Jim Parsons then
By the time Jim Parsons took the starring role of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, he had already auditioned for between 15 and 30 television pilots, many of which he was cast in but were not picked up by networks. In 2012, The New York Times revealed that Parsons was gay and had been with his partner, director Todd Spiewak, for ten years.
Jim Parsons now
The final episode of The Big Bang Theory may have aired in 2019, but that doesn’t mean that Parsons has said goodbye to the property, as he still plays his iconic role via voiceover in prequel series Young Sheldon. Parsons splits his time between Gramercy Park, New York and his second home in LA, and has been married to Todd Spiewak since 2017.
Kaley Cuoco then
Kaley Cuoco began acting at just seven years old and made her feature film debut at ten. By the time she took the role of quintessential girl next door, Penny, on The Big Bang Theory, she had already starred in her own sitcom, 8 Simple Rules. Cuoco dated her co-star/screen love interest Johnny Galecki from 2007 to 2009. They remain on good terms today.
Kaley Cuoco now
Since The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco has earned both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy nomination for The Flight Attendant, and voices the title role in animated series Harley Quinn. She married equestrian Karl Cook in 2018, but they split in 2021. In 2022, Cuoco revealed she was dating actor Tom Pelphrey, and the pair’s daughter Matilda was born in March 2023.
Johnny Galecki then
Johnny Galecki started out as a child star, and was already a sitcom veteran before The Big Bang Theory rolled around thanks to his time on Roseanne. Originally offered the role of Sheldon, he opted to play Leonard instead. In Big Bang’s early days, Galecki dated his co-star and fellow Roseanne veteran Sara Gilbert, though the pair split when she realised she was a lesbian.
Johnny Galecki now
Following the end of The Big Bang Theory, Johnny Galecki has spent much of his time in Santa Margarita, California, on 360 acres of private ranch land. He had his first child, Avery, with Alaina Meyer in November of 2019, a year after they went public with their relationship. The pair separated in 2020, and Galecki has yet to be seen publicly with another partner.
Simon Helberg then
Simon Helberg’s career has always been a little offbeat. In the pre-Big Bang Theory days, he split his time between his sketch comedy duo Derek and Simon and playing a variety of nerdy or otherwise downtrodden men on the big screen. In 2007, the same year The Big Bang Theory premiered, he married Jocelyn Towne, actress and niece of screenwriter Robert Towne.
Simon Helberg now
Once The Big Bang Theory ended, Simon Helberg took an extended break from acting, only returning to the spotlight in 2021 with director Leos Carax’s English-language debut Annette. To obtain the role of The Accompanist, Helberg became a French citizen through his wife, Jocelyn Towne. Helberg and Towne have a daughter and a son together.
Kunal Nayyar then
Kunal Nayyar’s early career consisted mostly of plays put on in London, American television commercial appearances and work done in his childhood home of New Delhi. The year before The Big Bang Theory, he teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy. He married his sweetheart, model and former Miss India Neha Kapur, in 2011.
Kunal Nayyar now
Since The Big Bang Theory ended, Kunal Nayyar has taken on more serious and sombre roles, playing a convicted serial killer named Sandeep in Criminal: UK, and joining the cast of the thriller miniseries Suspicion. His upcoming projects include Spaceman, a science fiction drama starring Adam Sandler, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, a novel adaptation in which he plays the title role.
Mayim Bialik then
Mayim Bialik had plenty of sitcom experience prior to joining The Big Bang Theory, having played the titular character in NBC’s Blossom from 1991 to 1995. Bialik was cast late into TBBT, playing Dr Amy Farrah Fowler, the neuroscientist girlfriend and eventual wife of Sheldon Cooper, who gradually tamed him across several seasons.
Mayim Bialik now
Following the end of The Big Bang Theory, Bialik was announced as the host of the primetime version of Jeopardy! after Mike Richards stepped down in August 2021. She was married to Michael Stone from 2003 to 2013, with whom she shares two children, and has written a book on parenting.
Melissa Rauch then
Rauch started her career as a regular contributor on the VH1 series Best Week Ever and as Tina on the American remake of Kath & Kim before signing up for The Big Bang Theory as Bernadette, Penny’s co-worker at the Cheesecake Factory. She began a relationship with Howard in season three, and they married in the season five finale.
Melissa Rauch now
In 2019, Rauch published a children’s book titled The Tales of Tofu, inspired by her passion for healthy eating. In 2022 she starred in the NBC revival of Night Court in which she plays Judge Abby Stone. She is married to writer Winston Beigel. In 2017 they welcomed a daughter Sadie, and in 2020 they welcomed a son called Brooks.
Kevin Sussman then
Sussman made a name for himself playing geeky characters long before he was cast as the comic book shop owner Stuart Bloom in The Big Bang Theory. He starred in adverts for such companies as FedEx before going on to star in the hit show Ugly Betty. At first, he was a TBBT recurring character, before evolving into a more regular role.
Kevin Sussman now
Sussman seems to be enjoying his time off outside The Big Bang Theory, which is a nice way of saying he hasn’t got up to too much acting-wise. He has appeared in the drama miniseries The Dropout and made two appearances as Mr. Lingk in Netflix sensation Better Caul Saul. In April 2023, Sussman revealed he had married the actress Addie Hall.
John Ross Bowie then
John Ross Bowie appeared opposite Marlee Matlin in What the Bleep Do We Know!? and made guest appearances in Reno 911!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee and Good Luck Charlie prior to joining The Big Banf Theory. On it, he played the lovable nemesis of the main gang, Barry Kripke.
John Ross Bowie now
John Ross Bowie has done a few spots on television since 2019. In 2022, his memoir No Jon for a Man was published by Pegasus Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. Publishers Weekly called the book a “smart, pithy memoir with an earnest emotional arc.” Since 2004, Bowie has been married to actress and comedian Jamie Denbo. They share a daughter and a son.
Brian Posehn then
Brian Posehn’s first major role was on HBO’s Mr. Show with Bob and David in 1995. He received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1998 and 1999 for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program for his work on the show. In 2009, he landed the role of geologist Bert Kibbler on The Big Bang Theory.
Brian Posehn now
After The Big Bang Theory, Posehn released an album called Grandpa Metal, a compilation of comedy metal songs featuring appearances from Brendon Small of Dethklok, Scott Ian, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, and Weird Al Yankovic. He has been married to Melanie Truhett since 2004, with whom he shares a son.
Christine Baranski then
Baranski was already an established Emmy-winning actress prior to starring as Leonard’s mother on The Big Bang Theory. She played Maryann Thorpe on the sitcom Cybill between 1995 and 1998 and went on to receive critical acclaim for her performance as Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife.
Christine Baranski now
Since the end of The Big Bang Theory, Baranski has gone on to star in the CBS spinoff of The Good Wife, called The Good Fight. At the 79th Golden Globe Awards, she was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress. Her husband Matthew Cowles sadly passed in 2014; they had two children together, including Roswell, New Mexico actress Lily Cowles.
Wil Wheaton then
Thanks to its constant stream of pop cultural references, The Big Bang Theory featured many real celebrities playing exaggerated versions of themselves. The most popular was Wil Wheaton. Prior to joining the show, he was primarily known for his work on Stand by Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Wil Wheaton now
Wheaton reprised his role as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: Picard in 2022. For the most part, though, he spends his time being his lovable self, jumping between acting, writing and podcasting. Wheaton has been married to his wife Anne since 1999. When her two sons from a previous relationship turned 16 and asked Wheaton to adopt them, he did.
Laurie Metcalf then
Metcalf found fame by playing Jackie Harris on Roseanne between 1988 and 1997. After that, she went on to star in Monk, The Norm Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun and Desperate Housewives. In 2007, The Big Bang Theory came knocking, and Metcalf was cast as Mary Cooper, the no-nonsense, Bible-thumping Texan mother of Sheldon.
Laurie Metcalf now
In 2017, Metcalf starred in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird alongside Saoirse Ronan and Tracy Letts, and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance. She has been married and divorced twice. Her first marriage resulted in the birth of her daughter Zoe Perry, who portrays the younger Mary Cooper in Young Sheldon.
Aarti Mann then
Aarti Majumdar, better known by her stage name Aarti Mann, starred in several TV shows throughout the 2000s, including the sci-fi drama Heroes and the soap opera The Young and the Restless. In 2007, she was cast as Priya Koothrappali, the older sister of Raj.
Aarti Mann now
Since The Big Bang Theory, Mann has had roles in Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor. But she remains most known for her role as Priya and even has a devoted fanbase who think that she should’ve ended up with Leonard over his eventual girlfriend and wife, Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco. Mann is married to Purvesh Mankad, who works in finance. They share a daughter, Nikita.
Sara Gilbert then
Gilbert is best known for her role as Darlene Conner on ABC’s Roseanne in the 1990s, for which she received two Emmy Award nominations. She also created and formerly co-hosted daytime talk show The Talk. For some fans though, she’ll always be Leslie Winkle, Sheldon Cooper’s cynical foil.
Sara Gilbert now
In June 2018, ABC announced it had ordered ten episodes of a spinoff of Roseanne called The Conners featuring the regular cast besides Roseanne Barr. Gilbert signed on as both a cast member and executive producer. From 2014 to 2019, she was married to singer Linda Perry. Perry gave birth to their son Rhodes in 2015.
Laura Spencer then
Prior to joining the Big Bang Theory, Spencer had studied at the University of Oklahoma and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2008. Her only role before playing Emily Sweeney was as Jane Bennet in the web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Spencer joined TBBT in the show’s seventh season as Raj’s love interest.
Laura Spencer now
Spencer hasn’t appeared in much since she was written out of The Big Bang Theory, having only appeared in an episode of FX’s Reservation Dogs and the disaster film 13 Minutes. She did marry a certain Michael Jack Greenwald in 2019, however, though her online presence is scant.
Brian Thomas Smith then
Smith excelled in commercial work before moving into TV, starring in over 100 adverts for Miller Lite, Pizza Hut, Burger King, State Farm, Lopez Tonight, Chevrolet, Carl’s Jr., Coors Light, Budweiser, and Taco Bell. In 2010, he joined The Big Bang Theory in a recurring role as Penny’s dim-witted but kind ex-boyfriend, Zack Johnson.
Brian Thomas Smith now
Brian Thomas would feature randomly in The Big Bang Theory right up until its final 12th season. After the show wrapped, he moved on to another recurring role, this time in the comedy series United States of Al, portraying Freddy, Riley’s ex-wife and boyfriend of Vanessa. In real life, he is married to a woman named Maggie. They share two kids.
Brian George then
Brian George earned his comedy chops as part of Chicago’s famous theatre troupe The Second City, working alongside John Candy and others. His first big break came as Babu Bhatt in Seinfeld, the recurring Pakistani neighbour of Jerry and Kramer. In 2009, he was hired to play Raj’s father in The Big Bang Theory.
Brian George now
George has gained a bit of work since the end of The Big Bang Theory, doing the voice of Alfred Pennyworth in the animated 2019 film Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and reprising his role as Dr. Sleevemore in the That’s So Raven spinoff Raven’s Home.
Lauren Lapkus then
Lauren Lapkus joined The Big Bang Theory fairly late on but made a good impression on fans as the long-awaited love interest of comic book shop owner Stuart Bloom. Before that, she was known for playing Susan Fischer in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black as well as Jess in the HBO comedy-drama series Crashing.
Lauren Lapkus now
After The Big Bang Theory, Lapkus launched a weekly podcast called Newcomers with Nicole Byer, in which they watch film franchises for the first time and provide commentary. She married comedian and actor Mike Castle in 2018 and in 2021, they welcomed a daughter, Holly.
Kate Micucci then
Micucci is a comedian and musician who is one half of Garfunkel and Oates. Acting-wise, she starred as Stephanie Gooch in Scrubs and Ally in ‘Til Death. In January 2013, she was cast as the painfully shy but sweet love interest of Raj, Lucy. The relationship, like many of Raj’s, didn’t work out but she made a good impression on fans!
Kate Micucci now
After leaving The Big Bang Theory, Micucci provided the voice of Velma Dinkley in various Scooby-Doo projects, starting with the TV series Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! In 2017, she voiced Webby Vanderquack in the 2017 reboot of DuckTales. She had a son with her husband Jake Sinclair in January 2020.
Sara Rue then
Known for her performances as Carmen Ferrara on Popular, Claude Casey on Less than Perfect, and as the Attorney General in Idiocracy, Sara Rue’s portrayal of Leonard’s girlfriend Dr. Stephanie Barnett on The Big Bang Theory was brief but memorable. Off-screen, she shacked up with teacher Kevin Price.
Sara Rue now
In 2017, Rue was cast in the recurring role of Olivia Caliban in the second season of the Netflix dramedy adaptation A Series of Unfortunate Events. Sara and Kevin tied the knot in 2011 and have been happily married ever since, welcoming two daughters into their lives, Talulah, a biological child, and Adelaide, whom they adopted.
Jerry O’Connell then
Known best for his roles in the Stephen King adaptation Stand by Me and Tom Cruise flick Jerry Maguire, and infamously known for his role in 2003’s Kangaroo Jack, Jerry O’Connell has been acting more or less his whole life. In the 2010s, he landed the role of Sheldon’s elder, redneck brother George Cooper Jr, appearing in three episodes across the last two seasons of The Big Bang Theory.
Jerry O’Connell now
O’Connell’s recent credits include the films Endangered Species, Pups Alone, and Play Dead. In July 2007, he married actress and former model Rebecca Romijn. They have twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie who were born in 2008. The happy family live together in Calabasas, California. O’Connell often shares pictures of his wife and daughters on his Instagram account.
Lance Barber then
Lance Barber was mostly known for playing Bill Ponderosa on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia when he was cast as Leonard’s high school bully-turned-loser Jimmy Speckerman on The Big Bang Theory in 2011. Strangely enough, Barber was then re-cast in the same show as the younger version of Sheldon’s father, George Cooper.
Lance Barber now
Since 2017, Barber’s main role has been as George Cooper on The Big Bang Theory spin-off prequel, Young Sheldon. He is married to Aliza, a chef, with whom he shares two children, a son and a daughter. Seemingly private, Barber never posts his own children on his Instagram account, choosing instead to post funny pictures of his TV children.
Alessandra Torresani then
Torresani’s career began when she was just eight after landing a job doing interviews between cartoons on the WB Television Network. In 2016, she appeared in five episodes of The Big Bang Theory as bartender and aspiring screenwriter Claire, one of Raj’s many love interests. Fans took to her character well, even if the writers ultimately didn’t.
Alessandra Torresani now
Torresani, who lives with bipolar disorder, hosts EmotionAL Support with Alessandra Torresani, a mental health podcast. Her most recent TV credit was in a 2020 episode of Batwoman. She was once spotted at the Coachella music festival with Rob Kardashian, sending the tabloids into a spin. These days, she’s the mother of a baby daughter.
Katey Sagal then
Known for playing Peggy Bundy on Married with Children, Leela on Futurama, Gemma Teller Morrow on Sons of Anarchy, and Louise Goldufski-Conner on The Conners, Sagal’s casting on The Big Bang Theory as Penny’s mother was more symbolic than anything. She had previously portrayed Kaley Cuoco’s mother on 8 Simple Rules.
Katey Sagal now
In February 2022, Hulu announced that they would be reviving Futurama for a 20-episode run set to premiere in 2023 and that Sagal would be returning to voice Leela. She has been married to writer-producer Kurt Sutter since October 2004. They have a daughter together, Esme Louise, who was born in 2007 through a surrogate. Sagal also has two other children from her marriage to second husband Jack White.
Mark Harelik then
Mark Harelik’s career started long before The Big Bang Theory was even pitched, having starred in episodes of Will & Grace, Seinfeld and Boy Meets World. Younger generations will know him as the wisecracking Dr. Eric Gablehauser, the Caltech professor on Sheldon’s endless list of petty enemies.
Mark Harelik now
Harelik’s most recent TV credit was in a 2022 episode of The Rookie. He has been married to actress Spencer Kayden since 2004, with whom he shares one child. Kayden is known for his performance in the Broadway show Urinetown and as a former cast member of MADtv. Harelik and Kayden have actually appeared together on stage in the past.
Regina King then
Regina King made her name in the 1990s with a string of hits that included Boyz n the Hood, Poetic Justice, Jerry Maguire and How Stella Got Her Groove Back before starring in Ray and A Cinderella Story in the 2000s. In 2013, she was cast in Big Bang as Janine Davis, a steely Caltech professor who never takes any of Sheldon’s nonsense.
Regina King now
In October 2021, King starred in the Netflix Western The Harder They Fall, winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She was married to Ian Alexander Sr from 1997 to 2007. Their son, Ian Alexander Jr, a DJ and recording artist, died by suicide in January 2022, at the tender age of 26.
Riki Lindhome then
Outside of her work with comedy folk duo Garfunkel and Oates, Lindhome has been working in television since her 2002 debut in Titus and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Between 2005 and 2006, she guest-starred on the WB series Gilmore Girls. But she’s best known as Ramona Nowitzki, the crazed graduate student obsessed with Sheldon, in seasons two, ten and 11 of Big Bang.
Riki Lindhome now
Between 2020 and 2022, Lindhome voiced the recurring role of Kimberley Harris in the Fox animation Duncanville. In 2022, she starred as Dr Valerie in the Netflix smash spin-off Wednesday, while she most recently guest-starred on the Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem. Lindhome has one son, who was born in March 2022, though her marital status is unknown.
Brian Patrick Wade then
Beefcake Brian Patrick Wade made his debut in 2002 as an exotic dancer on CSI: Miami, later appearing in episodes of Two and a Half Men, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, NCIS, Las Vegas, Surface, ‘Til Death, The Closer, The Game, and Teen Wolf. He starred in the early episodes of season one of The Big Bang Theory as Penny’s ex-boyfriend Kurt.
Brian Patrick Wade now
From 2014 to 2018, Wade starred as Carl Creel in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, across nine episodes. He is married to Jill Wade, a bodybuilder and fitness trainer in her own right. The couple regularly post gym selfies together on their Instagram accounts. They have three children, the most recent of whom, Britton, was born in June 2023.
Keith Carradine then
A member of the famous Carradine acting family, Keith Carradine is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Nashville, E. J. Bellocq in Pretty Baby, Mickey in Choose Me, and Lou Solverson in the first season of Fargo. To younger generations, though, he will be primarily known as Penny’s father Wyatt in The Big Bang Theory.
Keith Carradine now
Carradine continues to act outside of The Big Bang Theory, landing roles in the revisionist Western The Power of the Dog and most recently, They Listen, a horror film backed by Blumhouse Productions. He was married to Sandra Will from 1982 to 1993, with whom she shares two children. In 2016, he married actress Hayley DuMond in Turin, Italy.
Joshua Malina then
Joshua Malina is best known for playing Will Bailey on the NBC drama The West Wing, US Attorney General David Rosen on Scandal, and Jeremy Goodwin on Sports Night. But his recurring stint on The Big Bang Theory, as sardonic Caltech president Mr Siebert, gained him a whole new fanbase. He appeared in 13 episodes in total.
Joshua Malina now
Outside of The Big Bang Theory, Malina is an avid poker player. In his early career, he used his earnings to pay for his rent. From 2016 to 2020, he co-hosted The West Wing Weekly podcast with Hrishikesh Hirway. In 1992, he met his wife, Melissa Merwin, a costume designer. They were married in 1996 and share two children, Isabel and Avi.
Casey Sander then
Casey Sander has been on everything. Criminal Minds, The Golden Girls, Grace Under Fire, Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Rules of Engagement, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Silicon Valley, The Newsroom, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NCIS… you name it, he’s been on it. Between 2012 and 2015, he portrayed Bernadette’s no-nonsense father on The Big Bang Theory.
Casey Sander now
Casey Sander’s shows since The Big Bang Theory have included The Orville, the Neighborhood, The Ranch, Perfect Harmony, Sydney to the Max and Mythic Quest. He also had a minor role in the Dick Cheney biopic Vice. While his marital status is not known, he does have two children, a son called Max and a daughter called Mimi.
Judd Hirsch then
Judd Hirsch gained fame with his lead role in the popular sitcom Taxi, which ran from 1978 to 1983. For his performance of Alex Rieger, Hirsch won the Emmy Award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series twice, once in 1981 and again in 1983. In 2016, he was cast as the father of Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, often used as comic relief from his overbearing mother.
Judd Hirsch now
Judd Hirsch has had two major roles since the end of The Big Bang Theory. In 2019, he starred opposite Adam Sandler in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems. And in 2022, he starred in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, for which he was nominated an Academy Award at the age of 87, making him the second-eldest nominee ever. Hirsch has two kids from two separate marriages.
Bob Newhart then
Newhart made his name with comedy albums back in the early 1960s – one of which remains the best-selling comedy album in history – before shifting to television in 1972 with The Bob Newhart Show. He hopped from sitcom to sitcom throughout the 1980s, ending with his stint as Professor Proton on The Big Bang Theory.
Bob Newhart now
Newhart earned his first-ever Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the sitcom. Professor Proton’s character was killed off but he would return in ghost form (dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi) to offer Sheldon some much-needed advice. Newhart hasn’t acted since TBBT. He was married to Ginnie Quinn from 1963 until her death in 2023 at the age of 82.
Rati Gupta then
Rati Gupta flew out to Los Angeles with the hopes of becoming a dancer, but after hitting “wall after wall”, she called it quits and took up acting instead, which ended up paying off. Having done bit parts in the likes of Future Man and FX’s Better Things, Gupta was cast as Anu, the arranged love interest of Raj in The Big Bang Theory.
Rati Gupta now
Anu and Raj weren’t endgame despite promising beginnings, but the role was a nice addition to Gupta’s admittedly sparse acting CV. Since the end of The Big Bang Theory, she has starred in one episode of the true crime miniseries Unbelievable. It’s not clear if Gupta is in a relationship or married as of 2023.
