Young Sheldonhad a strong seven-year run, expanding the world ofThe Big Bang Theoryby introducing many more dynamic characters who play important roles in the lives of the titular Sheldon Cooper and his family. The solid success ofYoung Sheldonled to more shows, includingGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriageand the newBig Bang TheoryspinoffStuart Fails to Save the Universe. Of course, it is necessary that both shows continue to introduce faces that subsequently engage audiences.
Largely, the originalcharacters ofYoung Sheldonrefract off a young Sheldon’s (Iain Armitage) arc, showing different perspectives as he navigates the worlds of scientific research and his family life.Sheldon and his family learn how to affirm their commitments to each other while pursuing their own goalsthroughout. Certain characters are the best of the series because of the advice they offer or the different paths they go down.
6Paige Swanson
Played By Mckenna Grace
Paige enters the franchise as a potential peer to Sheldon, were it not for the fact that she deeply annoys him by being just as smart as him. However,Paige’s story is sometimes oddly sweet because of how she appreciates her sort of friendship with Sheldonand bonds with his sister Missy (Raegan Revord).
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Furthermore, she adds depth to the show by illustrating an alternative version of Sheldon’s life. Sheldon acts like everyone is beneath him, which in a way protects him. However, Paige is shown to be struggling because of her academic status.
5Brenda Sparks
Played By Melissa Peterman
The Coopers' neighbors are frequently at odds with them, but Brenda offers occasional bits of support and reflection. Like Sheldon’s mother Mary (Zoe Perry), Brenda experiences marital strife, which, in her case, ends with her husband leaving. She and Mary clash over Brenda’s relationship with Mary’s husband George (Lance Barber), but Brenda manages to impressively resolve the matter by talking about what George actually sought, which was mostly an outside, objective voice.When so much ofYoung Sheldonis about family life, Brenda is important to the storywith her experiences of being a wife and mother.
4Pastor Rob
Played By Dan Byrd
In Pastor Rob’s defense, he seems to have been acting as just a supportive co-worker to Mary,never crossing any lines and not realizing that their friendship would cause problems between her and George. He actually is something Mary really needs in her life, as he encourages a more nuanced and non-judgmental approach to her faith, something she lacks when she appears inThe Big Bang Theory. Overall, Rob is a really interesting character because of the compassionate way he handles most of the small-town conflicts while continuing to be confident and set an example in his own life.
3Sam
Played By Taylor Spreitler
Sam is a reminder that while Sheldon and his family’s concerns mostly lie elsewhere, there are whole other issues and movements happening around them. Namely, Sam is something of a rude awakening for the series when she talks about how women in science are treated. Despite their past conflict, Sam is still very kind to Mary when they run into each other on campus. Most importantly,Sam is not afraid to call Sheldon out on his privilege— it will take him a long time to learn from people like her, but the fact that she is there is important just the same.
2Dr. John Sturgis
Played By Wallace Shawn
Young Sheldonmost effectively elaborates on Sheldon’s life by introducing some figures who were scientific role models to him in his youth,even if he didn’t always listen to them. Sheldon immediately has a kinship with Dr. John Sturgis, who like him, is a brilliant and quirky scientist, played by the comedy legend of Wallace Shawn. Sturgis' relationship with Meemaw (Annie Potts) was sweet while it lasted, but as she moves on, his bigger impact on the series is in the ways he helps advance Sheldon’s education and forces the aspiring scientist to self-reflect.
1Mandy McAllister
Played By Emily Osment
As far as a supporting character’s presence goes, Mandy is obviously the biggest one ofYoung Sheldonwhen her fan-favorite status resulted in her becoming a regular. While dealing with the challenges of an unexpected pregnancy and trying to restart her own career,Mandy develops resonant, heartfelt relationships with members of Sheldon’s family.
Her charm and humor largely come from the charismatic performance by Emily Osment, which cemented her as a permanent fixture ofThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise. This is arguably the goal of all the characters introduced inYoung Sheldon— to become so vital to the world that we can’t imagine it without them.
Young Sheldon
Cast
A spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon follows the youth and coming-of-age of Sheldon Cooper during his childhood in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The show also follows his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, painting a picture of the world where Sheldon grew up.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.
