ADVERTISEMENT From Penny’s new flames through to Stuart, the comic book store owner, we’ve grown to love pretty much every character that’s walked onto the set of The Big Bang Theory. However, have you ever wondered what the people behind the characters are actually like in real life? John Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter – Then Leonard is an original cast member, appearing on the show since the airing of the pilot. His character is the best friend and roommate of fellow star, Sheldon Cooper. The pair work at a university where Leonard is an experimental physicist who often comically gets annoyed at his best friend, but ultimately always ends up forgiving his behaviors. His neighbor across the hall, the beautiful and cool Penny, captures Leonard’s heart from the beginning of the show, with the two finally marrying during the ninth season after years of on-off dating.

John Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter – Now In real life, John was involved in many projects before he landed a starring role on The Big Bang Theory. However, none of them exploded in the same way as Leonard did. Audiences could not get enough. The character has won John many awards, including an Emmy for the leading role in a comedy television series. When season eight was in the works, John renegotiated his salary from $350,000 per episode, to nearly $1 million.



Alessandra Torresani as Claire – Then Claire is the cute bartender, that meets Howard and Raj at Stuart’s store. She asks Raj to help write her sci-fi movie she is working on for children. Raj thinks there is chemistry between them, but Claire doesn’t share the same feelings. She is shocked by the fact that Raj split with his Emily to pursue a relationship but then later calls him to ask him out. Claire dates Raj at the same time as Emily, but Raj ends up breaking up with them both.

Alessandra Torresani as Claire – Now This beautiful 30 year old actress has had a few exciting roles before getting the part of The Big Bang Theory. Some of these include characters on Two and a Half Men, American Horror Story, and Husbands. It doesn’t seem that Alessandra will be making a return as Claire to the show, but she has just finished her role in the movie Step Sisters where she plays a character named Amber.



Sara Rueas as Stephanie Barnett – Then

During the second season Stephanie makes her debut as a surgical resident and doctor at the hospital Howard must visit. He begins to flirt with her, and offers to let her drive the Mars Rover he is looking after! Stephanie ends up falling for Leonard, to which Howard is very upset and angry. They become a couple with Stephanie practically moving in with Leonard and Sheldon until Leonard decides to break up with her by sending her a text. During the second season Stephanie makes her debut as a surgical resident and doctor at the hospital Howard must visit. He begins to flirt with her, and offers to let her drive the Mars Rover he is looking after! Stephanie ends up falling for Leonard, to which Howard is very upset and angry. They become a couple with Stephanie practically moving in with Leonard and Sheldon until Leonard decides to break up with her by sending her a text.

Sara Rue as Stephanie Barnett – Now Since she left the show, Sara has been cast in many minor roles for different TV series. Some of these include Brenda in the show Rules of Engagement, Kim Sallinger in Malibu Country, and Candice for the show Mom. While they haven’t been breakthrough, at 38 years old Sara is set next be seen playing the role of the librarian in A Series of Unfortunate Events when it premieres on Netflix at the beginning of next year.



Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle – Then Leslie works alongside Leonard at Caltech and she, too, works in experimental physics. This character is basically the female Leonard. He plucks up the courage to ask his co-worker on a date during the first season, however, Leslie eventually ends up having a relationship with Howard instead, for a short period. Leslie is known to have an ongoing feud with Sheldon throughout the series.

Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle – Now Sara Gilbert is now 42 years old in real life. Outside of The Big Bang Theory, Sara first became well known in the acting world, for her role on the well-known show Roseanne, playing the character Darlene Conner. It has recently been announced that Sara will be bringing the character back to life, as well as taking on the role of executive producer for the show when the season is brought back to life again next year.

Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz – Then Howard works as an aerospace engineer at Caltech that even managed to go to space. On the show, he is still under the reign of his mother who loves to treat him as her baby boy, even though he is more than grown up and has even made many achievements in science. Penny introduces him to Bernadette in the third season, a fellow waitress at The Cheesecake Factory. Bernadette and Howard tie the knot in the fifth season and go on to have Hallie, their daughter.

Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz – Now His character has been on the show since the very beginning, even appearing in episodes while Howard was in space. Since the success of the show, Simon has been involved in the movie Florence Foster Jenkins, working alongside big tim actors such as Hugh Grant and Meryl Streep, as well as voicing Bian Zao throughout the Kung Fu Panda television series. Unfortunately for Simon, he takes home less than some of his co-stars as he is making $750,000 for each of his episodes for The Big Bang Theory.



Laura Spencer as Emily Sweeney – Then The sweet dermatologist meets Raj during the seventh season of the show, after she sees his profile on a dating site. However, Raj ends up dating Emily while continuing to date Lucy. Surprisingly Emily doesn’t mind, and Raj falls for her dark humor and passion for scary movies. Raj decides to end things with Emily when he meets another suitor, Claire, but when Emily calls him, she and Raj continue their relationship. Once again Raj is dating two women but ends it with Claire and Emily in the tenth season.



Laura Spencer as Emily Sweeney – Now Since her time on The Big Bang Theory, Laura has been pursuing other acting roles. She was also on Bones, playing the character of Jessica, and has recently finished shooting for the short film Vitality. Due to the nature of her exit, it doesn’t appear as though Laura could be returning to TBBT anytime soon, and it seems as though the actress is taking a break from the spotlight for a while.

Kunal Nayyar as Rajesh Koothrappali – Then Another member of the brainy gang is Raj, the astrophysicist who is introduced as the best friend of Howard in the beginning episode. He is usually seen hanging out with everyone at the apartment throughout the show. The cat always got his tongue at the beginning of the show as his anxiety in social situations meant he was unable to talk to a woman. Nonetheless, as we watched his progress, he was able to face his fears and go on to date many women, including being part of a love triangle at one point. His character is extremely lovable.

Kunal Nayyar as Rajesh Koothrappali – Now Kunal has been acting for a long time, but it wasn’t until he landed the role as Raj that he was able to make a significant name for himself in the acting world. Since starring on the show, he has acted in the movie Dr. Cabbie where he played the role of Tony, as well as voice Guy Diamond in the movie Trolls. At just 36 years old Kunal is pretty doing well for himself we would say, as he brings in a staggering $750,000 per episode of The Big Bang Theory.

Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom – Then The show just wouldn’t be complete without Stuart’s comic book store. The interesting character makes his first appearance during season two as the clan begin to make regular visits to his shop. Stuart is known for being alone and feeling lonely, but manages to make a strong bro bond with Raj when Howard is in space. Even though he’s their friend, Stuart is often left feeling like he doesn’t belong in the group and constantly looks for reassurance from them . Stuart also regularly has financial issues and struggles with his emotions. He is a character you just can’t help but feel sorry for.

Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom – Now The Big Bang Theory was just another step to success for Kevin as he has already made a name for himself in Hollywood. One of his most famous roles was his character of Supernerd in the movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence directed by Spielberg during 2001. At 46 years old, Kevin doesn’t have any money worries either (unlike his on-screen character) as he is currently making $50,000 per episode he is featured in.



Carol Ann Susi as Debbie Wolowitz – Then Debbie never actually appeared on screen, making her voice very recognizable during the show. This dominating mother had a very heavy New Jersey accent which was always heard shouting to her son, Howard. Debbie would continuously treat Howard as if he were still a child. Over the series of the show, there were small glimpses where Debbie appeared in the background, or sneakily crept in. Even though she wasn’t a main part, she was a favorite amongst the audience. [[I

Carol Ann Susi as Debbie Wolowitz – Now It was a tragic day when fans around the world learned that Carol Ann Susi had passed away after a long battle with lung cancer. The actress was just 62 years old when she died. The Big Bang Theory covered her untimely death well as her co-stars, and members of the crew were all grieving after her loss. The producers even released a heartfelt message, mentioning how much fun Carol brought to the show, and how she would stay with them forever. Our thoughts are with her family.

Aarti Mann as Priya Koothrappali – Then Raj’s younger sister, Priya, is studying at law school when she appears on the show in season four. Behind everyone else’s back her and Leonard begin dating, but Raj soon discovers this dirty little secret. Priya gives Leonard an ultimatum as she insists he has to cut contact with Penny to continue their relationship. Priya is forced to return to India when her parents find out about their daughter’s secret relationship. The couple attempts a long distance romance, but neither is able to remain loyal to the other.

Aarti Mann as Priya Koothrappali – Now Her role on The Big Bang Theory helped her quickly get noticed for other shows. She was cast on Suits where she played Maria Monro, as well as playing the character Agent Laura Kenney for the television series Scandal. Aarti has also starred in I’ll See You in My Dreams where she played Dr. DaSilva, but recently at 39 years old, she has been in Grey’s Anatomy, alongside filming for the upcoming film drama Love Sonia where she plays Jiah.

Margo Harshman as Alex Jensen – Then Alex makes a debut appearance on the show, landing the job as Sheldon’s assistant. Even though she is a physics doctoral student, Sheldon gives Alex the boring tasks that he doesn’t want to do instead of letting Alex help him with his research. After she is introduced to the other guys, Alex then starts to get feelings for Leonard. Even though Leonard didn’t pick up on the hints, Penny soon spotted what she was doing, so when Alex asked Leonard on a date he said no to the invitation.



Margo Harshman as Alex Jensen – Now Margo previously played Tawny Dean on the show Even Stevens, alongside Shia LaBeouf’s character, Louis Stevens. After the success of her character on The Big Bang Theory, Margo snapped up other roles including the show Bones where she played Alison Kidman, as well as landing a part in NCIS where she played the character of Delilah Fielding.



Brian Patrick as Kurt – Then Kurt is introduced to the audience as one of Penny’s ex-boyfriends. She had previously lived with Kurt for a number of years after she had moved from Nebraska to California before they broke things off. Kurt is shown to be the complete opposite to Leonard as he is a tall, muscly beefcake and not very clever; he soon becomes Leonard’s enemy, for good reason, and the two compete for Penny’s love. Penny admits that she doesn’t like Kurt anymore, but it takes a while for her to be able to move on from him.



Brian Patrick Wade as Kurt – Now Before he got the role as Kurt on The Big Bang Theory, Brian had been involved in other TV shows. Some of these include his role in the sequel movie Bring It On Again where he played Fatneck, as well as a part in The Guardian where he played Mitch Lyons. Following his time on TBBT Brian has landed himself a variety of small roles for shows but his main job is actually as a personal trainer.



Charlotte Newhouse as Joy – Then Howard and Bernadette are on a double date with Leonard when Bernadette introduces him to her friend Joy, the very loud and self-obsessed character that turns up to a very posh restaurant wearing her gym clothes. Joy announces she was late due to attending a spin class, while Leonard declares it was the worst date he had ever been on. Joy suggests that Leonard should accompany her to a wedding as her date where there may be something in it for him. Suddenly Leonard jumps at the opportunity.



Charlotte Newhouse as Joy – Now Charlotte had been acting for a while, before she played Joy on the Big Bang Theory, as she had been Jules Hayes on the show Brainstorm, as well as Professor Baker in Community. After her short time on The Big Bang Theory, Charlotte got a part on Idiotsitter where she played the character of Billie. This is the character that Charlotte is recognized for the most, but she has also done voice work for cartoons such as Adventure time and Mike Tyson Mysteries.

Valerie Azlynn as Alicia – Then Like Penny, Alicia is Leonard and Sheldon’s neighbor, who meets the pair when she is trying hard to make it as an actress. Sheldon approves of their new neighbor after she can answer all the random questions he throws at her as a test. Raj, Howard, and Leonard all fall hard for the newbie as they quickly begin doing anything she asks like loved up teenagers. Penny becomes jealous, shouting at the three, and telling them that they are being used. Penny gets a black eye after she and Alicia fight. The boys quickly stop helping Alicia out.



Valerie Azlynn as Alicia – Now Valerie acted in various movies and television series, before her appearance in TBBT, including an appearance in Tropic Thunder where she played the assistant to Damien. A few years ago in 2012, Valerie landed herself a main role in the comedy TV show Sullivan & Son where she played a character named Melanie Sutton.

Brooke D’Orsay as Christy Vanderbel – Then Penny brings Christy into the show, after her character was engaged to Penny’s cousin while Penny was dating her brother. Penny lets her stay in her apartment where Howard and Christy start dating. However, Christy is just using Howard as he buys her gifts. Christy ends up leaving Howard after his mother tells him that he won’t be in the will if they continue to see each other.



Brooke D’Orsay as Christy Vanderbel – Now The Big Bang Theory was a huge stepping stone for Brooke, and since her appearance on the popular show, she has been recognized and received roles on many shows. Brooke has appeared in Happy Hour as well as How I Met Your Mother. One of her longest running shows was when she voiced Caitlin for 6Teen as she featured in 86 episodes. Brooke has played two different roles for Two and a Half Men during 2007 and 2014. Her latest role was for Royal Pains, but most recently, at 35 years old she has decided to take time away from acting and focus on her personal life.

Steven Yeun as Sebastian – Then Appearing during a flashback episode where Leonard tells Penny about when he first met Sheldon, Sebastian is Sheldon’s previous roommate. He bumps into Leonard when he comes out of the elevator and Leonard is asking where he can find Sheldon’s apartment as he had just got his job working at the university so was looking for a place to stay.



Steven Yeun as Sebastian – Now When he first appeared on The Big Bang Theory, Steven was just starting out in the acting world and beginning his career as an actor. Now, he has made a strong and well recognized name for himself in Hollywood after he got cast as Glenn, one of the starring roles in the show The Walking Dead. He continued to act in the series until season seven where his character was killed off, but that didn’t kill off his career. Since then Steven has voiced a character for Trollhunters and has recently starred in the movie Burning.

Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki – Then Ramona makes her debut to the show in the lunch hall at Caltech where she meets Sheldon for the first time. She makes dinner and wants to bring it to his apartment. Everyone think Ramona is a stalker, but Sheldon just sees the strange gesture as a good opportunity for free food. When Ramona turns up at Sheldon’s apartment uninvited, everyone sits down to watch their dinner date. However, things take a turn for the worst when Ramona asks to be credited on Sheldon’s theorem; he quickly asks her to leave.

Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki – Now Over the years Riki has had a very successful acting career, including her roles in The Last House on the Left, and Million Dollar Baby. As well as starring in movies Riki has also been playing one of the leading roles in the sitcom Another Period. Riki is now 38 years old and has recently starred in the thriller movie Under the Silver Lake. The film has given Riki a chance to work alongside Riley Keough, the granddaughter of Elvis, as well as Superman buff Andrew Garfield.

Eliza Dushku as Angela Page – Then Angela is the FBI agent who is in charge of doing Howard’s background check before being cleared to join the Equipped Surveillance Satellite Team. Raj only speaks about how he is legally allowed to live in the U.S.; Leonard tries then to perfect the art of flirting with Angela, who then reveals that this would not please her Navy Seal husband, and Sheldon accidentally mentions that Howard had used the Mars Rover to woo a girl but had managed to crash the vehicle. Needless to say, the background checks didn’t go to plan.



Eliza Dushku as Angela Page – Now Before her appearance on The Big Bang Theory, Eliza was already a recognized name in Hollywood. Some of her most famous roles included her character Missy Pantone for the 90’s cult classic Bring It On, as well as playing Faith in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. Eliza has gone on to land the leading role of Echo in the TV show Dollhouse, as well as playing characters in Bull on CBS, and Banshee on Cinemax.

Courtney Henggeler as Missy Cooper – Then Missy and Sheldon aren’t just siblings, they’re twins! Missy is the complete opposite of her nerdy physicist brother as she is popular, chatty and a social butterfly: everything that Sheldon is not! Howard, Raj, and Leonard all of course fall for Missy, and vie for Missy’s attention. Sheldon declares that as her brother he will make the decision for her, but Missy doesn’t like this idea so makes friends with Penny. The boys all try winning Missy over while she is at Penny’s but no one is successful of course.



Courtney Henggeler as Missy Cooper – Now Courtney’s appearance on the show was one of the first acting roles she ended up landing when starting out her career. Since playing Sheldon’s sister, Courtney has got various other roles on television shows, but most of them have only been minor parts. She played the character of Claudia on the show Mom for two years, and this got her name out more, giving her a chance to work with the likes of Allison Janney and Anna Faris. At 36 years old Courtney has recently appeared in the movie Feed where she played a character named Kate.

Kate Micucci as Lucy – Then Lucy is one of Raj’s love interests in the show after the pair met when they attend a singles night at the comic book store on Valentine’s Day. Lucy isn’t very talkative as is very socially awkward. Raj relates to this and is attracted to her, but things don’t go to plan when he wants to introduce Lucy to his friends. Lucy ends things with Raj by sending him a text as she felt uncomfortable and things were going too far.

Kate Micucci as Lucy – Now Kate is 37 years old and has gone on to appear as the voice of many characters in TV shows. Although she only featured in eight of the show’s episodes, she has appeared in cartoons such as Be Cool, Scooby-Doo, as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kate has also done a lot of work for Disney, such as appearing in DuckTales, and Milo Murphy’s Law. In the last year, Kate was cast to voice the character of Clayface for the latest Lego Batman Movie.





John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke – Then One of the many antagonists in the show is Barry Kripke. His job is a bit of this and a bit of that as he works as a string theorist as well as a plasma physicist who has Rhotacism. His character constantly uses his intelligence to wind up Howard, Raj, Leonard, and Sheldon since making his entrance on the show during the second season. Since then he has appeared in every series of the show. You secretly have to love him.

John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke – Now Outside The Big Bang Theory, John has had a plethora of acting work. He started out by writing his own comedy routines that he would perform at various locations as he made a name for himself in the world of comedy. He got picked up by the show that shot him into the limelight as he is now best known for his character of Barry, but John has also had roles in He’s Just Not That Into You, as well as the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?!

Wil Wheaton as Wil Wheaton – Then There wasn’t much getting into character for Wil after he was cast to play himself in the show from the first season. Even though Wil wasn’t playing a role as such, he did have a lot of acting to do as Wil in the show has a lot more darkness about his character. He and Sheldon clashed personalities initially, but they managed to put it all behind them in the fifth season; the two have gone on to become good friends – if that is possible with someone like Sheldon.



Wil Wheaton as Wil Wheaton – Now Richard William Wheaton III (we love this name, it sounds so royal) appeared in shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Legion of Superheroes, he has also had roles in Toy Soldiers, Eureka, and Stand By Me. He also does voice acting, writes, and runs his very own blog. What’s more, he has had a hand in creating and hosting the show TableTop on YouTube!



Laurie Metcalf as Mary Cooper – Then Mary is the mother of the lovable genius Sheldon Cooper. She has put up with a lot over the years from her son but is the one person that can keep Sheldon under control, and even often receives the annoyed phone call from Leonard asking for her help. Mary couldn’t be more different from her son as she is a born-again Christian that struggles to understand her son’s work but loves him deeply. Mary has popped up in every season of the show so far. We love her character.



Laurie Metcalf as Mary Cooper – Now Laurie Metcalf may be best known as Mary Cooper, but plenty of people will recognize the star for some of the other acting work she has done throughout the years. Not only has she been in shows such as The McCarthy’s, Roseanne, Getting on, and Desperate Housewives, Laurie has been in some of the most recognized movies such as Mistress, Scream 2, and Toy Story. Laurie has won a Tony Award after her time on stage- that is one talented woman!

Christine Baranski as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter – Then The cold-hearted character of Beverly is Leonard’s mother. Although Leonard frequently speaks about stories from his childhood that make the audience cringe, Beverly’s appearances on The Big Bang Theory are always ones to make us laugh hysterically. She has been on the show ten times over its duration, but only ever made it to the studio seven times. No, we’re not mistaken, as three of her appearances were when Beverly popped up on video chat.

Christine Baranski as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter – Now Christine actually studied at the prestigious Julliard School of performing arts before beginning her career. Since graduating she has taken the acting world by storm with her distinct character style. Christine has not only appeared on both the big and small screens, but she has also won two Tony Awards for roles she has played on stage. A talented singer, Christine was also one of the main characters in Mamma Mia, back in 2008.

Ian Scott Rudolph as Captain Sweatpants – Then While he may appear to be a background character, Captain Sweatpants has appeared in six seasons of the show; he first appeared back in season two, but hasn’t appeared since season seven. His character is always seen in Stuart’s comic book store wearing his staple superhero t-shirt and, you guessed it, sweatpants.

Ian Scott Rudolph as Captain Sweatpants – Now Ian has only ever managed to win himself minor roles for television shows as outside of The Big Bang Theory he has also appeared on the show The Middle. Sadly, he was only credited in the seventh season for his role as the Captain on TBBT. Regardless of this, we will always love the man behind the sweatpants!

Brian George as Dr. V.M Koothrappali – Then For a lot of the show’s run, we only ever saw the Dr. via a computer screen as he was in New Delhi, India. He is the father of Raj that works as a gynecologist, and who brings in a LOT of money – much to Raj and Priya’s joy as they get to reap the benefits of their father’s job. Over the years we have fallen in love with the character, with our prayers answered during the eighth season when he finally made the flight over for his first real-life appearance.

Brian George as Dr. V.M Koothrappali – Now Brian began studying theater in Canada and the performing arts, which led to his first big break, a role in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Before The Big Bang Theory, he had also made a name for himself playing the character of Babu Bhatt on the sitcom Seinfeld.

Alice Amter as Mrs. Koothrappali – Then Mrs. Koothrappali is Raj’s mom. Throughout the show, we don’t learn too much about her background (or indeed her name), but we do know that she was once working in New Delhi as a healthcare employee. She and her onscreen husband, unfortunately, filed for a divorce during the 2015 season. She has appeared in the first to fifth seasons, with another appearance during season eight. Again, much like her husband, we mainly get to see her when she video chats her son.



Alice Amter as Mrs, Koothrappali – Now In real life, Alice is quite like her Big Bang Theory husband as she, too, has moved around a lot over the years. After being born and raised in England, Alice lived in France, Japan, and Germany before moving to the U.S. It was during her 30s she decided to move to Los Angeles, so she was able to follow her dreams of becoming an actress finally. As well as appearing in TBBT, Alice also played the character of Dr. Kapoor in the show Hot In Cleveland.



Casey Sander as Mike Rostenkowski – Then Mike is Bernadette’s father who was a police officer. Not only did he have strong opinions, but he also made them very clear to anyone that asked. There were plenty of subjects that were no go areas, but that didn’t stop Howard from trying to make a good impression on his father in law during the four seasons he has appeared in.

Casey Sander as Mike Rostenkowski – Now He isn’t the most recognized actor, but Casey has got an incredible list of shows he has worked on over the years. Some of these include roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mad Men, Hunter, Malcolm in the Middle, Sons of Anarchy, and Rules of Engagement.

Vernee Watson-Johnson as Althea – Then You might not remember, but Althea has played the host of the baby making donation facility, as well as manning the emergency room, and the patient’s floor. She is one of the more sarcastic characters on the show, and even though she rarely smiles, her seriousness causes some real laughs with the audience. She was actually also one of the few characters that played a part in the pilot that never made it to air.



Vernee Watson-Johnson as Althea – Now Vernee has had a brilliant career to date, with her most recognized role being from when she played Verna Jean Williams on the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, alongside playing the role of Will’s mother on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Not only this, but Vernee has also made appearances on Two and a Half Men, The X-Files, and Dexter while working as an acting coach, voice artist, and author. She’s one talented woman.

Mark Harelik as Dr. Eric Gablehauser – Then Unfortunately for Sheldon his boss at Caltech, Eric, asked his mother out. Sheldon already had a complicated relationship with his boss, which was accentuated after the dating his mom fiasco. Dr. Eric has only appeared in the first two seasons of the show so far.



Mark Harelik as Dr. Eric Gablehauser – Now Mark may not have appeared a lot in the show, however he has pursued his acting career in other shows. He has appeared in Battle of the Sexes, Breaking Bad, Seinfeld, Prison Break, and Jurassic Park III and more. As well as acting, Mark is also involved in writing plays and acting in them. Mark sure has had a busy career so far, and we can’t wait to see what he pops up in next.

April Bowlby as Rebecca – Then Rebecca takes the group by surprise when she is introduced to them as Bert’s girlfriend, an awkward geologist that is a colleague of the boys at Caltech. After meeting everyone it is revealed that she used to be an actress, but never made it very far so gave up her career to become a personal fitness trainer instead. Sheldon implies to Bert that Rebecca is only dating him for his money. Later in the show, Bert arrives at their apartment to announce he had broken up with Rebecca.



April Bowlby as Rebecca – Now The Big Bang Theory wasn’t the first sitcom that April had appeared in, as she had previously played Kandi (who was married to Alan) on the show Two and a Half Men. Alongside this role, April had also brought the character of Stacey Barrett to life for half a decade on Drop Dead Diva. Over the years she has appeared in several movies including Love’s Last Resort, and A Mother’s Crime.

Mayim Bialik as Amy Fowler – Then The character of Amy makes an appearance in the finale of the third season. Her and Sheldon meet on a date after Howard and Raj used an online dating website to find Sheldon’s perfect match. Amy works as a neurobiologist and compliments Sheldon’s personality to perfection. The couple have a brief split during the show, but their relationship is rekindled, and the two eventually get engaged by season ten.

Mayim Bialik as Amy Fowler – Now The Big Bang Theory wasn’t the first role for Mayim, who has been acting since the age of 12. However, the show is what shot her into the limelight, and it was her first major role to get her noticed. She is also a neuroscientist in real life so playing Amy must have been an easy one for her to prepare for. Mayim is currently acting in season eleven of the show and has signed a contract for the twelfth. However, her appearance comes at a price, Mayim earns half a million smackeroos for each of her episodes. That is one expensive brain.



Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper – Then Millions of viewers have grown to love Sheldon’s constant antics that have kept the world entertained since the pilot episode. Audiences could relate to his character, or knew someone just like him. Sheldon works as a theoretical physicist, and since the fifth season has been in a relationship with Amy. In the tenth season, the two officially got engaged after years of questioning Sheldon’s ability to love.

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper – Now The show was responsible for shooting this actor to stardom, and his role resulted in him becoming a sought-after name in Hollywood. He even expanded his acting, to voice overs too, and was recently the voice of Oh, the adorable alien from the children’s movie Home. At the ripe old age of 44, Jim has already won himself a plethora of awards, as well as being one of the highest paid comedy actors on television; Jim is one of the cast mates that also managed to wing a $900,000 per episode deal. We bet he didn’t anticipate this at the beginning.

Kaley Cuoco as Penny Hofstadter – Then Penny has been a solid character in the show since the first episode after she walked in as the beautiful blonde neighbor that lived across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She was working at The Cheesecake Factory waitressing, while struggling to become an actress, but eventually quit; she now works as a pharmaceutical rep at the same company as Bernadette. Penny and Leonard have had an up and down relationship, to say the very least, but they finally got hitched in the ninth season while on a trip to Las Vegas. The audience could not wait for this moment.



Kaley Cuoco as Penny Hofstadter – Now Kaley previously rose to stardom on the well loved show 8 Simple Rules where she played Bridget Hennessy. After landing her role on the show, she became the third and final actor that earns $900,000 for every one of her episodes – not a bad! Her paycheck has seen Kaley become a millionaire which has enabled the actress to start a production company of her own. That’s not bad going for someone who is only 31 years old.

Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Wolowitz – Then A microbiologist who made her first appearance in the third season of the acclaimed show, Bernadette Wolowitz was first introduced to Howard by Penny. The two had nothing in common at first, however they quickly bonded over their overbearing mothers. Howard finally plucks up the courage and asks Bernadette to marry him in the fourth season, they then get married in the fifth season, and even have a child together who they decide to name Hallie.