It was the spinoff that we’ve been waiting for and only 10 years in the making. Young Sheldon was something we conjured up ages ago, and we’re glad that networks execs are finally catching up to vibe. While we love all the characters in the new show, there’s one that we’ve been waiting particularly to see. Meet the woman that raised the young genius, Mary Cooper, and the woman that plays her in the spinoff, Zoe Perry. Here are five things you didn’t know about her that might surprise you totally but also make sense at the same time.
1. Zoe Perry is the daughter of Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry.
Zoe comes from a family of actors, so it’s no surprise that she would follow the career path her parents had taken. We’re absolutely glad she did because having seen her work in the premiere of Young Sheldon, we’re looking forward to seeing way more. It might have been just pure luck in casting, but Zoe is literally perfect for that role. After all, her mother plays Sheldon’s mother in The Big Bang Theory. What a way to keep it all in the family!
2. She’s been acting since she was 8 years old.
This comes to no surprise having both parents as actors. You get the exposure you need even when you don’t want it. Having been acting for that long, her acting credit list is extensive. It mostly includes being featured in a variety of TV shows, but she’s never landed a bigger role apart from Young Sheldon. Despite of that, she can be seen in some of TV biggest shows including Scandal, NCIS, The Family, and Grey’s Anatomy.
3. This isn’t the first time she’s playing her mom.
It might be funny for us to see Laurie Metcalf’s daughter play a younger version of her; however, for Zoe it isn’t anything new. Zoe has actually played a younger version of her mother, and it actually happened to be Zoe’s acting debut. Laurie Metcalf played Jackie Harris on Roseanne back in the day, and Zoe acted as “Little Jackie” in an episode in 1992. She reprised the role again in 1995 as a young Jackie this time.
4. She’s also acted with her father, Jeff Perry.
Jeff Perry also has an extensive list of TV roles, including that of Cyrus Beene in Scandal. Zoe played the role of Samantha Ruland in the show, and while her character only had 9 episodes in the series, it was enough for her role and her father’s role to cross paths. When asked what it felt like to work with Zoe in the set, Jeff Perry claimed that it was nothing but great joy.
5. She still had to audition for the role.
There are no handouts in Hollywood, regardless of who your parents are and how you’ve played their younger versions before. Zoe still had to follow typical auditioning procedures for the role of Mary Cooper. To prepare for the role, Zoe did what she probably had been doing her whole life; she literally had to just watch her mother. It worked for Zoe and for the show altogether, and we couldn’t be any more glad that it did.
Photo via Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
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