After The Big Bang Theory: What The 10 Main Actors Are Doing Next

Who doesn’t miss nights with the Pasadena-based, scientific friend group? The Big Bang Theory truly gave its fans performances that they would never forget. From the relationship fluctuations to its passion for nerd culture and science, the whole gang kept up its consistency with the comedy. Witty comments were made by every single cast member, at the most opportune moments, to the point where it was difficult not to laugh along.

The cast ultimately made the show, and deserved the accolades they received, so fans might want to know what they are all up to now? It certainly must have been difficult to move past the characters they played for 12 seasons. But, as professionals, moving forward with their careers was inevitable for most of them.

Updated on August 25th, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: After 12 seasons of falling in love with the characters on The Big Bang Theory, fans have resorted to watching reruns to get their fill of Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, and co. But that’s not the only place fans can see these familiar faces. Since ending TBBT, the cast has gone on to write, produce, and act in various projects as they separate themselves from the show that made so many of their careers so special. And while it may be strange seeing the actors in scenes that aren’t at Caltech or apartment 4a, it’s rewarding to see them in a new light. 

10 Kaley Cuoco: The Man From Toronto; Meet Cute

Cuoco’s career didn’t stop after the CBS hit show. Since leaving her character, Penny, she has starred in HBO’s dark comedy, The FlightAttendant, portraying Cassie Bowden. She has also been the voice behind Harley Quinn in the eponymous adult animated series, which was a big change from her former, beloved character, Penny.

Now, Kaley’s on her way to star in the 2021 action comedy film, The Man From Toronto. The Patrick Hughes-directed film includes an all-star cast, with Woody Harrelson, Kevin Hart, and Ellen Barkin also starring alongside Cuoco. She’s also currently filming a comedy called Meet Cute, which stars Pete Davidson.

9 Johnny Galecki: Focusing On Fatherhood

Fans loved Leonard and the exapnsive timeline of his relationship with Penny. After playing Leonard for 12 seasons, Galecki has appeared in both TV and a movie. Once The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, Galecki made a few appearances in The Conners. 

He also starred in the film, A Dog’s Journey (2019), as the deceased character, Henry. His future roles are much different from the comical, science-focused scholar that Leonard is. Galecki hasn’t been cast in any known projects recently, as his last known on-screen performances were in 2019. According to his Instagram, Galecki has been focusing his attention on being a father to his son.

8 Jim Parsons: So Much; Spoiler Alert

Sheldon Cooper’s character wasn’t going to fade away so quickly, as Parsons provides his voice for the spinoff show, Young Sheldon. His character was far too awesome to be left in the past.

Aside from his well-known, brainiac character, Parsons has also starred in multiple projects outside The Big Bang Theory realm. In the Netflix original, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile, Parsons played the lead prosecuting lawyer, Larry Simpson, who worked on the Ted Bundy case. Up next, he has two projects in post-production. One, a TV movie, called So Much, and another starring alongside Ben Aldridge called Spoiler Alert.

7 Simon Helberg: Space Oddity; As Sick As They Made Us

Fans will probably never forget the sound of Howard’s name being shouted by his mother bellowing from their TV screens. Simon Helberg played the inappropriate yet comical character with such skill that he became a firm fan-favorite who always delivered laughs throughout the show, especially through his ability to imitate famous people.

After TBBT wrapped, Helberg starred as The Conductor in Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard’s Annette. Since then, he’s starring in two upcoming projects in post-production called Space Oddity and As Sick as They Made Us.

6 Kunal Nayyar: Spaceman; Suspicion; The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Kunal Nayyar is one busy actor. After his time playing the love-stricken Raj came to an end in 2019, Nayyar was cast in several projects and will be seen on both the big screen and the small screen.

In 2020, Nayyar voiced Guy Diamond in Trolls World Tour, he also played Mr. Mills in Think Like A Dog. Nowadays, he has three projects in post-production that don’t have a release date as of yet: Spaceman, the TV series Suspicion, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

5 Mayim Bialik: The Inspector Chronicles; As Sick As They Made Us

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to dedicated fans that Mayim Bialik’s life outside of acting is pretty busy, as she is also educated as a neuroscientist.

However, after playing the adorable and intelligent Amy Farrah Fowler, Bialik got another role on TV. The only exception is that this time, she played the titular character on the sitcom in Call Me Kat. More recently, it’s been announced that she’s voicing The B.O.O.T.H in The Inspector Chronicles. She’s also directing the project that Simon Helberg is in, As Sick as They Made Us.

4 Melissa Rauch: The Chicken Squad; Night Court

Thanks to Melissa Rauch, not one viewer of The Big Bang Theory could ever forget the sweet, high-pitched voice that Bernadette has all throughout the show (even when she’s yelling at Howard or delivering some of her shadiest burns).

Rauch was cast in the voice role of Gwen The Cat in Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite!, released in September of 2020. However, around the time that The Big Bang Theory concluded in 2019, Rauch also starred in a Steven Soderbergh biographical drama, The Laundromat. Coming up, she’s starring as Abby Stone in a TV series called Night Court. Fans can also catch her in 2021’s TV series, The Chicken Squad.

3 Kevin Sussman: No Upcoming Projects

Well, who could ever forget about Stuart? Without this famous secondary character, scenes in the comic book store, and entire episodes, wouldn’t have been as funny. Thanks to Kevin Sussman, Stuart’s character got to grow into one of the most important in the cast.

It looks like Sussman hasn’t been in any well-known projects after 2019, but the actor is also an accomplished writer who could potentially be working on a new project.

2 Sara Gilbert: Bucktown

Sara Gilbert’s face is famous for a lot of different roles as the actor is pretty skilled at wearing many hats. Fans recognize her from the CBS talk show, The Talk, as a former co-host and creator of the show. Her recurring role as Leslie Winkle on The Big Bang Theory added a great comical spice with some of the best one-liners in the show.

Since the show finished, Gilbert has featured in numerous projects. She earned a recurring role in Season 3 of the Netflix show, Atypical, as Professor Judd. Up next, it’s been announced that she’s producing a new TV series called Bucktown. 

1 Laura Spencer: 13 Minutes; Kevin Vs. Josh

Laura Spencer’s character, Emily, was an important addition to Raj’s story. After starring in a few episodes of TBBT, Spencer went on to star in Bones, Matt and Dan, and Reservation Dogs.

According to Spencer’s IMDb profile, Spencer is in a few projects that are completed but not yet released. She’s in a TV series called Work/Friends, a film called 13 Minutes, and a TV movie called Kevin Vs. Josh.

About The Author

Elisabeth McGowan
(102 Articles Published)

Based in the New York City area, Elisabeth has written for various media outlets, was a Walt Disney World Cast Member, and her true focus is on the film and television industry! While double majoring in Theatre and English at the University of California, Davis, her passion for writing developed when she worked as an Editor-in-Chief at the Odyssey Online and as a blog writer for a New York-based theater company. She became interested in film acting at the age of 13 during a brief summer program at the New York Film Academy and was then hooked on the movie and television industry.

Although a big fan of both big-screen and independent drama films, Elisabeth loves comedy, romance, action, and sci-fi movies. Her favorite TV shows include a variety of comedy, drama, and sci-fi fantasy shows, specifically Supernatural, Breaking Bad, and Pretty Little Liars. As a writer for ScreenRant, she is eager to cover new and old favorite films and shows!

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