Zoe Perry plays her mother Laurie Metcalf on 'Young Sheldon' … sort of
CHICAGO - A few years back, before she was cast on "Young Sheldon," actress Zoe Perry made her Broadway debut opposite her mother, Laurie Metcalf. When her father, Jeff Perry, came to see a performance, he felt a twinge of jealousy and not long after he and Zoe co-starred in a play together as well, this time in Los Angeles. Some of his colleagues from "Scandal" came to see that show, and that's when she started booking TV jobs - including an extended run on "Scandal."
Among longtime Chicago theatergoers, the names Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry are synonymous with Steppenwolf Theater, where they are original ensemble members. The company was just gaining national recognition when Zoe was born. The couple split a few years later but remained committed to the theater and Steppenwolf in particular, which meant Zoe spent many an evening backstage.
Fast forward a couple of dozen years and she's carved out her own path as an actor, starring in the CBS comedy "Young Sheldon" and playing, ironically enough, a younger version of a character originated by her mother on "The Big Bang Theory."
