Young Sheldon, the prequel series to the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, features Sheldon Cooper’s early years in a small-town Texas setting. The show explores Sheldon’s struggles as a highly intelligent but socially awkward young student navigating high school at just 9 years old. The heart and humor of The Big Bang Theory are carried over into this family sitcom, which opts for a single-camera approach instead of the traditional multi-camera format.
Iain Armitage shines as young Sheldon, embodying the quirky genius in his formative years. Armitage impressed during auditions by delivering a three-page monologue and bringing his own unique interpretation to the character, rather than imitating Jim Parsons, who portrayed the adult Sheldon. Armitage’s rise to fame began with his YouTube series and led to roles in acclaimed series like Big Little Lies and voice acting gigs in films like Scoob! and Paw Patrol: The Movie.
Lance Barber portrays George Sr., Sheldon’s father, who is a stark contrast to his intellectual son. Barber’s acting career includes roles in various TV shows, such as The Comeback, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Monk, Grey’s Anatomy, and Justified.
The Young Sheldon cast has continued to showcase their talents beyond the show, with Armitage pursuing voice acting opportunities and Barber maintaining a presence on television. The future looks promising for these talented actors as they navigate their post-Young Sheldon careers.
In the original TV series, he portrayed Leonard’s (played by Johnny Galecki) high school bully. During a 2017 interview with EW, he expressed his hope that fans would forgive the slight deviation from the established canon: “I think that we’ll have to ask the fans of the show to suspend some disbelief. Based on social media, it’s going to be difficult for some of them and I hope that I can do a good enough job to take them away from that.” In 2025, the actor returned to the role of George Sr. in an episode of a show titled Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. His wife, Aliza, is a chef, and the couple has two children.
Zoe Perry portrays Mary Cooper, Sheldon’s compassionate and religious mother in the series. She has a special connection with Sheldon that the rest of the family doesn’t quite share. Perry’s first venture into television was before she turned 10, playing a younger version of a character portrayed by her mother, the Oscar-nominated actress Laurie Metcalf, on Roseanne. Over a decade later, she began her acting career with appearances on various shows.
In Young Sheldon, Perry once again plays a younger version of her real-life mother’s character from The Big Bang Theory. Reflecting on this experience, Perry said, “I definitely never imagined I’d be playing my mother at a younger age. I feel very privileged that it’s happened and that I get to do it.” Since Young Sheldon concluded in 2024, she has reprised her role on the spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and has also appeared on The Conners in 2025. Perry has been married to Canadian film producer Gab Taraboulsy since 2022.
Montana Jordan portrays Georgie, Sheldon’s less academically inclined younger brother, who is focused on making money, playing football, and pursuing romantic interests. With limited acting credits due to his commitment to playing Georgie, Jordan gained recognition for his role in the spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. His only other major role to date was in a film directed by Jody Hill.
In 2025, Montana Jordan became engaged to Jenna Weeks, with whom he shares a daughter.
Annie Potts takes on the role of Meemaw in the series.
Annie Potts, known for her role as Meemaw in ‘Young Sheldon’, discussed the show’s success and credited Jim Parsons for his contribution to its popularity in a 2017 interview with EW. Potts, a seasoned character actor, joined the cast as the accomplished matriarch, drawing on her extensive career that dates back to her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Corvette Summer (1978). She has also appeared in iconic films like Pretty in Pink (1986) and Ghostbusters (1984). Potts found further success on television with roles in Designing Women (1986–1993) and Love & War (1993–1995), earning an Emmy nomination. Her voice work as Bo Peep in the Toy Story franchise is also widely recognized. Potts is married to director/producer James Hayman and has three children.
Raegan Revord, who portrays Missy Cooper in ‘Young Sheldon’, shared how she landed the role by mastering a Texas accent. Starting her career at a young age, she appeared in Modern Family (2014–2016) and has showcased her comedic talent in various shows. Revord is not only an actress but also an author, having written a young adult book and hosting an Instagram book club with a large following.
Matt Hobby, who plays Pastor Jeff in ‘Young Sheldon’, joined the main cast in season 3 due to the character’s significant role in Sheldon’s Christian family. Prior to his role on the show, Hobby had appeared in several popular series. ‘Young Sheldon’ became his longest-running project, culminating with the series finale in 2024.
The actor shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, commemorating his time on “Young Sheldon” with photos from his first and last days on set. He expressed gratitude for being a part of the show’s wonderful story for 7 years and will miss the kind, genius, and loving people involved. The actor proudly acknowledged that the experience will always be a part of his life. He is married to actress Mary Grill, who portrays Pastor Jeff’s eventual wife on the show, and they have three children together.
Emily Osment, who plays Mandy McAllister, joined the show in season 5. Her character, Mandy, meets Georgie at his laundromat, leading to a date and eventual marriage. Osment continues her role in “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” sharing her surprise at a new audience discovering her character on “Young Sheldon.”
Beginning her acting career as a child actress, Osment is known for roles such as Gerti Giggles in the “Spy Kids” films and Lilly Truscott in “Hannah Montana.” She also starred in “Young & Hungry” and was part of the cast of “The Kominsky Method.” Osment married musician Jack Anthony in 2024 but later divorced.
Wyatt McClure portrays Billy Sparks on “Young Sheldon,” originally a bully but evolving into a friendlier character as the series progresses. McClure has appeared in various films and has explored stand-up comedy in addition to his acting career.
Jim Parsons narrates as Old Sheldon on “Young Sheldon,” introducing and closing episodes as well as appearing in the series finale as a post-“Big Bang Theory” Sheldon. Parsons’ career includes notable roles in film and television before gaining fame as Sheldon Cooper.
Jim Parsons won four Emmys for his role and shared his appreciation for Iain Armitage’s portrayal of a younger version of his character. Parsons expressed how moved he was to see the character he had worked on for a decade come to life through Armitage. Throughout the 12-year run of Big Bang, Parsons took on various film roles, including memorable appearances in The Muppets (2011), Home (2015), and Hidden Figures (2016). He received Emmy nominations for his performances in The Normal Heart (2014) and Hollywood (2020).
Parsons also took on challenging roles such as playing Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and starring in Spoiler Alert (2023). His Broadway career remains active, with performances in Mother Play alongside Jessica Lange and Celia Keenan-Bolger and the revival of Our Town.
He has been happily married to producer Todd Spiewak since 2017.
