The Cast of Young Sheldon: My Mother Had Me Tested

[Meredith Quill]

Your Cast Topic!

[joanne3482]

I read in People Magazine this weekend that Laurie Metcalf's daughter is playing a young Mrs. Cooper. I think that's pretty neat! 

[Indy]

On 9/18/2017 at 9:41 AM, joanne3482 said:

I read in People Magazine this weekend that Laurie Metcalf's daughter is playing a young Mrs. Cooper. I think that's pretty neat! 

I love that they are having her play Mrs. Cooper. You can tell that she's studied her mom's portrayal of the character - or they're just really similar in real life too - because in the preview clips she has the same intonations in her accent and similar mannerisms as Laurie Metcalf does. 

[Browncoat]

I was just coming to comment on how brilliant the casting seemed, without knowing that it was Laurie Metcalf's daughter.  Now that I know that, I think it's extra-crispy brilliant!  The kid playing Sheldon is pretty good, too -- all from the previews, of course.

[MaryMitch]

Jim Parsons was on Colbert's show (I think it was last Thursday), and they talked about Iain Armitage (young Sheldon). Colbert mentioned him first and commented on what a great kid he is. It's at the beginning of this clip:

[ExplainItAgain]

I really liked the girl playing Missy - she's a cutie. I didn't care as much for the father and brother.

Laurie Metcalf's daughter was amazing. Totally nailed it.

[JudyObscure]

The brother reminds me of Patrick Swayze so much and the little sister is the funniest person in the cast for me.

[OtterMommy]

14 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

The brother reminds me of Patrick Swayze so much and the little sister is the funniest person in the cast for me.

I didn't pick up on the Swayze vibe until you mentioned it, but yeah....  Of course, Swayze was very popular in 1989, with his "look" being one that many teens and young men tried to imitate, so that makes sense.

[calipiano81]

On 9/25/2017 at 5:56 PM, ExplainItAgain said:

I really liked the girl playing Missy - she's a cutie. I didn't care as much for the father and brother.

Laurie Metcalf's daughter was amazing. Totally nailed it.

Another Missy (Raegan Revord) fan here! I think she's a hoot and she's got smarts too.

Ditto on Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper. Annie Potts is also great as Meemaw.

Edited December 3, 2017 by calipiano81

[FinnishViewer]

I just noticed that Lance Barber who plays the dad appeared in an episode of TBBT, "The Speckerman Recurrence".

[Chit Chat]

6 hours ago, FinnishViewer said:

I just noticed that Lance Barber who plays the dad appeared in an episode of TBBT, "The Speckerman Recurrence".

I read an article that talked about this.  Chuck Lorre is hoping that the fans can overlook little inconsistencies like this.  I wouldn't have remembered it if I hadn't read the article!  That was so long ago on TBBT. 

[CherryAmes]

To be honest I don't understand it  when people get bent out of shape about actors getting the opportunity to take on different roles on the same show (let alone two different shows!!) I  could understand it if a main character left a show and then came back playing someone else - but to insist (and I've seen people insist very insistently!!!) that an actor who played one part, one time, can never come back on a long running show playing another character just doesn't make sense to me.  Shows like Murder She Wrote that had multiple actors come on playing different characters must just drive them right around the bend!

Edited January 14, 2018 by CherryAmes

[FinnishViewer]

I don't mind that some might play actors play different characters on the same show, especially long running shows. It was just a funny surprise, when I finally noticed it, when I rewatched the old TBBT episode.

[OtterMommy]

9 hours ago, FinnishViewer said:

I don't mind that some might play actors play different characters on the same show, especially long running shows. It was just a funny surprise, when I finally noticed it, when I rewatched the old TBBT episode.

Yeah, it was one episode and his TBBT character was not someone who had a long lasting impact on the plot.  Now, let's say they had the actor who played Kripke play George...that would be a different story.

[ProudMary]

Iain Armitage had his own video category on Jeopardy! today, "Science With Iain Armitage."  He was delightful!

[2727]

19 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Iain Armitage had his own video category on Jeopardy! today, "Science With Iain Armitage." He was delightful!

Oh, I had to look that up --so cute!

[Mystery]

I saw Raegan Revord tonight (during SNL) on a Tiguan commercial. What??? She belongs in a station wagon with Sheldon! 

[marketdoctor]

Zoe Perry also played Laurie Metcalf's younger self on Roseanne a few times.

Lance Barber also looks, and in this part acts, just enough like Captain Mal from Firefly to explain another reason why Sheldon likes that show so much, and why he looks a lot like someone adult Sheldon knew (some people just look like other people).   Also, both shows had a great cast.  I wasn't sure they could do a prequel with such an established backstory, but the cast makes me want to believe, and I'm thankful for that.

[SnarkyTart]

Seven-year-old Iain Armitage on Little Big Shots...

[Frost]

OMG.  It's just too bad that I can't see Sheldon ever tap dancing.  Because that would be so awesome my head would explode.  Maybe a dream sequence?

[FinnishViewer]

Quote

It's just too bad that I can't see Sheldon ever tap dancing

You never know....he was going to do a flamenco on TBBT

[2727]

This may not be the popular consensus, but I'd love some funny callbacks on TBBT that involve Sheldon dreaming of himself (as Iain) tap dancing as a child or the like. I don't necessarily need to see Parsons dancing, but perhaps he was traumatized by the lessons and now has a phobia about tap shoes.  :-)

I'm putting this out in the universe now: We need an episode about Young Sheldon learning ballroom dancing and going to cotillion!

Edited February 2, 2018 by 2727

[Frost]

1 hour ago, 2727 said:

We need an episode about Young Sheldon learning ballroom dancing and going to cotillion!

Not to mention the semi-incestuous Texas hoe down with Missy!

[Runningwild]

Iain is just too adorable for words!

[AnnaRose]

21 hours ago, Runningwild said:

Iain is just too adorable for words!

I know!  I thought he looked especially adorable in this latest episode, when he was in the classroom as the show cut to go to commercial (he made the cutest faces), when he was wearing the astronaut helmet and closed it because Mary came in ("Breech! Breech!" - I cracked up watching Mary chase him around the garage)... and also when he was eating Meemaw's cookies and then, after considering what she said about Texans, bravely and stoically removed the helmet.  Oh, and when Mary did her protection for him, and later when she sang Soft Kitty to him.  Such a cutie-pie!

[2727]

Montana Jordon, who plays Georgie, has a YT channel with videos about his life, including one BTS of Meemaw's house. There's another one where he, his mom and step-dad (I guess?) go to the thrift store and have a $20 max budget to buy the ugliest clothes they can find for the other person. Then they have to wear them to Walmart.

His speech pattern on the show really is his native accent!

[ProudMary]

Zoe Perry was Laurie Metcalf's plus one at the Oscars.  She was sitting next to her in the audience.  Made me smile. :)

[SparklesBitch]

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Zoe Perry was Laurie Metcalf's plus one at the Oscars.  She was sitting next to her in the audience.  Made me smile. :)

She posted a picture of the two of them on the red carpet on her Instagram too. Between things like that and interviews, it’s very sweet how genuinely supportive she and her parents are of each other’s success. =)

[FinnishViewer]

Speaking of which, I wonder if Iain will be in the next season of Big Little Lies since he's busy with this show.

Edited April 30, 2018 by FinnishViewer
Corrected the name of the show

[ProudMary]

7 hours ago, FinnishViewer said:

Speaking of which, I wonder if Iain will be in the next season of Big Little Lies since he's busy with this show.

He will be.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/yes-young-sheldon-is-returning-big-little-lies-season-2-1089357
 

Quote

Young Sheldon will be back on Big Little Lies.

Iain Armitage, who has gone on to star in the top launch of the 2017-18 broadcast season (CBS' Young Sheldon) since appearing on the hit HBO series, is among the latest (and final) crop of actors set to return for season two.

[Bort]

3 minutes ago, ShelleySue said:

I loved Meemaw trying to convince the neighbor (I forgot her name -- I'll always think of her as Barbara Jean) that the pregnancy test was for Meemaw.

Barbara Jean, yeah. Melissa Peterman has also made an indelible mark in that I tend to think of her as Mrs. Wheeler (from Baby Daddy).

[zoey1996]

I’ve been a fan of Wallace Shawn since the movie, My Dinner With Andre, and loved his appearances in Murphy Brown (original).  He’s a delightful character in this show as well.

[marriedaniac]

Laurie Metcalf was on Fallon yesterday and blew his mind explaining that she and her daughter play the same part. They think it must be a first!

[Robert Lynch]

Iain Armitage is going to have one busy career. Young Sheldon and Big Little Lies. Man....what a huge assignment he has.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Robert Lynch

[chitowngirl]

I just realized that Sarah Baker, the librarian, plays Michael Douglas’ daughter on The Kominsky Method.

[HazelEyes4325]

Raegan Revord is featured on the most recent episode of the podcast Circle Round, playing Nilsa in "Nilsa and the Troll."

[Bort]

Annie Potts revived her Ghostbusters character for a Quickbooks commercial. 
 

 

[catlover79]

This really isn't "news", but Valerie Mahaffey (Ms. Macelroy, the English teacher) has turned up in Retro TV's rerun cycle of the long-defunct NBC soap opera, The Doctors. She began airing in December 1979. Unfortunately, the 1980 episodes have yet to be digitized, closed-captioned and aired because they are in a warehouse facility that was shut down because of the Coronavirus. Anyway, here are a few screen caps of Sheldon's future teacher, 40+ years ago:

[PWHCHCH]

Is Montana J a father? There’s a lot of pics on his Instagram of him with a lil toddler 

[anna0852]

I hope not! He's only 17.

[Bort]

Montana has two older siblings. So he’s probably an uncle. 

[laugard]

So I was watching the Debbie Allen Hot Chocolate Nutcracker documentary on Netflix as I've had some professional interactions with Allen and the company. How surprised was I to see the actor who plays Tam featured as one of the dancers?! I never would've guessed he was a dancer, or for that matter a hip-hop specialist!

[Frost]

Nick at Nite has started showing episodes from the first season and I can't believe how young the kids look!  Montana especially looks like a baby!  (sigh)  They grow up so fast...😊

[shapeshifter]

I've been watching reruns of "Any Day Now," Annie Potts' series from the 90s. 
I would love to see Chris Mulkey (who played Potts' husband on ADN) as a beau for Meemaw, even just for a few episodes.
But I doubt the current "Young Sheldon" audience would be familiar with their previous roles.

[catlover79]

I haven't seen it brought up here, but Matt Hobby (Pastor Jeff) and Mary Grill (Robin) are also married in real life. Their wedding album is online. Here's the link:

https://www.weddingcreativo.com/gallerymarymatt

Mr. Hobby also commented on working with his wife here:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tvinsider.com/845499/young-sheldon-season-3-episode-11-preview-pastor-jeff/amp/

Edited March 26, 2021 by catlover79

[catlover79]

Plus, Reba McIntyre (June Ballard) and Rex Linn (Principal Petersen) are a couple. It would be nice to see them in a scene together, though I can't think of circumstances where the two characters would interact.

[WinnieWinkle]

Thanks to PVRing (the only way to watch any show by Chuck "lets stuff in a million commercials" Lorrie) I just watched the most recent episode with the "Meemaw of science" and was casting around the channels for something to watch and ended up with Ghostbusters II and there was Annie Potts younger and very New York and very funny (of course).  I love Annie Potts 🙂 .

Edited April 3, 2021 by WinnieWinkle

[SmithW6079]

4 minutes ago, WinnieWinkle said:

Thanks to PVRing (the only way to watch any show by Chuck "lets stuff in a million commercials" Lorrie

The networks are the ones who sell commercial time, not the producers of the shows. 

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

The networks are the ones who sell commercial time, not the producers of the shows. 

Yeah but as far as I've read, Chuck Lorrie sitcoms have more minutes of commercial time per 30 minute show than most if not all shows out there.  By the time it ended BBT air time was something like only 18.5 minutes, meanwhile the average 30 minute show has about 22 minutes of air time.  Perhaps they're selling more commercials to help support the high cast salaries and/or the high cost of producing the show.  Or maybe just to make more money because a popular show might have more power to do what it wants.

[WinnieWinkle]

7 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Yeah but as far as I've read, Chuck Lorrie sitcoms have more minutes of commercial time per 30 minute show than most if not all shows out there. 

Exactly.  Whatever the reasons BTS there is no denying that Lorre and his writers are producing shorter shows so that more commercials can be fit into the theoretical 30 minute sitcoms he produces.