How does Zoe Perry’s young Sheldon really feel about those nepotism accusations?

One of the most exciting casting options in “Young Sheldon” (show partly inspired by Jim Parsons) The decision was made to cast Zoe Perry as Mary, Sheldon’s strict, loving and religious mother. The role in The Big Bang Theory, which takes place in Sheldon’s adulthood, went to Laurie Metcalf, a famous award-winning actress who is also Perry’s real-life mother. It’s a largely logical casting choice (not only are the women related, they share a lot of the same behaviors), though it also becomes a bit awkward when you take into account the ongoing discourse about nepotism in Hollywood. When asked in a 2017 interview with Hollywood Reporter How she felt about getting the role at least in part because she’s the daughter of a famous performer, Berry offered her thoughts:

“I don’t think there’s any way to deny it, so why would you? We have a lot of similarities when it comes to our voices and our mannerisms, and I’m lucky to have that at my disposal — not just in this part, but in general, when I act, if I find Something that reminds me, inadvertently or unconsciously, of either of my parents. I’m grateful for that because I respect them so much for what they’ve done. Something that looks or looks like them. I’ve found something good.”

Owning the advantage you have (rather than being denied nepo child status) This is probably the best response an actor can give in this type of situation; At the very least, it’s much better than pretending as if someone without your last name had the same odds of landing your role as you did. In a Behind the scenes interview 2020Perry lightly addressed complaints of favoritism again, saying, “I can’t deny that there’s a huge privilege in having parents who are well-established in the field I’m pursuing. I try to appreciate the fact that they’re so great at it. They’ve been great role models not only in terms of talent, but also in The way they live their lives and the reasons they pursue it.”

Perry also noted that although she had an advantage thanks to her mother, she never treated the gig as a sure thing during the audition. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up about it because you never know how things are going to shake out,” she explained. “I didn’t put a lot of consideration into the idea that this could be a slam dunk because you never know. Even when something makes sense on the page, there are always things you don’t know.”

Of course, this wasn’t the first time Berry had landed a role playing a younger version of one of her mother’s characters. In the 1990s, she also starred as young Jackie Harris in two episodes of “Roseanne.” It was her first ever acting job, although she did not begin acting seriously until more than a decade later. In a 2017 interview with the peopleMetcalf explained that she believes Perry caught the “acting bug” while filming “Roseanne,” but she “didn’t think it would be a good idea for a kid that young.” When Metcalfe delved into acting, she did so with a full understanding of what the profession would entail.

When it comes to “Young Sheldon,” Metcalf has been supportive of her daughter taking over the role, though she jokingly suggested at the 2024 Calgary Expo panel (via Collider) that “Young Sheldon” should have featured a “confrontation” between two versions of the character. (“I definitely would — I played with Zoe once… Maybe we should have a Mary Cooper showdown, and people could[vote]who’s the better Mary Cooper,” she said.) Sheldon wouldn’t do anything like that. Never, although in those final episodes of Season 7 (After the tragic death of George Sr), you can start to see Perry’s Mary Cooper transform into the slightly cooler, more religious version of the Mary Cooper portrayed by Metcalfe. The two versions never literally met, but they eventually started to clash a little.