New series for Simon Helberg
That’s what the “Big Bang Theory” stars are doing today
“The Big Bang Theory” stars: Jim Parsons (left), Kaley Cuoco and Simon Helberg.
© imago/ZUMA Press
Simon Helberg has landed a role on star-studded ‘Poker Face’ – but what are his ‘Big Bang Theory’ castmates up to these days?
It’s been three years since “The Big Bang Theory” came to an end. The cult series ran from 2007 to 2019 and made stars of previously relatively unknown actors such as Jim Parsons (49), Johnny Galecki (47) and Kaley Cuoco (36).
Among the main actors of the nerd sitcom was Simon Helberg (41). He just did signed to a new series. The actor of Howard Wolowitz plays alongside Natasha Lyonne (43) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (41) in the crime series “Poker Face” by director Rian Johnson (48, “Knives Out”). The commitment of the “TBBT” star gives rise to the question: what do the actors do after the end of the nerd series?
Jim Parsons
As the brilliant but socially incompetent physicist Sheldon Cooper, Parsons was the undisputed figurehead of The Big Bang Theory. Since 2017 he has been the narrator in the spin-off “Young Sheldon”. Parsons has not (yet) been able to build on the success of the parent series. As gay, scheming actor agent Henry Willson on the series “Hollywood,” Parsons tried to prove another facet of his skills. Next, the self-confessed gay actor plays real-life journalist Michael Ausiello, whose partner died of cancer, in ‘Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies.’
Johnny Galecki
Johnny Galecki, who played Sheldon’s roommate Leonard Hofstadter, was known before The Big Bang Theory. He played Griswold’s son Rusty in the cult comedy “Nice Christmas Eve” and the recurring role of David Healy in the sitcom “Roseanne”. After The Big Bang Theory ended, Galecki planned a new series called Bait & Tackle in 2019. But to this day nothing has come of the angler sitcom. According to the film database “IMDb”, the actor has not had a new project in the pipeline since 2019 either.
Kaley Cuoco
Much busier than Galecki was Kaley Cuoco, his (part-time) partner on the series and at times in real life. The Penny actress has voiced the Joker playmate Harley Quinn in the animated series of the same name since 2019. The highlight of her post-TBBT career so far, however, has been starring in The Flight Attendant. In the comedy thriller series, she plays an alcoholic flight attendant who one day wakes up next to a dead body. But Cuoco could fly even higher. Next she is to embody Hollywood legend Doris Day (1922-2019) in a mini-series.
Simon Helberg
Unlike his “TBBT colleagues”, who tended to remain true to the series, Simon Helberg was more drawn to films after the end of the sitcom. In the musical “Annette”, which won awards in Cannes, Helberg played alongside Adam Driver (38) and Marion Cotillard (46). Two more films followed, “As They Made Us” with Dustin Hoffman (84) and “Space Oddity”. And now the return to the series with “Poker Face”.
Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar (41) initially only played series roles after the end of “The Big Bang Theory”. Now the Raj actor has secured parts in quite lucrative films. In “Spaceman” by “Chernobyl” director Johan Renk, he plays alongside Adam Sandler (55) and Carey Mulligan (37). In the bestselling film adaptation “The Storied Life of AJ Fikry”, the Brit with Indian roots even embodies the title role.
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik (46) was a series star long before TBBT thanks to her starring role as a teen on the ’90s sitcom Blossom. Bialik went on to study neuroscience, as did her “Big Bang” character Amy Fowler, Sheldon’s partner. Since 2021, the Californian has held a prestigious position on television – but not as an actress. She hosts the long-running quiz show “Jeopardy!”.
Melissa Rauch
As Howard’s wife Bernadette Rostenkowski, the comedian made a name for herself in the series business. Melissa Rauch (42) stayed true to that after the end of “The Big Bang Theory”. However, she is usually not seen in the series, only her voice can be heard as a speaker.