Zoe Perry | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1983-09-26)September 26, 1983 (age 41) |
| Alma mater | Boston University Northwestern University (BA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Zoe Akins (grand-aunt) Hugo Rumbold (grand-uncle)[1] |
Zoe Perry (born September 26, 1983)[2] is an American actress. She was a regular on theCBS sitcomYoung Sheldon asMary Cooper, a character earlier portrayed by Perry's real-life motherLaurie Metcalf onThe Big Bang Theory. Perry's performance as Mary Cooper earned aCritics' Choice Television Award nomination. Perry also had recurring roles onThe Family (2016) andScandal (2017).
Perry was born in Chicago to actorsLaurie Metcalf andJeff Perry.[2][3] Her first television roles were two appearances as Jackie Harris (as seen in flashback) on theABC sitcomRoseanne, the character portrayed by her mother.[4] Her parents, however, did not want her to pursue acting until she became an adult, fearing the effect of stress.[5] Perry said that she was too shy to act in high school, but began performing atNorthwestern University as a way to make friends after transferring fromBoston University.[6][5]
After graduating, Perry moved to New York to search for television work, landing small roles on series such asLaw & Order: Criminal Intent, but homesickness brought her back to California, where she found theater work.[6] In 2013, she performed inThe Other Place onBroadway alongside her mother.[6] In 2015, she performed alongside her father andKevin McKidd inEugene O'Neill'sPulitzer Prize-winning dramaAnna Christie at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Los Angeles.[7]
Perry appeared in nine episodes of the ABC thrillerThe Family in 2016.[8] In 2017, she had a recurring role on the ABC political thrillerScandal, starring her father.[4][9] The same year, she was cast onYoung Sheldon, a spin-off of theCBS sitcomThe Big Bang Theory, as a younger version of Mary Cooper (Sheldon Cooper's mother). It was the same character her mother had played on 14 episodes ofThe Big Bang Theory.[4] Despite her family link to the character, she received the role through an audition.[4][9] She reprised the role of Mary Cooper onGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which premiered onCBS on October 17, 2024.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Deception | Secretary #1 | [8] |
| The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond | Mathilde | [10] | |
| 2011 | Turkey Bowl | Zoe | |
| 2014 | Everyday Miracles | Maxine | |
| 2016 | No Pay, Nudity | Renie | [11] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992, 1995 | Roseanne | Young Jackie Harris | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Wendy | Episode: "Vacancy" |
| Conviction | Audrey Knowles | 2 episodes | |
| 2006, 2008, 2010 | My Boys | Waitress | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Melinda Levy '82 | Episode: "Justice" |
| 2008 | Private Practice | Lisa | Episode: "Equal & Opposite" |
| 2009 | Ave 43 | Janet | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Grey's Anatomy | Katy Noonan | Episode: "Beautiful Doom" |
| 2013 | Second Shot | Krystal Munson | Episode: "If It Ain't Fix, Don't Break It" |
| 2016 | The Family | Jane | 9 episodes |
| 2016 | NCIS | Harpers Ferry Police Officer Kristen Fields | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Liv and Maddie | Marlow | Episode: "Tiny House-A-Rooney" |
| Scandal | Samantha Ruland | Recurring role (season 6); 9 episodes | |
| 2017–2024 | Young Sheldon | Mary Cooper | Main role; 141 episodes |
| 2024–present | Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage | Recurring role |
2025 The Conners Cop at The Lunch Box 1 episode
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Young Sheldon | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | My Thing of Love. | N/A | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
| 1998 | Pot Mom | Lorraine | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
| 2006 | The Late Christopher Bean | Susan Haggett | The Actors Company Theatre Studio |
| 2010 | The Lieutenant of Inishmore | Mairead | Mark Taper Forum |
| 2010 | The Autumn Garden | Sophie Tuckerman | The Antaeus Company |
| 2011 | End Days | Rachel Stein | Odyssey Theatre Ensemble |
| 2011 | Peace in Our Time | Lilly Blake | The Antaeus Company |
| 2012–2013 | The Other Place | The Women | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre |
| 2013 | Good Television | Brittany | Atlantic Theater Company |
| 2014 | The Way West | Manda | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
| 2015 | Anna Christie | Anna | Odyssey Theatre Ensemble |
| 2015 | I'll Get You Back Again | Staged Reading | Steppenwolf Theatre Company |
