As young Sheldon, Zoe Perry actually feels about these accusations of nepotism

One of the most exciting casting choices “Young Sheldon” (a show partially inspired by Jim Parsons) was the decision to cast Zoe Perry as Mary, Sheldon's strict, loving, religious mother. Laurie Metcalf, an award-winning actor who is also Perry's real-life mother, won the role in The Big Bang Theory, which is set in Sheldon's adulthood. It's a casting that makes a lot of sense (not only are the women related, but many of the mannerisms are similar), though it also gets a little awkward when you consider the ongoing discourse of nepotism in Hollywood. When asked in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter Perry offered her thoughts on how she felt about landing the role, at least in part because she's the daughter of such a famous performer:

“I don't think there's any way to deny that, because why would you? We have a lot in common in terms of our voices and our mannerisms, and I'm lucky to have that at my disposal — not just for this part, but in general.” , if I come across something that reminds me of one of my parents unintentionally or unknowingly, I'm grateful because I respect them so much for what they've done, I know if something falls or sounds like them, I've stumbled upon something good.

The benefits you have (as opposed to being denied nepo baby status) is probably the best reaction an actor can give in such a situation; at least it's a lot better than pretending that someone without your last name has the same chance of landing your role as you do. In a 2020 behind-the-scenes interviewPerry again lightly addressed complaints of nepotism, saying, “I can't deny that I'm very privileged to have parents who are registered in the field I'm in. I try to appreciate the fact that they're so great. They've been great role models, not just in terms of talent. , but also in their lives and the reasons why they have done it.

Perry also noted that while she had the advantage of having a mother, she still didn't consider the concert a safe thing to audition for. “I didn't want to get my hopes up because you never know how things are going to shake out,” she explained. “I don't think it's going to be a slam dunk because you never know. Even if something seems to make sense on the page, there are always things you don't know about.”

Of course, this wasn't the first time Perry landed a role playing a younger version of one of her mother's characters. She also starred as young Jackie Harris in two episodes of “Roseanne” in the 1990s. These were her first acting credits, although she didn't start acting seriously until more than a decade later. in a 2017 interview with PeopleMetcalf explained that she thought Perry had caught the “acting bug” on the set of “Roseanne,” but she “didn't think it was a good idea for a kid that young.” When Metcalf entered acting, she did so with a full grown-up understanding of what such a career entailed.

As for “Young Sheldon,” Metcalf was supportive of her daughter's role, though she jokingly suggested at a 2024 Calgary Expo panel (via Collider), that for “Young Sheldon” the two versions of the character were supposed to be “contradictory”. (“I sure would — I used to play with Zoe (. . .) Maybe we should have a Mary Cooper contest and people could (vote) who's a better Mary Cooper,” she said.) “Young Sheldon” never did anything like that , although in these final episodes of Season 7 (after the tragic death of George Sr), you can see Perry's Mary Cooper transform into a slightly colder, more religious version of the Mary Cooper portrayed by Metcalf. The two versions didn't literally match, but they started to clash a bit towards the end.