Mary Cooper From Young Sheldon Is Stunning In Real Life

Sheldon Cooper from "The Big Bang Theory" was such a hit with viewers that when CBS decided to launch "Young Sheldon" in 2017, fans were immediately on board. Of course, the show wouldn't have been complete without Sheldon's mom, Mary Cooper, originally played by Laurie Metcalf in "The Big Bang Theory." In the reboot — set in the late '80s and early '90s — Mary is portrayed by Zoe Perry, who is Metcalf's real daughter.

With "Young Sheldon" taking place back in time and Mary being super religious, her character wore barely-there makeup and dressed conservatively. However, Perry is much cooler in real life and told Mashable that channeling Mary's uptight personality was tough on her body. "I find that I am constantly tense when I am playing her. So at the end of the day, I'm a little sore!" she shared. The "Scandal" actor's outfits are also a huge upgrade from her character's. During an appearance on "The Talk" with her co-star Annie Potts, Perry showed up in a chic double-breasted brown suit with oversized buttons on the bodice. And, instead of putting her waves in a half-up, half-down hairstyle like Mary, she wore it loosely hanging over her shoulders in a deep side-part. With Perry's gorgeous features, she can pretty much rock any style, like the pixie cut.

Before she sported her signature shoulder-length locks, Zoe Perry entranced fans with a cropped pixie cut in 2010. While the sides and back were buzzed short, she kept the crown of her hair long enough for a messy side part and tousled bangs. The short 'do showed off the amber highlights in her naturally brunette hair, which complemented Perry's blue eyes. She wasn't starring in "Young Sheldon" back then, so she didn't have to look the part of a conservative Texan housewife. Instead, Perry was a rising star who made her 2013 Broadway debut in "The Other Place" alongside her mom, Laurie Metcalf. "I loved going to the theater! My parents brought me to see a lot, and I was awe-inspired by it, but it intimidated me," she told Broadway.com.

In July 2024, the Facebook page Young Sheldon TV 5 shared a picture of Perry's pixie cut showing off her translucent brown hair with the caption, "The beauty of Zoe Perry." A fan raved, "Love this picture of her. Looks great, the short hair." Another wrote, "Looks completely different!!" One compared her to Mary Cooper's hairstyle and replied, "I knew she'd look 1000% better without that drippy tv hair!"