Ghostbusters star Annie Potts has signed on for a series regular role in Young Sheldon, the upcoming spinoff from The Big Bang Theory, where she’ll portray Sheldon Cooper’s beloved Meemaw.
THR reports that the character is described as a “foul-mouthed, hard-drinking Texas grandmother who is very supportive of her grandson and his unique gifts.” The character had been mentioned numerous times on The Big Bang Theory before finally making her debut in season 9, where she was played by June Squibb.
SEE ALSO: Watch the first trailer for Young Sheldon
It’s 1989, and we meet nine-year-old Sheldon Cooper, the beloved character from THE BIG BANG THEORY, who has skipped four grades to start high school alongside his less-intellectual older brother. We get a peek into the early years–with voiceover from Jim Parsons–of a genius who is misunderstood by his family, classmates and neighbors. His mother preps him with what she thinks is the only tool he’ll need to survive at his new school: remind bullies that his dad’s the football coach and his brother plays on the team. His twin sister, who’s happy to stay in fourth grade, has a better sense of what awaits Sheldon than he does. Young Sheldon may understand Newtonian physics, but his blue-collar, church-going family only cares if that knowledge will help them win a football game.
Young Sheldon is set to get underway on November 2nd on CBS following a one-off preview airing on September 25th. Ian Armitage takes on the role of young Sheldon, with Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Lance Barber as George Cooper, Reagan Revord as Missy and Montana Jordan as George Jr., while Jim Parsons serves as narrator.
Originally published July 19, 2017. Updated November 30, 2022.
