Actress Zoe Perry has had a connection to the film industry since childhood. The American actress, known for playing young Mary Cooper on the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon, earned a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for her role.
Growing up in the spotlight, she was influenced by her famous parents, Jeff Perry and Laurie Metcalf, both of whom have had successful acting careers. Their talent and passion for acting have certainly contributed to Zoe’s journey in the entertainment world.
Metcalf and Perry were married for only a few years before divorcing in 1986, as reported by PEOPLE. Zoe is their only daughter and is often described as a carbon copy of her mother.
Both Perry and Metcalf began their careers in theater before transitioning to television and film. Zoe’s own career didn’t take off until after college, following a similar path, starting in theater before moving to New York and landing small TV roles.
Perry and Metcalf met while working in theater and got married in 1983. Despite their split after three years of marriage and moving on with other partners, Zoe maintains a close-knit relationship with both of her parents, as well as her stepfather.
Loving this story? Well, it’s just the beginning! Let’s dive deeper into all you need to know about Zoe Perry’s parents, Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry.
Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry are renowned actors
From Steppenwolf Theatre Company ( their theater group’s name) to celebrate television stars and top actors in Hollywood today, Metcaff and Perry are evergreen! After spending nearly 20 years of his career at the theater company, Perry began to focus on acting in TV and film roles.
One of his known roles was Bryce Hunter in Wild Things, and he also made appearances in cult pop culture shows like The West Wing, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, and Inventing Anna.
Similarly, Metcalf spent the early years of her career in theater as well, from SNL shows to doing Broadway to starring in the show Roseanne, which earned her Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
She also portrayed Jackie Harris for all 10 seasons of the original show and repeated her role for its spinoff, The Conners. In addition, In 2018, Laurie Metcalf earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her part in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird.
Alongside her numerous Tony Award nominations for performances in Hillary and Clinton, Misery, The Other Place, and November, she received the award for Best Actress in a Play for A Doll’s House, Part 2, and Best Featured Actress in a Play for Three Tall Women.
Zoe and Laurie Metcalf played the same character on screen
This happens to be a rare incident, but Zoe and her mother have played the same character in a TV show. but Laurie Metcalf enacted the role of Mary Cooper, Sheldon Cooper’s mother, on The Big Bang Theory, playing the character from the show’s start in 2007 until its end in 2018, acting opposite Jim Parsons as Sheldon.
Then in 2017, her daughter Zoe took over the role for the spinoff prequel series Young Sheldon, portraying the younger version of Mary Cooper, alongside Iain Armitage as the young Sheldon.
Zoe Perry learned serious work ethics from both her parents
Zoe has mentioned in interviews how her parents motivated her to pursue her passions without the pressure of family expectations. Her grandmother was also into the field of arts. She was a teacher of ballet and her grandfather was a businessman with a keen interest in theater.
When asked by Entertainment Tonight about their mother-daughter rapport, the actress said Zoe labeled her mom as an inspiration. “She’s always been such a good example of having a really strong work ethic and taking pride and value in the work that she does,” she added, as stated by PEOPLE.
Zoe shared screen space with her parents
Lucky are those who can have the privilege to share screen space with their parents who are actors as well, just like Zoe who has shared the screen with Metcalf and Perry.
From December 2012 to March 2013, Metcalf and Zoe starred in The Other Place on Broadway. Perry also shared the stage with Zoe in a revival of Anna Christie, where Perry played her father and she essayed a typical character.
That’s not all, A few years later, they worked side-by-side on Scandal, where Zoe portrayed the role of Samantha. Talking about Perry’s experience working with his daughter, as per PEOPLE, he said he was really proud of her.
ALSO READ: ‘The Loss Was So Incredible’: Young Sheldon Star Zoe Perry Opens Up About Emotional Finale
