There are many characters inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise that don’t get the accolades they deserve. WhileThe Big Bang Theoryfocused on the relationships between the members of the scientists' friend group, Leonard and Sheldon often took the central stage, leaving several other characters without the storylines or attention they should have gotten, including people both in the main group and those peripheral to the story. While there is reportedly anewBig Bang Theoryspinoffcoming starring Stuart Bloom, several other characters have never gotten their due.
This problem continued onceThe Big Bang TheoryspawnedYoung Sheldon,which focused on the Cooper family during Sheldon’s childhood in the 1980s and 1990s. The prequel offered many interesting supporting characters, but not all of them got enough screen time, though one seriouslyunderratedYoung Sheldoncharacter will be crossing over toGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriagesoon. The trend of underusing characters is continuing in Georgie and Mandy’s new spinoff, asthere is at least one person in that series who is more important to the central action than it seems.
10Meemaw (Constance Tucker)
June Squibb/Annie Potts
Meemaw (Annie Potts) first appeared inThe Big Bang Theoryseason 9, episode 14, though she was played by June Squibb in that episode. She is a complex, interesting, and funny character who is close to Sheldon despite often being annoyed by him. However, she is mostly seen as a supporting character who is there to deliver one-liners or interfere with the Coopers' plans during any given plot. This is unfortunate, as Meemaw’s backstory and relationships are worth a closer look.
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Meemaw has always been a widow, with little to no explanation of her relationship with her husband or what her life was like before. Additionally, while her best-known story is a silly one, she often provides emotional support to Sheldon or Mary and has good advice after George Sr.’s death.These moments are more important than the nonsense surrounding her illegal gambling roomand demonstrate how deserving she is of more than she has.
9Missy Cooper
Raegan Revord
Missy’s name comes up often in discussions of characters who didn’t get the stories they were due.Sheldon’s twin sister is a fan-favoritebecause of her sarcastic comments, her frustration at being ignored in favor of Sheldon’s genius, and her bad behavior. However, she was treated as a minor character throughout most ofYoung Sheldon’s run, which is one of the biggest disappointments in the franchise’s history. Additionally, Missy’s story remains unfinished, as she appears inThe Big Bang Theoryas an unhappy adult but there is little known about what happened to make her that way.
Missy’s devastation after George Sr’s death was authentic and raw, opening up storyline possibilities, but she didn’t get a real ending in the wrapup ofYoung Sheldon.
Missy began to have a redemption story at the end ofYoung Sheldonseason 6 after being caught in a tornado but got lost in the shuffle during season 7. Missy’s devastation after George Sr’s death was authentic and raw, opening up storyline possibilities, but she didn’t get a real ending in the wrapup ofYoung Sheldon.Fortunately,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriageis rectifying that somewhat by having Missy appear semi-regularly as a troubled teenager, but it remains to be seen if she will be used to her full potential in this series either.
8Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Melissa Rauch
Bernadette is often thought of as a shallow character with an annoyingly high-pitched voice, but this superficial description bears little resemblance to reality. She is much more than the stereotypical character she originally seemed to see, and it is unfortunate that she is so overlooked.Bernadette is similar to Georgia Engels' character inThe Mary Tyler Mooreshow and has a similar arc to that characterthroughoutThe Big Bang Theory,outgrowing her shyness to become an assertive woman and the perfect partner for Howard.
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Furthermore, even in the early seasons,Bernadette was shown to have a sharp wit and often made snappy comebacks when others teased her or had ridiculous ideas. Thus, she never really was the type of character she is often thought of as being, and it’s unfortunate that she is remembered mostly for that high-pitched voice or as Howard’s wife without acknowledging the depth of her contributions toThe Big Bang Theory.
7Debbie Wolowitz (Howard’s Mother)
Carol Ann Susi
Howard’s mother was heard but never seen, making it difficult to think of her as anything but a source of jokes about Howard’s upbringing, personality, and relationship with her. However, it takes skill to make a character seem real without ever appearing on camera, and veteran voice actor Carol Ann Susi did that perfectly. Additionally,Debbie had a strong influence on Howard and thus on the other characters, which makes her far more important than it might seem.
Susi sadly died of cancer on June 02, 2025.
In some ways, Debbie was a stereotypical Jewish mother, so it’s unfortunate that her character was never fully explored, which would have explained her personality and moved away from stereotypes. However,her nagging and criticism deeply affected Howard, and often her comments were some of the funniest lines in the series.Thus, it is difficult to argue that she is not an important character despite her seemingly minor role inThe Big Bang Theory.
6Coach Wayne Wilkins
Doc Farrow
Coach Wilkins is one of the most underrated characters inYoung Sheldon. He’s most often seen in scenes in the high school coaching office, giving George advice or making hilarious comments, making it appear that he is a minor character whose job is to provide comedy in exchanges with George. However, Wilkins' relationship with George is deeper than that.He wanted the best for George and his kids,often helping him see things differently.
Hopefully, Wilkins will appear more often as a friend of the family and soon lose his underrated status.
Wilkins' friendship with George should extend to checking in on the Coopers regularly now that George has passed away. Thus, he is one of theYoung Sheldoncharacters who should return inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and the news that he will soon do so is exciting. Hopefully, Wilkins will appear more often as a friend of the family and soon lose his underrated status. However, he may again be used only for humor in his guest appearance, as it is not yet known what he will be doing.
5Rajesh Ramayan “Raj” Koothrappal
Kunal Nayyar
Raj has a similar dilemma to Bernadette, asThe Big Bang Theoryoften focuses on only one aspect of his personality instead of giving him the stories and main character status that he deserves.Raj’s stories often centered around him not being able to talk around women he was attracted to or having social anxiety in general, and unfortunately, these traits were often used as central to jokes instead of Raj being depicted as a person who happened to have these issues.
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Additionally,Raj’s shyness often forced him into the background, which made him more of a supporting character than a main character despite being part of the friend group.His issues with social situations were far different than Sheldon’s, but Sheldon’s got the most attention because the series revolved to an extent around his friends' attempts to deal with his idiosyncrasies. Thus, Raj rarely got to be the center of attention on the show despite how much potential his character had.
4Anu
Rati Gupta
Anu is such a minor character that she doesn’t have a last name, yet she is very important to Raj, and thus to the show in general, than she is given credit for. She appears in only 9 episodes, but during her short run, Raj develops a serious relationship with her and is heartbroken when he has to choose between his life in California and his relationship with her, as she needs to move to London to pursue her career.
Although the relationship ultimately didn’t work out, Anu was a far better partner for Raj than any other woman inThe Big Bang Theory, thus making it a shame that the relationship was cut short by her move to London. Anu’s acceptance of Raj’s selective mutism is a touching moment that demonstrates how perfect they are for each other and proves that Anu is far more than a character who was there only for story purposes.
3Billy Sparks
Wyatt McClure
Billy Sparks was initially introduced as a foil for Sheldon. He was supposed to be as dimwitted as Sheldon was bright, and his lack of understanding and common sense were often at the heart of jokes in the early seasons. However, Billy is far more than a villain stereotype, and the version of him inYoung Sheldonis very different from the boy that Sheldon described as a “childhood bully"inThe Big Bang Theory. Billy is good-natured and yearns for acceptance, and his close friendship with Missy makes him a more important character than it seems.
2Denise
Lauren Lapkus
Like Anu, Denise does not have a last name and appears in a limited number of episodes ofThe Big Bang Theory, thus making her appear to be an exceedingly minor character. Additionally, her role is as Stuart’s girlfriend, which makes her somewhat peripheral to the main friend group.However, Denise is an important influence on the other characters.
TheBig Bang Theoryspinoff currently in development revolves around Stuart, so it’s possible Denise will return for it.
Denise’s knowledge of comic books and similar fandoms is instrumental in her forging a friendship with Sheldon, and other characters often turn to her for help when they need to know about various franchises.Denise also is more of a recurring character than Anu, appearing sporadically throughout the last few seasons,which suggests that her character could have been developed further ifThe Big Bang Theoryhad continued.
1Connor McAllister
Dougie Baldwin
Connor seems to be intended to be a substitute for Sheldon, who does not appear inGeorgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The family has a hard time relating to him and he has obsessive, esoteric interests that they don’t understand. Unfortunately, for the most part, Connor has a small role in the new series, often passing through the kitchen with a strange request or comment. However, he is far more than a weird brother who is played for laughs.
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Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage’s fall finale was the first episode to feature Connor in a significant manner, and it was clear that Georgie was able to accept him more than his birth family could because of Georgie’s experiences being Sheldon’s older brother. Connor’s comment at the end of the episode that “Georgie is a great guy” will likely become a significant source of conflict since Audrey dislikes Georgie, which hopefully will lead to audience awareness that Connor is an important part ofThe Big Bang Theoryfranchiserather than a minor character.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is a media franchise that has expanded from the original titular TV show that follows a group of friends who live near and with one another as they attempt to bridge social gaps due to their geeky nature and further their scientific pursuits. The show eventually spun off with a TV special and a prequel series, Young Sheldon, which follows the origins of Sheldon Cooper and how he rose to become the brilliant physicist he is.
