Zoe Perry (born September 26, 1983) is an American actress. The daughter of actors Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry, she made her film debut in Deception (2008) and had a supporting role in the independent drama film The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008).
After recurring roles as Jane on The Family (2016) and Samantha Ruland on Scandal (2017), Perry had her breakout as Mary Cooper on the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon (2017–24). The role, which was played by her mother Laurie Metcalf on The Big Bang Theory, earned Perry a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2019. She reprised the role on the spin-off series Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024–present).
Early life Perry was born in Chicago to actors Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry. They divorced when she was three years old. Her first television roles were two appearances as Jackie Harris (as seen in flashback) on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, the character portrayed by her mother. Her parents, however, did not want her to pursue acting until she became an adult, fearing the effect of stress. Perry said that she was too shy to act in high school, but began performing at Northwestern University as a way to make friends after transferring from Boston University.
Career After graduating, Perry moved to New York to search for television work, landing small roles on series such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, but homesickness brought her back to California, where she found theater work. In 2013, she performed in The Other Place on Broadway alongside her mother. In 2015, she performed alongside her father and Kevin McKidd in Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Anna Christie at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West Los Angeles.
Perry appeared in nine episodes of the ABC thriller The Family in 2016. In 2017, she had a recurring role on the ABC political thriller Scandal, starring her father. The same year, she was cast on Young Sheldon, a spin-off of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, as a younger version of Mary Cooper (Sheldon Cooper's mother), the character her mother had played on 14 episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Despite her family link to the character, she received the role through an audition. She reprised the role of Mary Cooper on Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, which premiered on CBS on October 17, 2024.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2008 Deception Secretary #1 The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Mathilde 2011 Turkey Bowl Zoe 2014 Everyday Miracles Maxine 2016 No Pay, Nudity Renie
Television Year Title Role Notes 1992 & 1995 Roseanne Young Jackie Harris Episodes: "Halloween IV" & "All About Rosey"2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Wendy Episode: "Vacancy" Conviction Audrey Knowles 2 episodes 2006, 2008, & 2010 My Boys Waitress 4 episodes 2007 Cold Case Melinda Levy '82 Episode: "Justice" 2008 Private Practice Lisa Episode: "Equal & Opposite" 2009 Ave 43 Janet 2 episodes 2012 Grey's Anatomy Katy Noonan Episode: "Beautiful Doom" 2013 Second Shot Krystal Munson Episode: "If It Ain't Fix, Don't Break It"2016 The Family Jane 9 episodes NCIS Harpers Ferry Police Officer Kristen Fields 2 episodes2017 Liv and Maddie Marlow Episode: "Tiny House-A-Rooney" Scandal Samantha Ruland Recurring role (season 6); Recurring role 2017–2024 Young Sheldon Mary Cooper Main role 2024–present Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Recurring role 2025 The Conners Officer Binkowski Episodes: "It's Gonna Be a Great Day" & "Applications, Accusations and a Man-Bag"
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult2019Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesYoung Sheldon
Theater +YearTitleRoleVenue1992 My Thing of LoveSteppenwolf Theatre Company1998Pot MomLorraine2006The Late Christopher BeanSusan HaggettThe Actors Company Theatre Studio2010The Lieutenant of InishmoreMaireadMark Taper ForumThe Autumn GardenSophie TuckermanAntaeus Theatre Company2011End DaysRachel SteinOdyssey Theatre EnsemblePeace in Our TimeLilly BlakeAntaeus Theatre Company2012–2013The Other PlaceThe WomenSamuel J. Friedman Theatre2013Good TelevisionBrittanyAtlantic Theater Company2014The Way WestMandaSteppenwolf Theatre Company2015I'll Get You Back AgainStaged ReadingAnna ChristieAnnaOdyssey Theatre Ensemble
References
External links
Zoe Perry on CBS.com