Who plays Sheldon's mom in Young Sheldon? Everything to know about the actor behind the beloved character

Zoe Perry, Laurie Metcalf's daughter, has been getting lots of love from fans for her role as Mary Cooper on Young Sheldon. Fans connect with her character and see her as a talented actress making a name for herself in Hollywood.

Because Perry looks so much like her mother Larie Metcalf (who played Sheldon Cooper's mother Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory) and is such a great actor, she's been able to put her own spin on the beloved character in The Big Bang Theory while still staying true to the essence of the original portrayal by Metcalf.

At 40, Perry is already well-known in the acting world, having appeared in many TV shows and plays. Being cast as a younger version of a character played by her mom shows her talent and special bond with her family.

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Zoe Perry plays Sheldon's mom Mary Cooper in Young Sheldon

Zoe Perry, a talented American actress, is well-known for playing Mary Cooper on the popular CBS show Young Sheldon. She got her start in acting by playing a younger version of Jackie Harris on the ABC show Roseanne, a role that her mom, Laurie Metcalf, also played.

Perry mentioned to Backstage how her real-life mom, Metcalf, helped base her latest role in Young Sheldon:

"I had come to know and love the character from watching her on the show, and I know many fans did, too. So I felt an obligation to get that right and to model what I was doing, to an extent, after her."

In 2017, Perry's career got a boost when she landed the role of young Mary Cooper on Young Sheldon, a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory. Even though she had family connections to the character, Perry got the part after a successful audition. Perry's performance showed Mary's unwavering support for her kids, especially the iconic Sheldon Cooper.

As per PinkVilla, Perry spoke about the episode that showed her on-screen husband George's death,

"I knew that we were getting the news in the script, but I hadn't yet read it to see how that happens."

Talking about her on-screen son Georgie's marriage, she mentioned,

"I was surprised by my own reaction to Georgie's marriage. I think maybe there was a suggestion [in the script] that I might be emotional, but I was truly emotional."

Her emotional investment in the role, especially evident in her responses to key Young Sheldon scenes, shows how committed she is to portraying Mary Cooper authentically on screen.

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Zoe Perry's background and career before Young Sheldon

Zoe Perry, born on September 26, 1983, is an American actress with experience in both TV and theater. Even though her family had doubts about her acting career early on, Perry's talent shone through as she dabbled in television and stage work.

After graduating, Perry headed to New York to check out some TV roles, scoring roles in shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Eventually, she made her way back to California and found her groove in theater, even sharing the Broadway stage with her mom in The Other Place.

Perry has been in theater productions like The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Autumn Garden, showing off her skills on stage. She's also been on TV in shows like Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal, where she acted with her dad, Jeff Perry. In 2016, she was in nine episodes of The Family before getting a regular spot on Scandal.

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Watch Zoe Perry's performance as Mary Cooper in Young Sheldon on Paramount+ in the US, Netflix and Channel 4 in the UK, CTV in Canada, and TVNZ+ in New Zealand.