The Big Bang Theory is over but several members of the original cast have found ways to make cameos on other shows in the franchise — including Young Sheldon and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.
The hit sitcom, which aired from 2007 to 2019, starred Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch as a group of friends made up of scientists and their significant others.
Young Sheldon subsequently was picked up by CBS as a prequel to The Big Bang Theory. The follow-up focused on Sheldon (Iain Armitage) as a child prodigy growing up in Texas. Fans met Sheldon’s brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) and became invested in his love story with Mandy (Emily Osment). Young Sheldon came to an end in 2024 — but the franchise continued to expand with Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
“You can watch Young Sheldon without knowing anything about The Big Bang Theory. And I believe you can watch Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage without watching Young Sheldon,” Jordan exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2024. “It’s a new start.”
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Warner Bros. Television has since greenlit a series set in the same universe. While the pilot is still in development, the show would air on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, Max, and stars several alums from The Big Bang Theory.
Keep scrolling for a guide to which The Big Bang Theory stars have returned to the franchise — and who hasn’t yet:
Jim Parsons
After originating the role of Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Parsons received various awards including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.
Parsons became an executive producer on Young Sheldon — in addition to serving as a narrator for The Big Bang Theory‘s first spinoff. During the May 2024 series finale, Parsons and Bialik reprised their roles as Sheldon and Amy, respectively, to show how the character’s memoir served as the backdrop for Young Sheldon.
Johnny Galecki
Galecki played Leonard in The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019. He hasn’t returned to the franchise yet but reprised another memorable role when he joined The Conners as David.
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Kaley Cuoco
After playing fan-favorite Penny, Cuoco made an uncredited, voice-only cameo in the prequel series as pool water. She has also starred on The Flight Attendant and Based on a True Story.
Mayim Bialik
Bialik reunited with Parsons for a guest spot on Young Sheldon after they originally played love interests on The Big Bang Theory. The actress also lent her voice as Amy for several episodes of the prequel.
Simon Helberg
Helberg is known for playing Howard on The Big Bang Theory. He returned to the role for one episode of Young Sheldon where Howard narrated a portion of an episode.
Melissa Rauch
Rauch is best known for playing Bernadette, who hasn’t appeared on Young Sheldon or Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. She has found a way to still work with her former costars, as she shares the screen with Bialik and Nayyar on Night Court.
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Kunal Nayyar
The actor rose to stardom for his performance as Raj on The Big Bang Theory. While Nayyar has yet to return to the franchise, he reunited with Rauch for a mini reunion on her hit NBC series Night Court.
Brian Posehn
During the original show, Posehn was a geologist at Caltech who was interested in dating Amy. Posehn is returning to play Bert in Max’s upcoming spinoff.
Kevin Sussman
The Big Bang Theory often featured Sussman as Stuart a.k.a the owner of a comic book store that Sheldon and his friends visited on the show. He will be playing Stuart again in a lead role in a highly-anticipated spinoff.
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Lauren Lapkus
Lapkus joined The Big Bang Theory as a love interest for Stuart. The couple remained together once The Big Bang Theory came to an end and will be at the center of Max’s spinoff.
