfortunate Events as the Librarian.
Margo Harshman as Alex Jensen – Then
The character of Alex is introduced as a doctoral student placed with Sheldon as a research assistant, but Sheldon often gave her busy work, rather than actually allowing her to help him. When he brings her back to the gang with him, she develops a noticeable crush on Leonard, which Penny takes note of, though Leonard remained oblivious. She eventually tries to ask Leonard out, but he maintains his fidelity to Penny and turns her down.
Margo Harshman as Alex Jensen – Now
Prior to her run on The Big Bang Theory, Margo Harshman was a regular on the Disney Channel show, Even Stevens, when she played Louis Stevens’s friend, Tawny Dean. Margo has been working consistently since she finished her arc on The Big Bang Theory. Her most notable role since then has been Delilah Fielding on NCIS, a run which began in 2013 that is ongoing as of this year. This year she also appeared in Love on the Vines as Diana Armstrong.
John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke – Then
Barry Kripke established himself from the get go as one of Sheldon’s many nemeses from his first introduction in season two. Aside from constantly antagonizing the gang as a rival physicist, though one who studies plasma and string theory, Barry is still beloved for his sarcastic quips that are always punctuated by his speech impediment that prevents him from properly pronouncing his r’s. John Ross Bowie has made appearances as Barry in every season since his introduction.
John Ross Bowie – Now
John Ross Bowie has had an extensive career on screen from long before he began working on The Big Bang Theory. Bowie has been working in comedy for years, as both a performer and as a writer, prior to moving into film acting. Bowie has continued to participate in a number of other acting projects in the time he’s not filming The Big Bang Theory. Most recently, he has began starring as the father in Speechless, Jimmy DiMeo.
Wil Wheaton as Wil Wheaton – Then
As the child star of Star Trek, Wil Wheaton was the perfect actor to play an exaggerated version of himself on The Big Bang Theory. His entrance as a celebrity Sheldon had been dying to meet was played perfectly when he turned out to be less than kind, disappointing Sheldon so much that he became yet another of Sheldon’s enemies, for a time at least. Though the two have seemed to set aside their differences now, it’s not always easy being Sheldon’s friend.
Wil Wheaton – Now
Richard William Wheaton III, better known as Wil Wheaton began acting as a child when he was cast in Stand by Me. He followed up the role with a long run as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wil has been acting consistently since his start, and he also often works as a voice over artist. In addition to his current work on The Big Bang Theory, he also hosts his own YouTube series, titled TableTop.
Laurie Metcalf as Mary Cooper – Then
As written on the show, Mary Cooper, played by another Roseanne alumna, Laurie Metcalf, Mary is almost the antithesis of her genius son Sheldon. Mary is an extremely religious Christian, whose beliefs often directly contrast with Sheldon’s. Even so, she’s a caring mother, always showing up to help Sheldon when he’s most in need, usually when alerted by a concerned Leonard. Metcalf has been playing Mrs. Cooper since the character’s introduction.
Laurie Metcalf – Now
Laurie Metcalf has had a prolific career over the years, ever since her role as Roseanne’s sister Jackie on the sitcom, Roseanne. She has also appeared on a number of other shows including Desperate Housewives, Getting On, and more recently, the short-lived The McCarthy’s. She has also voiced Andy’s mom in all three of the Toy Story movies, in addition to several other film roles. Most recently, Laurie won a Tony award this past spring for her work on Broadway.
Christine Baranski as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter – Then
The inimitable Christine Baranski has been appearing on The Big Bang Theory since 2009 when she was cast as Leonard’s psychiatrist mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter. Leonard and his mother don’t exactly have a close relationship, as Beverly often considers Leonard a psychiatric experiment before she sees him as a son. He was often humiliated by her use of him as a parenting experiment, and has been constantly working for her approval his entire life.
Christine Baranski – Now
If you’re as consistently impressed by Christine’s stellar performances as the icy Beverly, it might be because she trained at the exclusive Juilliard School in New York City. Though she excels as the steely psychiatrist on The Big Bang Theory, Baranski has an incredible amount of range as an actress, both on the stage and on film. She has appeared in several musicals, including the film adaptations of Chicago and Mama Mia!. She recently wrapped The Good Wife, and will be seen in its spin off.
