Here's How Far The Big Bang Cast Cast Got In School

When "The Big Bang Theory" first made its spectacular debut in 2007, audiences all around the world instantly fell in love with the sitcom's quirky characters, zany humor, and its unapologetic celebration of nerd culture. With a stacked cast of talented actors including Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and Kaley Cuoco, the series focused on a group of socially awkward physicists and engineers who find their lives shaken up when a beautiful aspiring actress moves in across the hall, leading to endless hijinks and hilarity.

Throughout its 12 season run, brilliant science figures like Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson made appearances on the sitcom, and fans may be interested to know that many of its cast members have their own impressive educational backgrounds. Some may be surprised to learn the truth about Mayim Bialik's education, as much like her character Amy Farrah Fowler, the former child star has quite the academic resume.

Similarly, it's easy to wonder just how Jim Parsons compares to "Big Bang Theory's" Sheldon Cooper in real life. Although the actor may not have a degree in physics, his education and theater training is nonetheless remarkable. Despite having vastly different schooling backgrounds, the cast members of "The Big Bang Theory" all helped the sitcom dominate the TV world while earning them a pretty penny and endless accolades. 

Much like his brilliant character Sheldon Cooper, Jim Parsons was born and raised in Texas and grew up in the Houston suburb of Springs. He knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in acting after appearing in a school production of Rudyard Kipling's "The Elephant's Child" when he was 6. Parsons graduated from Klein Oak High School in 1991 and attended the University of Houston where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater during which time he appeared in 17 dynamic plays over the course of three years.

"There's no learning like the doing. When you're doing that many different types of things on that many types of stages, you don't know the effect it has while you're doing it. On one level, it made it hard to throw me. I've done it. I guess I haven't performed on a sinking Titanic ... but I'm young yet," Parsons told The Houston Chronicle in 2009 about his extensive background in theater. During his time at the university, he also co-founded the now-defunct theater company Infernal Bridegroom Productions.

In 1999, Parsons enrolled in graduate school at the University of San Diego, heading from Texas to California to further pursue his education not unlike Sheldon. Parsons was one of a select few chosen to take a prestigious two-year course in classical theater, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in acting in 2001 before moving to New York to kick off his career by performing in Off-Broadway productions. 

Born in Bree, Belgium to a U.S. Air Force father and mortgage consultant mother, Johnny Galecki was the eldest of three children. The family relocated to Oak Park, Illinois where he grew up outside of Chicago. A very artistic child, Galecki had a hard time focusing on his school work and was more interested in pursuing the theatre circuit than sitting in class. "I started talking about it when I was 3," he told Variety about his unorthodox acting ambitions. "And I have no idea how the word 'actor' was even in my vocabulary. No one in my immediate family was an actor, or even in theater or television or anything."

Galecki ended up dropping out of school in the middle of the day in eighth grade after attending high school for just four-and-a-half hours. The Hollywood hopeful knew academics weren't his end goal so he focused on acting, making his screen debut at 12 in the 1987 miniseries "Murder Ordained" and later appearing in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." At 14, Galecki lived in a Burbank studio apartment by himself to film the short-lived series "American Dreamer" before later landing the role of David Healy in "Roseanne" in 1992.The transformation of "Big Bang Theory" star Johnny Galecki has been spectacular, as he went from being a high-school dropout to an Emmy-nominated actor and the second highest-paid male on TV behind his co-star Jim Parsons, raking in $25 million in 2018. 

With a career spanning over three decades, Kaley Cuoco caught the acting bug at an early age and made her screen debut at 6 in the 1992 TV movie "Quicksand: No Escape." The performance earned Cuoco a Young Artist Award nomination. As a child star, Cuoco decided to be homeschooled after she appeared in a Barbie commercial, doing so after her classmates began treating her differently. "I wouldn't say I was bullied, but I was definitely a bit of an outcast," she said to Parade in 2012.

"It was more the kids thinking I thought I was cool. I started homeschooling in fifth grade and I was much happier." Though she missed out on the traditional high school experience, Cuoco ended up attending Ashely Tisdale's prom and was subsequently reminded why the homeschooling route was best for her. She revealed that despite wearing an understated dress, she was still picked on by her peers.

"But these horribly mean girls said, 'Oh, you think you're going to the Academy Awards in your classy black dress?' Honestly, it just made me happy to know I wasn't in that school." Cuoco earned her high school diploma early at 16 and ended up nabbing her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy in the 2002 sitcom "8 Simple Rules," a sitcom that also featured the talents of John Ritter and Katey Sagal. She later began playing Penny in "The Big Bang Theory" in 2007, becoming a certified TV sensation and fan-favorite character. 

Unlike his aerospace engineer counterpart in "The Big Bang Theory," Simon Helberg excelled more on stage than in the classroom and attended Santa Monica's Crossroads School in both middle school and high school, doing so alongside fellow aspiring actor Jason Ritter. Helberg was then a student at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he studied comedy and acting while also becoming an accomplished pianist.

The son of comedic performer Sandy Helberg and casting director Harriet Helberg, the aspiring actor landed a guest appearance in the 2001 sitcom "Undeclared" and other TV gigs while training at the Atlantic Theater Company. While walking the red carpet at the 2016 HFPA Grants Banquet, Helberg revealed that he didn't actually end up finishing his college education but expressed how meaningful it was regardless. "It was a life-changing experience for me to go to college. I didn't finish college, and that's why I'm a weird little person, but it was one of the great moments in my life," he said in a Golden Globes interview.

Though he may have dropped out of college after two years to return to Los Angeles, Helberg remained committed to chasing his dreams; doing sketch work with L.A.'s Second City while also appearing in multiple episodes of "MADtv." He finally got his foot in Hollywood's door at 26 when he landed the role of Howard Wolowitz in the juggernaut sitcom, a performance that earned him praise from fans and a Critics' Choice Television Award. 

Born in London, England to Indian parents, Kunal Nayyar and his family moved to India when he was three where he attended St. Columbia's School in New Delhi. In 1999, Nayyar relocated to the United States to go to the University of Portland to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. It was here he began taking an interest in acting. "I walked into the theater because I was kind of lonely and didn't have friends," he told CBS News. "You know, the theater's a place where people who sort of feel like misfits can have a family because the theater is accepting of all types ... I felt at home."

While at the university, Nayyar began taking acting classes and performing in plays in an effort to socialize and even participated in the American College Theater Festival. This experience led him to wanting to become an actor. Nayyar enjoyed "creating a family away from family, surrounded by different cultures, ethnicities, and religions, supporting each other as we navigated through college" (via University of Portland).

Nayyar later attended Temple University and earned his Master of Fine Arts in Acting. Both he and his wife Neha give out scholarships at the University of Portland for students in the Performing & Fine Arts. In 2022, the actor even gave the commencement address to the graduating class, receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters before giving his uplifting speech.

Mayim Bialik is arguably the most like their brilliant "Big Bang" character, as the former child star ended up graduating from North Hollywood High School in 1993 during the height of "Blossom," the '90s sitcom that gave Bialik her showbiz start. After deferring acceptance to the University of California, Los Angeles to finish her acting obligations, Bialik went on to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience while minoring in Hebrew and Jewish studies in 2000.

Bialik revealed she did not have the grades to pursue a medical degree and instead focused on getting her doctorate in neuroscience, taking a break from her studies to wade back into the acting waters in 2005 before finishing her degree two years later. Not only did Bialik juggle acting gigs and her schooling at one point, but she also became a mother during the final phases of getting her PhD. 

"I basically finished my curriculum, my classwork, and then had a child when I was in data collection," she said on the podcast "The Three Questions with Andy Ritcher." "I literally wrote my thesis breastfeeding, laying down and typing with one hand." Bialik had her first son Miles in 2005 and her second Frederick in 2008 with her ex-husband Michael Stone. A few years after receiving her PhD in neuroscience, she joined the cast of "The Big Bang Theory" as the endearing Amy Farrah Fowler. 

Melissa Rauch developed a passion for acting early after seeing Broadway shows and attending Brookdale Community College's arts summer camp where she performed stand-up. Growing up, Rauch kept her family and friends entertained with her impressions and often mimicked TV characters. "I got my father laughing hysterically and that was just the best feeling," Rauch told NJ of catching the comedy bug. "That became the thing for me, mimicking people on TV. I even started doing it for show and tell."

Rauch honed her craft while attending Marymount Manhattan College, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in 2002 where she also worked on her writing skills. After her days at the private college, she performed her comedy routines in Manhattan and gained recognition thanks to her impressive one-woman show "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush." Rauch's show premiered at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival, winning both the Fringe Award for Outstanding Solo Show and the TheaterMania Audience Favorite Award.

The exposure led to Rauch working on "Best Week Ever" and in 2009 she landed the role of Bernadette Rostenkowski in "The Big Bang Theory." "I think the power of laughter is something that can never be underestimated. There is so much joy in the communal aspect of laughing and making others laugh," she said to Woman's World. For those wondering what happened to Melissa Rauch after "The Big Bang Theory" concluded, she starred in the 2023 revival of "Night Court" for three seasons.

Despite playing the insecure comic book store owner Stuart Bloom on screen, Kevin Sussman had no problem breaking out of his shell when he attended the College of Staten Island and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Sussman was devoted to his craft and subsequently spent four years studying with esteemed acting teacher Uta Hagen, who taught a slew of famous stars including Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg.

"They really gave you a sense that acting is a noble profession," Sussman said of the program in 2006 via Staten Island Advance. Much like his character Stuart, Sussman kicked off his career by playing nerdy roles on TV and in commercials while he worked as a computer consultant to make a living. One of his first big breaks came when he was cast as Walter in "Ugly Betty" in 2006 before later joining the "The Big Bang Theory" in 2009 as the recurring character Stuart. Sussman was promoted to series regular from the sixth season onwards.

"It's just weird. In between episodes, I go back to my normal life and kind of meld back into my home-body, normal person," Sussman told Indulge Express of working on the smash hit sitcom. "Then I get a call, and I'm on a sitcom. That continues to be weird, but it is great." The actor better get used to the weirdness once again, as he is set to star in the spinoff "Stuart Fails to Save the World." 

Born and raised in New York City, John Ross Bowie graduated from Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities in 1989 and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ithaca College while also earning a teaching credential. Bowie spent one year teaching English before realizing his true passion was on the stage and screen. Bowie kicked off his acting career through improv classes when he joined the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCBT), becoming a regular performer in 1998 and performing around the country.

Bowie later became a member of the sketch troupe "The Naked Babies" alongside Rob Corddry, Brian Huskey, and Seth Morris. He even created two unrealized TV comedies with future "Big Bang" co-star Kevin Sussman. He began appearing in "The Big Bang Theory" in 2009 as Sheldon's physicist work rival Barry Kripke while also having prominent roles in shows like "Speechless" and "United States of Al." Bowie released his memoir "No Job for a Man" in 2022, in which he reflected on the importance of improv throughout his career.

"Improv gave me a set of tools that have served me throughout my acting career," Bowie said to Awards Daily while promoting the book, adding that "improv is an amazing tool to stay in the moment, which is a great thing as an actor. It is a great thing as a human being. Being present and focused and listening, and taking in every little thing that your scene partner is giving you." 

One of Sheldon's many archenemies, physicist Leslie Winkle was played by Sara Gilbert, Johnny Galecki's former "Roseanne" co-star who already had decades of acting experience by the time she appeared in the series. Gilbert had Hollywood in her blood. Her family were third generation performers, as her grandfather Harry Crane was a comedy writer who helped create the trailblazing sitcom "The Honeymooners." Her siblings Melissa and Johnathan also notably starred in the '70s staple "Little House on the Prairie."

While filming "Roseanne," Gilbert went to regular school to have some semblance of normalcy. She later studied at Yale University, where producers worked with the actor around her schedule as she pursued her academics. Gilbert graduated with honors in 1997 with a BA in Art with an emphasis in photography. Her graduation coincided with the conclusion of the sitcom. Gilbert was never the same after "Roseanne," as she was presented with acting opportunities including films like "High Fidelity" and "Riding in Cars with Boys" as well as shows like "The Big Bang Theory," "The Talk," and "The Conners;" reprising her role as Darlene Conner.

However, Gilbert also experienced career uncertainty after starring in the hit show "Roseanne" for the duration of her youth. "I just felt like a free-floating orb," she revealed to Variety. "That was a hard time, finding my feet again, because I'd been in all these institutions — the institution of family, the institution of education, the institution of 'Roseanne.' Suddenly I had no affiliations anymore."