Melissa Rauch
American actress (born 1980)
Melissa Ivy Rauch (; born June 23, 1980) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" from 2009 to 2019, for which she was nominated for the Critics Choice Television Award in 2013. From 2004 to 2008, Rauch worked as a regular contributor on the VH1 series "Best Week Ever".
Rauch's other acting credits include playing Tina on the American remake of "Kath & Kim", Summer on the HBO fantasy horror drama "True Blood," and currently plays the lead role on NBC's revival of "Night Court".
Rauch also starred in, co-wrote, and co-produced the 2015 sports comedy-drama film "The Bronze" and provided the voice of DC character Harley Quinn in the 2017 animated film "Batman and Harley Quinn". Rauch also had supporting roles in "I Love You, Man" (2009), "" and "Flock of Dudes" (both 2016), and "Ode to Joy" and "The Laundromat" (both 2019).
Early life.
Rauch was born to David and Susan Rauch in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. She is Jewish. She has a younger brother, Ben. She developed an interest in acting while attending Marlboro High School. Her Bat Mitzvah had a "Melissa’s Comedy Club" theme. Rauch earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City in 2002.
Career.
Some of Rauch's early work was as a regular contributor to VH1's "Best Week Ever" television show.
In 2009, Rauch began playing the recurring role of Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, a co-worker of Penny's at The Cheesecake Factory who began to date Howard Wolowitz, in the third season of CBS's "The Big Bang Theory". The following season, her character became Howard's fiancée, and Rauch was promoted to a series regular. The characters married in the season five finale. In December 2011, Rauch and fellow cast members of "The Big Bang Theory" received the first of six nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Other acting credits include "True Blood" (in which she had a recurring role in 2010 as Summer, a girl who likes Hoyt), "The Office", the American remake of the Australian TV series "Kath & Kim", "Wright v Wrong", and the film "I Love You, Man".
Rauch is also part of the comedic stage show "The Realest Real Housewives" cast with Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael, Jessica St. Clair and Danielle Schneider. The show began running at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in 2011.
Rauch co-wrote and co-produced the film "The Bronze", in which she starred as Hope Ann Greggory, a bronze medal-winning gymnast clinging to her glory days of 12 years earlier. It opened the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. "Variety" said, "Rauch, who co-wrote the screenplay with her husband Winston, has never carried a film before. But she delivers the best breakthrough comedic performance by an actress since Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"." Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film in September 2015.
In 2017, Rauch voiced Harley Quinn in the animated film "Batman and Harley Quinn" and she voiced Light Thief in "Light Riders" from "Blaze and the Monster Machines".
She currently stars in the "Night Court" revival series playing Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of Judge Harold T. Stone and Gina Stone from the original "Night Court" series. Season 1 premiered on NBC on January 17, 2023, and is co-produced by Rauch and her husband Winston Beigel, in association with Warner Bros. Television Studios and Universal Television.
Personal life.
Rauch is married to writer Winston Beigel, who collaborated with her on "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush" and other projects. Rauch announced that she was pregnant on July 11, 2017, and disclosed that she had a miscarriage previously. On December 4, 2017, Rauch announced on Instagram that she had given birth to a baby girl. On May 4, 2020, Rauch announced the birth of her son.
Rauch modeled the voice of Bernadette after her parents: the "sweet, high-pitched purr" is modeled after her mother, while the "eerie, haranguing imitation" of Mrs. Wolowitz is modeled after her father. Both are "very different" from Rauch's real voice.
References.
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List of The Big Bang Theory franchise characters
The American television sitcom franchise "The Big Bang Theory", began with the multi-cam laugh track sitcom of the same name created and executive produced by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, which premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007, and ended on May 16, 2019, followed by the single-camera spin-off prequel television series "Young Sheldon", created and executive produced by Lorre alongside Jim Parsons and Steven Molaro, which premiered on CBS on September 25, 2017, and concluded on May 16, 2024, with the third series in the franchise, a multi-cam spin-off sequel to "Young Sheldon" entitled "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage", premiering on October 17, 2024. A fourth series, a multi-cam spin-off sequel to "The Big Bang Theory", will be entitled "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe". It will feature Stuart Bloom, Denise, and Bert Kibbler, with Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, and Brian Posehn reprising their roles.
"The Big Bang Theory" initially centers on five characters: Sheldon Lee Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter, two physicists and roommates; Penny, their neighbor who is a waitress and aspiring actress; Sheldon and Leonard's friends and coworkers aerospace engineer Howard Joel Wolowitz and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali.
Over time, several supporting characters have been introduced and promoted to starring roles, including physicist Leslie Winkle, neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, microbiologist Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, and comic book store proprietor and friend of the other characters Stuart Bloom. The series also features numerous supporting characters, each of whom plays a prominent role in a story arc. Included among them are parents of the main characters, their dates, and their coworkers. Celebrities such as Stephen Hawking appear in cameo roles as themselves.
"Young Sheldon" initially centers on Sheldon Cooper at the age of nine, going to high school and living with his family in the fictional town of Medford, East Texas, Sheldon's mother, Mary; his father and the head football coach at Medford High, George Sr.; his twin sister, Missy; his older brother, George Jr.; and his grandmother, Constance "Connie" Tucker, also known as "Meemaw". The series also features numerous supporting characters, each of whom plays a prominent role in a story arc. Included among them are Sheldon's present and former classmates, their dates and coworkers, and those of his family. Celebrities such as Elon Musk appear in cameo roles as themselves. Jim Parsons, who portrays the adult Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory", narrates the series and serves as an executive producer.
Main characters.
Cast table.
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This section includes .* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the season.*  V indicates a voice-only role.

"The Big Bang Theory" main characters.
Leonard Hofstadter.
Leonard Leakey Hofstadter (portrayed by Johnny Galecki; seasons 1–12) is an experimental physicist with an IQ of 173. Originally from New Jersey, he received his PhD at age 24, spending at least some of his time at Princeton University. He shared an apartment in Pasadena with colleague and friend Dr. Sheldon Cooper for much of the series. Unlike his equally geeky friends, Leonard is interested and adept in building relationships with other people. Compared to his friends, he is relatively successful with women. Leonard comes from an accomplished family. His mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, is a neuroscientist and world-renowned psychiatrist with whom he has a strained relationship. His sister is a medical researcher, his father, Dr. Alfred Hofstadter, is an anthropologist, and his brother Michael is a Harvard law professor. He and Penny date on and off throughout the series, eventually marrying and finding out that Penny is pregnant in the series finale.
Leonard makes a brief non-speaking cameo as a child in the Season 2 finale of "Young Sheldon"; he was portrayed by Isaac Harger as a child.
Sheldon Cooper.
Sheldon Lee Cooper (portrayed by Jim Parsons; "The Big Bang Theory" seasons 1–12, "Young Sheldon" season 7; voiced by Parsons; narrator: "Young Sheldon"; and by Iain Armitage; guest: "The Big Bang Theory" season 12; main: "Young Sheldon") is a theoretical physicist, possessing a B.S, M.S, M.A, Ph.D, Sc.D, I.Q. of 187, and eidetic memory. Born in East Texas, he was a child prodigy and received his PhD at age 16 from the California Institute of Technology. He is a cold, condescending, self-centered, and immature person but is rarely malicious. He is obsessed with routines and any disruptions distress him enormously. He shows signs of obsessive–compulsive personality disorder, often shown through his compulsive need to knock three times on a door while saying the name of the person behind the door three times too and the superiority complex. Despite his narcissism, selfishness, and lack of social graces, he does care about his friends and family. In seasons 1–9, he shares an apartment in Pasadena with friend and fellow physicist Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. From then after, he moves in with his girlfriend and eventual wife, Amy. It is revealed in "Young Sheldon" that they have kids too.
His interest in science fiction and comic books borders on the extreme. He has a particular affinity for Spock from the "Star Trek" franchise. Although he has the tendency to take things literally, he is fond of occasionally telling a joke or playing a prank, which he typically punctuates with his trademark exclamation, "Bazinga!"
As portrayed in "Young Sheldon", he is a child prodigy who finishes primary school before his twin sister, Missy, and joins the same high-school class as his older brother, Georgie, at the age of nine. He reads widely and possesses an eidetic memory. He prefers to learn topics that interest him on his own—such as Faraday's law of induction and gravitational lensing—than the standard curriculum of grade school. In this series, the origins of his interests in the sciences, engineering, computers, trains, comic books, and science fiction (especially the character Spock from "Star Trek") are revealed. Sheldon moves on to college while Missy remains in middle school. Despite their rivalry, Sheldon and Missy are closer than they first appear.
Iain Armitage, who plays young Sheldon on the spin-off, briefly appears in a video tape during a final season episode of "The Big Bang Theory"; it is the only time Parsons and Armitage have appeared together so far.
Penny.
Kindhearted and outgoing, Penny (portrayed by Kaley Cuoco) is Leonard and Sheldon's neighbor across the hallway from the inception of the series, replacing the apartment's former occupant, Louis/Louise, a "transvestite with a skin condition" according to Sheldon. Originally from a small town outside Omaha, Nebraska, she was a waitress and occasional bartender at the local Cheesecake Factory until season seven, and is an aspiring actress. Sheldon describes her as a "good-natured simpleton" and is critical of her dropping out of community college.
Initially, not much is known about Penny's family, but it is mentioned in the series that her father, Wyatt (portrayed by Keith Carradine,) raised her like a boy, her mother smoked marijuana while she was pregnant with her, her sister shot her husband while they were intoxicated, and her brother is a meth dealer. Her mother, Susan (Katey Sagal), and brother, Randall (Jack McBrayer), are finally seen in the first episode of season ten. Her last name is never revealed during the series. Leonard and Penny date on and off throughout the series which is a big plot point of the show, they eventually marry and find out they're pregnant in the series finale.
Penny makes a brief non-speaking cameo as a child in the Season 2 finale of "Young Sheldon", she was portrayed by Quinn Aune as a child. Cuoco additionally voices the pool water, part of one of young Sheldon's nightmares, in the spinoff.
Howard Wolowitz.
Howard Joel Wolowitz, M.Eng. (portrayed by Simon Helberg; main: "the Big Bang Theory" seasons 1–12; guest: "Young Sheldon" season 5) is an aerospace engineer at Caltech's Department of Applied Physics who often hangs out at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj, Howard does not have a doctorate and often gets disparaged as a result, especially by Sheldon. He defends this by pointing out that he has a master's degree in engineering from MIT and that the equipment he designs is launched into space, unlike the theoretical work of his friends. In the fifth-season finale, Howard goes to the International Space Station on Expedition 31.
Howard lives in Altadena with his domineering, belittling, and unseen mother, who treats him like a child. While he sometimes expresses irritation at this treatment, for the most part, he appears to prefer it. Howard and his mother often communicate with each other from different rooms by yelling, a habit which Bernadette also adopts in later episodes. Howard fancies himself a ladies' man and attempts pick-up lines whenever a woman is present, although he drops this habit once he starts going out with Bernadette. He is a non-observant Jew. Over the course of the series, he and Bernadette marry and have two children.
In the pilot episode, he speaks English, French, Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, and Persian, along with fictional languages like Klingon and Sindarin. Howard suffers from asthma, transient idiopathic arrhythmia, allergies to peanuts, almonds, and walnuts, and is prone to canker sores and pink eye.
Howard makes a brief non-speaking appearance in the Season 2 finale of "Young Sheldon", in which he was portrayed by Ethan Stern as a child; he returns to reprise himself in a narration with Helberg's voiceover for a Season 5 episode.
Raj Koothrappali.
Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali, PhD (portrayed by Kunal Nayyar) is Howard Wolowitz's best friend. Often called "Raj" by his friends, he is from New Delhi, India, and works in the physics department at Caltech, researching astroparticle physics. Raj comes from a very wealthy family in India, and often communicates with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Koothrappali, via webcam. He did at least part of his higher education at the University of Cambridge and like most of the scientists bar Howard he also has a PhD. He has a younger sister, Priya. He lives in an apartment in Pasadena. As with his friends, he is mutually involved with and obsessed with science fiction and comic books in general. He is also a fan of Harry Potter and Indian music, but appreciates the Indian lullabies his mother sang and the catchiness of Hindi phrases. Unlike his male friends, Raj has many feminine interests, such as reading "Archie" comics and "Twilight" and watching chick flicks such as "Bridget Jones's Diary". It is speculated that Raj might be gay due to his feminine interests and his close friendship with Howard, with whom he has arguments similar to those of a married couple. However, Raj has always stated that he is straight, but metrosexual. He was infatuated with Penny, and secretly wrote love poems about Bernadette.
Raj is a Hindu and believes in karma (reincarnation), but eats beef. He is very shy around women outside of his family, and during the first six seasons of the show, found himself unable to speak to women while in their presence unless he drank alcoholic beverages, or believed he had done so. He eventually is able to get over this condition and starts to, unsuccessfully and for short periods, date women.
Raj makes a brief non-speaking cameo as a child in the Season 2 finale of "Young Sheldon", he was portrayed by Rishabh Prabhat as a child.
Leslie Winkle.
Leslie Winkle, PhD (portrayed by Sara Gilbert; main: season 2; recurring: season 1; guest: seasons 3 and 9) is an experimental physicist who shares her lab with Leonard. In appearance, she is essentially Leonard's female counterpart, equipped with black-framed glasses and sweat jackets. She suffers from lazy eye. She is one of Sheldon's archenemies due to their conflicting scientific ideas and takes every opportunity to insult Sheldon for mistreating her.
The character is based on Gilda, a coworker to Leonard and Sheldon envisioned by creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady in the unaired original pilot.
Bernadette Rostenkowski.
Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, PhD (portrayed by Melissa Rauch; main: seasons 4–12; recurring: season 3) is originally a waitress and co-worker of Penny's at The Cheesecake Factory, using her wages to pay for her graduate studies in microbiology. She is a smart, short-tempered, ruthless, competitive young woman. Despite her short stature and squeaky voice, she is regarded as being intimidating, largely because of her sharp tongue, aggressive demeanor and tendency to be a bully. A recurring joke in the series references Bernadette and her lab team handling dangerous or infectious specimens, leading to accidental byproducts.
While initially not getting along with Howard's mother, she eventually becomes like her, domineering and passive aggressive, even adopting her signature yell.
She and Howard have two children, Halley and Neil Michael (who they call Michael), in seasons 10 and 11 respectively.
Bernadette is of Polish origin and Catholic upbringing, and was originally seen wearing a cross necklace.
Bernadette makes a brief non-speaking cameo as a child in the Season 2 finale of "Young Sheldon", she was portrayed by A. J. Coggeshall as a child.
Amy Fowler.
Amy Farrah Fowler, PhD (portrayed by Mayim Bialik; main "The Big Bang Theory": seasons 4–12; guest: "The Big Bang Theory" season 3, "Young Sheldon" season 4, 7) is a neuroscientist with a research focus on addiction in primates and invertebrates, occasionally mentioning such experiments involving addiction. (Bialik herself has a PhD in neuroscience.) She is Sheldon's love interest in the series, and they marry at the end of season 11. They are revealed to have children in "Young Sheldon".
Early on, Amy is essentially a female counterpart to Sheldon; as the series progresses, she begins a campaign to increase Sheldon's feelings for her by becoming more involved in his interests, including video games and "Star Trek", and treating him as his mother did.
In 2020, a year after "The Big Bang Theory" went off the air, it was revealed that Kate Micucci, who ultimately got the role of Lucy, had auditioned for the role of Amy Farrah Fowler.
Amy makes two appearances in "Young Sheldon". She makes an appearance as a child in the Season 2 finale where she is portrayed in a non-speaking role by Lily Sanfelippo. Bialik returns to play Amy in the narration of the season 4 premiere, and in a physical appearance in the series finale.
Stuart Bloom.
Stuart David Bloom (portrayed by Kevin Sussman; main: seasons 6 and 8–12; recurring: seasons 2–5 and 7) runs the Comic Center in Pasadena, the comic book store that the characters often visit. Stuart is characterized by his low self-esteem and loneliness, which often result in pathetic attempts to engage with women and win favor with the gang. This is despite owning his own business and being a talented portraiture artist who attended the Rhode Island School of Design.
One of the running gags on the show is Stuart's medical situation. It is depicted as disastrous, so much so that he can be seen under various medical treatments. He is said to have depression and possible malnutrition, among other problems.
In the last season, Stuart's life seems to be turning around. His comic store becomes successful and he gets a steady, long-term relationship.
Kevin Sussman was a recurring guest actor from seasons two to five, and was promoted to starring role for the sixth season onwards.
Emily Sweeney.
Emily Sweeney, M.D., (portrayed by Laura Spencer; main: season 9; recurring: seasons 7–8; guest: season 10) is a dermatology resident at Huntington Hospital, whom Raj finds on an online dating site. Raj enlists Amy's help to be his "online wingman" and talk to Emily in his behalf. Amy tells Emily about this and it puts her off. Amy and Emily end up hitting it off, having both gone to Harvard and both being into quilting. While Amy and Emily are at lunch together, Raj crashes the lunch. This drives Emily away from both Raj and Amy this time. Later, Raj and Emily meet again, accidentally and hit it off. They eventually double date with Howard and Bernadette, which horrifies Howard. He and Emily had a horrible date, which ended because Howard had gas station sushi, got food poisoning and clogged and overflowed her toilet. Emily is not afraid to stand up for herself or to others when necessary. She is shown to have a slightly alarming personality trait: she delights in the macabre.
Raj ends up breaking up with her before Valentine's Day so he could be with Claire (Alessandra Olivia Toreson). Unfortunately for Raj, Claire had just gotten back together with her boyfriend. So, he eventually lost them both. Emily attempted to get back into Raj's good graces and did manage to sleep with him one last time, but it didn't last.
Laura Spencer was a recurring guest actress on the series in seasons seven and eight. During production of season 9, she was promoted to a "fractional" starring role; the upgraded status ensured her availability on an as-needed basis, without requiring her in every episode. She returned as a guest in season 10.
"Young Sheldon" main characters.
Mary Cooper.
Mary Cooper ("née" Tucker) (portrayed by Laurie Metcalf in "The Big Bang Theory"; recurring: seasons 7 and 9–12; guest: seasons 1 and 3–5 and by Zoe Perry in "Young Sheldon") is Sheldon's short-tempered, but loving and deeply religious mother from Texas. She is able to control Sheldon, with Leonard once describing her to Penny as "Sheldon's kryptonite". A devout Southern Baptist, she also has two other children — Sheldon's twin sister, Missy, and brother, Georgie, who is five years older than the twins. Her husband, a rambunctious alcoholic, was also named George, but he later died in Sheldon's childhood. To Mary's relief, her other children do not share Sheldon's precociousness, even once commenting to Leonard, "I thank the good Lord my other kids are as dumb as soup". Mary herself is not intellectual but is quite wise, though she is prone to making outdated and insensitive remarks. She is nevertheless kind at heart and is tolerant of other faiths. Leonard wishes his mother were as loving as Sheldon's mother, although Sheldon himself appears at best ambivalent about her parenting. Sheldon mentions that Mary once hit him with a Bible because he refused to eat his Brussels sprouts. She apparently thought something was wrong with her son while he was growing up since Sheldon will often remark after someone calls him crazy, "I'm not crazy; my mother had me tested!" Mary confirms this, though she wishes that she had taken him to Houston for further testing.
A younger version of Mary, played by Zoe Perry, is a main character in the prequel series "Young Sheldon". Perry is Metcalf's real life daughter.
George Cooper Sr..
George Cooper Sr. (portrayed by Lance Barber; main: "Young Sheldon"; guest "The Big Bang Theory" season 11) was the husband of Mary Cooper and father of Georgie, Sheldon, and Missy. He was the high school football coach for Medford High. In "The Big Bang Theory", it is established that he died when Sheldon and Missy were fourteen years old due to an off-screen heart attack.
Barber previously portrayed Jimmy Speckerman in one episode of "The Big Bang Theory" (guest: season 5).
Georgie Cooper.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />George Marshall "Georgie" Cooper Jr. (portrayed by Jerry O'Connell as an adult; recurring: "The Big Bang Theory" seasons 11–12 and Montana Jordan as a youth; "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage") is Sheldon and Missy's older brother who resides in Texas and runs a car tire business. Often at odds while growing up, the Cooper brothers later reconcile their differences. George Jr. is a laid-back character who likes to make money and is a known womanizer. By season 12 of "The Big Bang Theory", it is revealed that he has been twice married and divorced.
In "Young Sheldon", he has a brief fling with Mandy McAllister, a woman 12 years his senior, resulting in Mandy becoming pregnant; despite Mandy wanting to raise their child alone, Georgie chooses to "man up" and marry Mandy, nurturing their fledgling infatuation into a proper relationship. Their daughter is named Constance (nicknamed CeCe), after Meemaw.
Missy Cooper.
<templatestyles src="Template:Visible anchor/styles.css" />Melissa "Missy" Cooper (Courtney Henggeler as an adult; guest: seasons 1, 7, and 11 and Raegan Revord as a child, main: "Young Sheldon") is not as academically accomplished as her twin brother but displays better social skills. As a child, she was obsessed with Alf. In season three of "Young Sheldon", Missy joins the baseball team in the fictional town of Medford. While Sheldon finishes high school and matriculates at university, Missy navigates the ordinary challenges of adolescence. Despite their differences, the twins are pretty close.
As an adult in "The Big Bang Theory", Missy is a tall, attractive woman who promptly catches the attention of Leonard, Howard, and Raj. She occasionally visits Sheldon, whom she calls a "rocket scientist" to her friends, much to his annoyance. She's the only character besides Sheldon who appeared in all episodes of "Young Sheldon." She later married and had children but separated from her husband in Season 11.
Constance "Connie" Tucker ("Meemaw").
Constance "Connie" Tucker (June Squibb in "The Big Bang Theory"; guest: season 9 and Annie Potts in "Young Sheldon") is Mary's mother, George Sr.'s mother-in-law, and maternal grandmother to Georgie, Sheldon, and Missy, who call her "Meemaw". Like Sheldon's other family members, she is also native to Texas and is their neighbor in the town of Medford. Connie is depicted as free-spirited, adventurous and outspoken. Sheldon sees himself as her favorite grandchild, and Connie nicknames him "Moonpie". Sheldon, in turn, is very affectionate toward and protective of her. Meemaw is often mentioned by Sheldon but did not appear on the series until episode 14 of season nine, "The Meemaw Manifestation".
In "Young Sheldon", recurring themes are her significant gambling habit and active dating life.
Pastor Jeff Difford.
Pastor Jeff Difford (portrayed by Matt Hobby; main: "Young Sheldon" seasons 3–7; recurring: seasons 1–2) is the upbeat lead pastor of a local Baptist church in Medford that Sheldon's family attends in "Young Sheldon". Like Mary, he, too, sometimes has friction with Sheldon's atheistic side but often encourages Sheldon to explore his own ideas logically.
Billy Sparks.
Billy Sparks (portrayed by Wyatt McClure; main: "Young Sheldon" seasons 5–7; recurring: seasons 1–4) is a boy who lives with his parents and sister next to the Coopers and Meemaw. He has been mentioned in "The Big Bang Theory" as one of Sheldon's childhood bullies, although in "Young Sheldon", he is rather good-natured and at times is friends with Sheldon but is shown to be extremely dim-witted.
Mandy McAllister.
Amanda Elizabeth "Mandy" McAllister (portrayed by Emily Osment; main: "Young Sheldon" seasons 6–7 and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage"; recurring: "Young Sheldon" season 5) is Georgie's wife; by the time of "The Big Bang Theory", Georgie and Mandy have divorced as Sheldon receives congratulations on his Nobel Prize from several ex-sisters-in-law.
Supporting characters.
Cast table.
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This section includes .* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the season.*  V indicates a voice-only role.

"The Big Bang Theory".
Alex Jensen.
Alex Jensen (Margo Harshman) is a Caltech graduate student who appears in season six. Sheldon hires her to review his kindergarten and elementary-school notebooks for any possible Nobel Prize–winning research and attend to the tasks that Sheldon perceives as a waste of his own valuable time, such as buying Amy a Valentine's Day gift.
Alex takes an interest in pursuing a relationship with Leonard (despite his involvement with Penny), though he is oblivious to her romantic overtures.
Althea Robinson.
Althea Robinson (Vernee Watson) is a nurse and receptionist at the hospital. She operated the sperm clinic during the original (unaired) Pilot episode when Leonard and Sheldon were considering donating. She was also present when Howard needed assistance in buying time to keep Leonard from returning home to see his surprise party getting set up. In Season 4 when Howard had a 'mishap' with a robot arm, she freed him by shutting off the computer. In Season 10, she appears in "The Birthday Synchronicity", serving as the delivery room nurse when Bernadette was having her baby, and is confused by the presence of Stuart and Raj alongside Howard, wondering if it is a "Mamma Mia!" scenario. She is also the only character besides Leonard and Sheldon to be carried over from the original unaired pilot. Watson also portrays a younger version of Robinson in several episodes of Young Sheldon.
Anu.
Anu (Rati Gupta) is the woman whom Raj's father wants him to marry. She first appears in season 12 and works at a hotel as a concierge. Anu and Raj get engaged after one date and start planning a wedding. Later after Raj starts questioning if he can trust her, they break it off due to Raj admitting doubts about their arranged marriage. The two later actually start dating for real of their own accord after admitting they have feelings and want to start at the beginning. They plan to get married for real, but while in London at a conference, she receives an offer of her dream job to run a hotel there. She asks Raj to move there with her, but Howard helps Raj realize there's girls out there who like him for him and won't have to settle for.
Arthur Jeffries.
Arthur Jeffries, or Professor Proton (Bob Newhart), is the star of a fictional in-universe science show that Sheldon and Leonard watched as children. The character is a homage to Mr. Wizard. After the show was canceled, Jeffries was not taken seriously as a scientist and resorted to doing children's parties as his persona. When Sheldon asks for his wisdom, Jeffries tells Sheldon to appreciate everything in life, including his friends, and never take it for granted. After passing away, Jeffries appears as a force ghost, akin to Obi-Wan Kenobi, to Sheldon in a dream, and throughout the season, provides him advice, such as comforting him over taking his relationship further with Amy, his misgivings over Wil Wheaton being cast in a Professor Proton reboot, and his first argument with Amy, as his wife. For his role as Jeffries, in 2013, Newhart won his first Primetime Emmy Award. Newhart played the same character on "Young Sheldon".
Barry Kripke.
Barry Kripke, PhD (John Ross Bowie) is a colleague working in plasma physics who frequently clashes with Sheldon. Kripke has a case of rhotacism in which he pronounces the letters and as in much the same way as Elmer Fudd from "Looney Tunes", Jimmy Five from "Monica's Gang" and Gilda Radner in her "Baba Wawa" sketches. He first appears in the Season 2 episode "The Killer Robot Instability" pitting his robot, the Kripke Krippler against that of the main characters. He is a recurring rival of Sheldon.
Bert Kibbler.
Professor Bertram Kibbler (Brian Posehn) is a geologist at Caltech, who meets Amy while she was working there in her own lab in the episode "The Occupation Recalibration"—where he attempts to ask her on a date, but is disheartened to learn that she is already in a relationship. In Season 10 ("The Geology Elevation"), he wins the $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship grant from Caltech, which makes Sheldon jealous. In Season 11, Bert asks Sheldon to collaborate with him. He joins Raj and Howard in their band, and sings a song from the point of view of the boulder seen near the beginning of the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). In season 12, Bert asks for Raj's help in cutting open a meteorite, and in the series finale, looks after Cinnamon for Raj, intending to use her to help him get girls.
Beverly Hofstadter.
Beverly Hofstadter (Christine Baranski) is Leonard's unloving, emotionally/psychologically abusive and overly analytical mother who works as a neuroscientist, as well as a psychiatrist. She is Sheldon's female equivalent regarding neurotically strict speech patterns, disregard for social conventions, and compulsive attention to detail. The lack of Beverly's maternal feelings and actions toward Leonard has led to him having an obsessive need to please. Mrs. Hofstadter and Mrs. Cooper do not get along. She first appears in Season 2 ("The Maternal Capacitance"), visiting her son. For her role as Beverly, in both 2009 and 2010, Baranski was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Claire.
Claire (Alessandra Torresani) is a writer for a children's science fiction series whom Raj and Howard meet in the comic book store in season 9. Claire wants to collaborate with Raj on the science portions of a movie script. Raj immediately develops feelings for her, while still dating Emily. He contemplates what to do, and ends up dumping Emily on Valentine's Day to ask out Claire. Eventually Raj gets back together with Emily, while also dating Claire. Eventually he and Emily break up for good and leaves him with just Claire, though they hadn't officially started dating.
Chen.
Chen (James Hong) is an elderly waiter at the Golden Dragon in Season 1 until it was revealed to be shut down the following season. He is not too fond of Sheldon after he accuses the restaurant of passing off Orange Chicken as Mandarin and refers to Howard as the guy who thinks he can speak Chinese.
Dan.
Dan (Stephen Root) is a senior member of staff at Zangen, who first appears in "The Locomotion Interruption" when he interviews Penny for a pharmaceutical sales representative position as a favor to Bernadette, and later bonds with her, upon learning that they are both terrified of Bernadette.
Dave Gibbs.
Dave Gibbs (Stephen Merchant) is a tall British man who dates Amy after she breaks up with Sheldon. He is recently divorced, his wife having had an affair with a French chef, which he remains bitter over. To Amy's horror, he is an avid fan of Sheldon's work, constantly asking questions about him after learning that he


Zachary Gordon
American actor (born 1998)
Zachary Adam Gordon (born February 15, 1998) is an American actor. He is known for his lead role as Greg Heffley in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series (2010–2012), which earned him nominations for a Kids' Choice Award and seven Young Artist Awards. His other lead film roles include "Huevos: Little Rooster's Egg-cellent Adventure" (2016) and "Dreamcatcher" (2021). He has had notable supporting roles in films such as "Georgia Rule" (2007), ' (2008), "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" (2013), ' (2020), and "Violet" (2021).
In television, Gordon had a lead voice role as Gil on the Nickelodeon series "Bubble Guppies" (2011–2013). His live-action recurring roles include Jason Cohen on the Freeform series "Dead of Summer" (2016), and Tate Wilson on the Freeform drama series "Good Trouble" (2019–2020).
Early life.
Gordon was born in Oak Park, California, to Linda and Kenneth Gordon. He has two older brothers and was raised in Southern California. Gordon graduated from Oak Park High School in his hometown.
Career.
Gordon has made multiple television appearances on programs such as "How I Met Your Mother" and "All of Us". He also appeared in the 2008 pilot of "Desperate Housewives", plus two other episodes, and in two episodes of "24" that aired in January 2009. Gordon appeared in three episodes as a guest star on "Last Man Standing", where he played Mike Baxter's daughter's boyfriend.
Gordon's film credits include "Sex and Death 101", "Lower Learning", the Garry Marshall film "Georgia Rule" (for which he won the Young Artist Award for his portrayal of Ethan), "The Brothers Bloom", as young Bloom, and in "".
Gordon has been credited with numerous voice over roles including Brad Spolyt in "The Chubbchubbs Save Xmas", Ricky Garcia in "Project Gilroy", San San in Nick Jr.'s "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan" and "The Mighty B!" He was a series regular as the original voice of Gil in the Nickelodeon series "Bubble Guppies".
Gordon had voice cameo roles as Baby Melman in the animated film "", Kotaro in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection", and young Tony Stark in "The Super Hero Squad Show". In 2010, he played Greg Heffley in the film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". In 2011, he voiced Papi Jr. in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" and as Paws in Disney's "The Search for Santa Paws".
In June 2010, 20th Century Fox announced a sequel to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"; Gordon returned as Greg Heffley and the film, "", was released on March 25, 2011.
In 2011, Gordon provided voices for Charlie Brown, Linus, and Franklin on the comedy show "Robot Chicken", and in 2012, he reprised the role of Greg Heffley in '. In the fourth film, ', he was replaced by Jason Drucker. In October 2013, Gordon was chosen to host a miniseries for Nintendo, titled "Skylander's Boomcast", on YouTube channel SkylandersGame, reviewing and talking about the video game series "Skylanders". In April 2023, it was announced Gordon would be the new voice of Tighnari in "Genshin Impact", replacing Elliot Gindi.
Additional films for 2013 included "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" and a role as Pete Kidder in Walden Media's and Hallmark Channel's "Pete's Christmas".
Personal life.
He is Jewish.
In May 2023, Gordon stated on social media that he had lost his voice due to torn muscles in his throat, causing his acting career to be put on hold.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book)
2007 novel by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a children's illustrated novel written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. The book is about a boy named Greg Heffley and his attempts to become popular in his first year of middle school.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" first appeared on FunBrain in 2004, where it was read 20 million times. The abridged hardcover adaptation was released on April 1, 2007. The book was named a "New York Times" bestseller, among other awards and received generally positive reviews. The book was adapted into a live action feature film, which released on March 19, 2010, and an animated film adaptation was released on Disney+ on December 3, 2021.
Plot.
The protagonist Greg Heffley, a student at Larry Mack Junior Middle School, writes a diary to detail his time "stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons" to a future audience reading when he is "rich and famous". Greg details the local myth surrounding a moldy piece of cheese that has been left at his school's basketball court for a long time. If someone touches the cheese, they have the curse-like "Cheese Touch" which makes them repellent to others; the victim is stuck with it until they pass it on by touching someone else. The last victim of the Cheese Touch has moved away to California, and Greg hopes nobody starts it up again.
Greg also talks about his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, characterizing him as immature or somewhat stupid, and that his [Greg's] ideas go "in one ear and out the other" with Rowley. At home, Greg is bullied by his older brother Rodrick, and resents his little brother, a toddler named Manny, who is spoiled and gets away with everything that Greg does not. Greg's father does not encourage his son's way of life—playing video games all day—and would rather Greg go outside and play sports.
Near Halloween, Greg writes that his father likes to hide in the bushes on Halloween night and drench teenagers that walk by their driveway with a trash can full of water. Greg and Rowley decide to make a haunted house after seeing the popularity of Crossland High School's haunted house, but they only end up profiting two dollars. On Halloween night, Greg and Rowley go trick-or-treating, but are challenged by a group of teenagers who spray them with a water-filled fire extinguisher. When they get home, they are soaked with a trash can full of water by Greg's father, who mistakes them for teenagers.
In Geography, Greg fails a test on state capitals after a girl named Patty Farrell reminds the teacher that he needs to cover the map of the United States that shows the state capitals. At home, Greg's mother forces him into auditioning for the school play (based on "The Wizard of Oz"). Greg lands the role of a tree, while Patty Farrell is cast as Dorothy, the protagonist of the novel. During the show's performance, Greg becomes too nervous to sing, confusing the other trees. Patty gets frustrated, and Greg starts throwing apples at her. The other trees join in, and the play eventually has to be shut down after Patty's glasses are broken. Greg's mother is disappointed, but Greg enjoyed getting back at Patty.
After getting bad presents for Christmas, Greg decides to play a game with Rowley in which Rowley must ride a Big Wheel down a hill while Greg tries to knock him off with a football. On one of Greg's tries, the ball goes under the front wheel, which causes Rowley to fall off and break his hand. When Rowley goes to school with a plaster cast, the girls take care of him (carrying his books, feeding him food), which makes Greg jealous.
Greg decides to join the Safety Patrols at his school, hoping that he will be able to control the other kids. He gets Rowley to sign up as well and enjoys the benefits of being a Safety Patrol, such as getting free hot chocolate. He tries to get a spot in the school's newspaper as a cartoonist and teams up with Rowley. Greg comes up with a strip called "Zoo-Wee Mama!", and he and Rowley produce a number of strips. Eventually, Greg starts wanting to do other strips, but Rowley wants to continue with "Zoo-Wee Mama!"; Greg submits his comics to the teacher and ends up getting the cartoonist job. However, the teacher completely changes Greg's comic, even making his character a "curious student" instead of a "cretin."
After an incident where Greg chases some kindergartners with a worm on a stick and is mistaken for Rowley, Rowley gets suspended from the Safety Patrols for a week. However, after it is cleared up that Greg was the real culprit, Rowley is reinstated and promoted while Greg is dismissed.
Greg notices that the school year is coming to a close and tries to get on the yearbook's Class Favorites page. He plans to go for "Class Clown," but his plans do not work out. At lunch, he gets an issue of the school newspaper and learns that Rowley is the new cartoonist, with his "Zoo-Wee Mama!" strip left completely unchanged.
Greg confronts Rowley for not even listing him as co-creator and hogging all the fame. Rowley retaliates by saying that the "Zoo-Wee Mama!" comic was his idea and that Greg "had nothing to do with it." As they argue, the teenagers who chased them at Halloween appear and force Greg and Rowley to eat the Cheese. Greg gets out of it by falsely claiming to be allergic to dairy, while Rowley is forced to eat the whole thing. The next day, when everyone notices that the Cheese is gone, Greg takes the fall for Rowley and lies by saying that he threw it away. Greg reconciles with Rowley and lets people think that he has the Cheese Touch.
The book concludes with Greg getting his yearbook, seeing Rowley on the "Class Clown" page, and throwing it in the garbage. This means Greg now has the Cheese Touch, which carries on into the next book.
Background.
In May 2004, FunBrain and Jeff Kinney released an online version of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September of that year to June 2005. The online book became an instant hit, and had received approximately 20 million views by 2007. Many online readers requested a printed version. At the 2006 New York Comic Con Kinney proposed "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" to Charles Kochman, Editorial Director of the ComicArts division of Abrams Books, who purchased the rights to the book. According to Kochman, the two initially conceived it as a book for adults, believing it would appeal to audiences similar to that of the TV series "The Wonder Years". Kochman brought it before the Abrams publishing board, which convinced Kinney and Kochman that it would be better aimed toward children. In 2007, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", an abridged version of the original online book, was published.
Main characters.
The main character, Greg, has trouble with family, friends, and his local middle school. He is very concerned about how popular he is at school, and he daydreams a lot about being rich and famous when he grows up. He tries to fit in at his school, but usually he does not succeed. Facing many challenges, Greg attempts to handle them very creatively, but unfortunately his antics often backfire on him.
Greg's best friend has a larger than average frame. He is always willing to do what Greg tells him, including dangerous stunts. Rowley goes on vacations all the time, which annoys Greg. Rowley is a loyal friend, but he sometimes behaves in an immature or childish manner. He also dresses in an unusual way.
Greg's "spoiled" little brother, a three-year-old toddler. He never gets in trouble no matter what, even when he really deserves it. Manny is not yet potty trained.
Rodrick is Greg's teenage brother and he never misses a chance to be cruel to Greg. He is known for sleeping excessively in the morning and for his rebellious attitude. Rodrick is part of a basement band (garage band in the movies) called "Löded Diper". Rodrick will do anything to embarrass Greg and will even cause problems for Manny to make everyone's life miserable.
Sequels.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is the first book in an ongoing franchise. A total of nineteen "Wimpy Kid" books have been released, the sequels to the first book are: ' (2008) which was listed on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 117 weeks, ' (2009) which was on the "New York Times" Best Sellers list for 65 weeks, peaking at number one, ' (2009) which was ranked at number one on the "New York Times" Best Sellers List for all 25 weeks of inclusion, making it the #1 best selling book of 2009, ' (2010), ' (2011), ' (2012), ' (2013), ' (2014), ' (2015), ' (2016), ' (2017), ' (2018)," " (2019), ' (2020), ' (2021), ' (2022), ' (2023), and (2024).
Reception.
The book won the Blue Peter Book Award 2012, revealed live on British kids channel CBBC on March 1, 2012. In 2012 it was ranked number 76 on a list of the top 100 children's novels published by "School Library Journal".
Adaptations.
A film adaptation, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," was released by 20th Century Fox on March 19, 2010. The film stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley (Dad), Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley (Mom), Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman (a character exclusive to the live-action film), and Connor & Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Greg's brother. It would later go on to spawn three sequels.
Another film adaptation, this time animated, serving as a reboot of the film series was released on December 3, 2021 exclusively on Disney+.
References.
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Jeff Kinney
American author, cartoonist and screenwriter (born 1971)
Jeffrey Patrick Kinney (born February 19, 1971) is an American author and cartoonist. He is best known for creating, writing and illustrating the children's book series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". He also created the child-oriented website "Poptropica".
Early life.
Kinney was born and raised in Fort Washington, Maryland. Kinney attended Potomac Landing Elementary School and later Bishop McNamara High School, where he graduated in 1989. He has an older brother and sister, and a younger brother. He is of Irish descent. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park, in the early 1990s. It was in college that Kinney created a popular comic strip, "Igdoof", which ran in the school student newspaper, "The Diamondback". Kinney graduated from the University of Maryland in 1993, originally majoring in computer science but switching to criminal justice in order to have more time to work on his comic. In 2021 he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa as an alumnus of the University of Maryland.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book series.
In January 1998, Kinney conceived the idea of a middle-school weakling named Greg Heffley, who writes illustrated stories about his personal life. In May 2004, Funbrain and Jeff Kinney released an online version of the story, titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". The website made daily entries from September of that year to June 2005. He worked on his book for almost eight years, before showing it to a publisher in New York City, U.S.
In February 2006, during the New York Comic Con, Jeff signed a multi-book deal with publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc., to turn "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" into a print series.
The book became an instant hit, with the online version receiving about 20 million views as of 2007. When many online readers requested a printed version, Kinney agreed, and in April 2007, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was published. To date, 31 "Wimpy Kid" books have been released, including a movie diary and a Do-It-Yourself Book, and a biography that Greg’s best friend Rowley Jefferson wrote. In April 2009, "TIME" named Kinney one of "The World's Most Influential People". In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 the series won a "Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award" for "Favorite Book". The series is still ongoing, with the latest mainstream book called "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess."
To promote the release of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer", Kinney embarked on book tour across the West Coast of the United States titled "The "No Brainer" Show" from October 23 to November 8, 2023. Kinney dedicated the tour to libraries and librarians, making a personal donation of $100,000 for libraries along the tour. He also partnered with 11 publishers to acquire "high interest, diverse books to distribute to libraries and to kids we meet along the way". Each stop featured a game show hosted by Kinney, where participants could win prizes on behalf of their local library.
Professional work.
Kinney works full-time as a writer and illustrator. He also created the kid-friendly website "Poptropica" which includes two islands called "Wimpy Wonderland" and "Wimpy Boardwalk", where the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" characters and events are featured in the "Poptropica" universe.
Over 250 million copies of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books have sold globally as of 2020 and the series was developed into feature films for which Kinney served as executive producer.
In May 2015, Kinney and his wife Julie opened "An Unlikely Story," a local bookstore and cafe in Plainville, Massachusetts. Kinney advocates that kids should spend time reading as an alternative to screen time.
Kinney guest-hosted 10 episodes of the 10th season of WGBH local quiz bowl production "High School Quiz Show" while regular host Billy Costa was away on a special assignment. Kinney hosted the second half of the first-round games, the quarter-finals, and the semi-finals, while Costa hosted the first half of the first-round games and returned to Boston in time for the finals.
Personal life.
On December 14, 2003, Jeff Kinney married Julie Kinney. They have two sons together. He currently lives in Plainville, Massachusetts. He is Catholic.
In June 2020 when Manny, a character he created in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, became an internet meme relating to the protests arising from the murder of George Floyd, Kinney expressed a distaste for the sensation, stating, "I don't like it. The Black Lives Matter movement needs to be taken seriously... I think that assigning a cartoon character to (the movement) trivializes it."
Films.
The books have been adapted into a film series.
A film based on the first book was released on March 19, 2010. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and directed by Thor Freudenthal. The film starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as a new character named Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta.
A , based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules", was released on March 25, 2011. Zachary Gordon returned as Greg Heffley. Steve Zahn (Frank Heffley) and Rachael Harris (Susan Heffley) also returned. The film was directed by David Bowers and the screenplay was written by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah. Some new cast members who appeared in the film included Peyton List as Holly Hills among others. Kinney himself appeared in the film in a cameo role as Holly's father. He would later reprise the role in the third film, "", which was released in 2012 and combines "The Last Straw" and "Dog Days".
A , based on "", was announced by Kinney via Twitter in April 2016. It was released on May 19, 2017, featuring an entirely new cast. Jeff Kinney also cameos in the film as the owner of a booth at a convention.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)
Family comedy film series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of family comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. It consists of four live action films and three animated films.
Films.
Live-action films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010).
Principal production began on August 12, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by Thor Freudenthal and starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. It received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 19, 2010, as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2011).
Based on the second book, "Rodrick Rules", with elements from "The Last Straw". Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in Vancouver and New Westminster. The film was directed by David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (Peyton List), Grandpa (Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on March 25, 2011.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" (2012).
Based on the third book "The Last Straw" and the fourth book "Dog Days", the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (Peyton List). The film is the last one to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. It also received mixed reviews from critics. It was released on August 3, 2012.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" (2017).
Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother, Rodrick, unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday party. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his Internet idol, Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. It was released on May 19, 2017.
Animated reboot films.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2021).
In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was in development. On August 6, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service, Disney+.
In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and would be released on December 3, 2021. The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. Unlike the previous films, which were produced by 20th Century Fox, this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at 20th Century Animation.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" (2022).
On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. For Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on "", was released on December 2, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever" (2023).
On September 8, 2023, it was announced that a Disney+ film based on the sixth book, "Cabin Fever", released on December 8, 2023.
Future.
Jeff Kinney stated that he intends to adapt all books into animated features for Disney+. An animated film based on "The Last Straw" is currently in development.
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown" short film.
An animated short film set after the events of the third film, titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown", was included on the home media release of "Dog Days" in 2012. The short is told through Greg's point-of-view as he explains his humorous experience and why he deserves the title of Class Clown. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley along with other cast members voicing their characters from the films in minor roles.
Canceled TV special.
In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books, announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on ' as the next installment. In an interview for ', Kinney stated he was working with FOX on a half-hour special based on "Cabin Fever", which was scheduled to air in late-2014. The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. Nothing regarding the special ever materialized. A separate adaptation was eventually released in 2023 as "".
Recurring cast and characters.
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List indicators
This section includes .* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.*  E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.*  O indicates an older version of the character.*  U indicates an uncredited appearance.*  V indicates a voice-only role.*  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
References.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010 film)
2010 film by Thor Freudenthal
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on Jeff Kinney's 2007 book of the same name. The film stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Chloë Grace Moretz.
20th Century Fox released the film theatrically in the United States on March 19, 2010, receiving mixed reviews from critics and grossing $76 million worldwide against a $15 million budget.
The film spawned a film franchise and was followed by three sequels: ' (2011), ' (2012), and ' (2017). An animated reboot of the same name was released in 2021, which was followed by two sequels of its own: a (2022) and ' (2023). A book detailing the film's creation process, titled "The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary", was released on March 16, 2010.
Plot.
Preteen Greg Heffley illustrates his daily life in a diary. He says he is writing in one for when he is "rich and famous", but is in middle school for now. Greg lives with his parents, Susan and Frank, his spoiled younger brother, Manny, and his older brother, Rodrick, who torments Greg. On Greg's first day of middle school, he quickly discovers the ups and downs, such as the missing stall doors in the boys' bathroom and the difficulties of obtaining a seat during lunch. During physical education, Greg and his childish best friend, Rowley Jefferson, escape from a game of Gladiator and meet Angie Steadman, a seventh-grader who isolates herself from the other students to "survive". They also notice a moldy piece of cheese on the basketball court. When Greg almost touches it, their friend, Chirag Gupta, tells them that whoever touches it gets "The Cheese Touch", where they become a social outcast due to everyone being disgusted by that person because they touched the cheese, and that the only way to get rid of "The Cheese Touch" is to pass it on to someone else by touching them. Greg states his intention of becoming the most popular student in school, as well as earning a place in the school yearbook as a class favorite, only for several of his attempts to fail.
On Halloween, when Greg and Rowley go out trick-or-treating, a group of teenage boys drive by in a pickup truck, and spray a fire extinguisher at them. When Greg threatens to call the police, the boys chase him and Rowley to Greg's grandmother's house, but the latter two escape them after Greg accidentally damages their truck with a weed eater.
The boys join the Safety Patrol team at school in another effort to become popular and try out for a contest that offers a student a chance to become the cartoonist for the school paper. When Greg accidentally breaks Rowley's arm, during a dangerous game the duo invented, Rowley becomes extremely popular and wins the cartoonist contest, making Greg envious of him. During a Safety Patrol assignment, Greg walks kindergartners down a neighborhood street without Rowley, but panics when he encounters a truck identical to the teenagers' from Halloween and hides himself and the kids in a construction zone. He is then confronted by a neighbor who mistakes him for Rowley, having borrowed Rowley's coat, forcing him to abandon the kindergarteners and flee. To his bewilderment, Rowley is suspended from Safety Patrol, but Greg eventually confesses his guilt to him, foolishly offering it as a joke and saying that they could both learn "lessons" from the incident. Distraught and angered over Greg's mistreatment of him, Rowley ends their friendship. When the truth soon comes to light, Greg is fired from the service while Rowley is reinstated as captain and befriends their classmate, Collin, who replaces Greg as Rowley's best friend. Greg attempts to pursue popularity without Rowley, but those efforts also fail. Greg tries to reconcile with Rowley while attending the Mother and Son Sweetheart Dance at his school with Susan, but lies to Rowley about missing him when he notices he is with Collin.
One day after school, Greg and Rowley confront each other in rage and a circle of students encourages them to fight. However, neither of them are good at fighting. The teenagers from Halloween arrive at the scene and force Rowley to eat part of the cheese after the other kids, except for Greg, are chased inside the school. They flee the scene when the school's physical education teacher, Coach Eduardo Malone, arrives, but when the other kids come back out and notice the cheese has been eaten, Greg takes the blame to save Rowley's reputation, and they reconcile. At the end of the school year, Greg and Rowley make the yearbook class favorites page as "Cutest Friends".
Production.
An adaptation of the first "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" novel was announced in 2008, with Thor Freudenthal signing on as director in December 2008. In July 2009, Zachary Gordon was cast in the lead role of Greg Heffley. Rachael Harris also signed on for the role of Susan Heffley, Greg's mother. In August 2009, Steve Zahn was cast as Frank Heffley, Greg's father. In the same month, Devon Bostick and Robert Capron were cast as Rodrick Heffley and Rowley Jefferson, respectively. Filming began on August 12, 2009.
Visual effects.
The mold for the Cheese was completely digital. Filmmakers left a real square of cheese outside for a few days inside a wire cage to keep animals out and sunlight in, and after this, a piece of cheese was made out of silicone and had mold effects added using CGI.
The animated sequences were not 2D animated, but in fact made with 3D animation. The animated sequences were first animated in 3D, and then rendered in a rough sketch shader to make them look 2D.
Release.
Tie-in book.
A tie-in book, written by Kinney, called "The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary", was published on March 16, 2010, by Amulet Books (an imprint of Abrams Books). It includes film stills, storyboards, preliminary concept drawings and also behind-the-scenes information to humorously chronicle the making of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", ', and '. It also includes some new illustrations.
Home media.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 3, 2010. The Blu-ray version features six pages from Rowley's diary, "Diary of an Awesome, Friendly Kid". It was released on the streaming service Disney+ on November 12, 2019; its launch date.
Reception.
Critical response.
Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 55% based on 106 reviews and an average rating of 5.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Unlike its bestselling source material, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fails to place a likable protagonist at the center of its middle-school humor –