Actress Zoe Perry has been involved with the film industry since her childhood. The American actress, best known for playing young Mary Cooper on the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon, received a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for her role.
Growing up in the spotlight, Zoe 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.
Metcalfe and Perry’s marriage lasted just a few years before they divorced in 1986, as PEOPLE reported. 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 moving to television and film. Zoe, whose own career began right after college, followed a similar path, starting in theater before moving to New York and landing small TV roles.
Perry and Metcalfe met while working in the theatre and married in 1983. Despite separating after three years of marriage and moving on with other partners, Zoe maintains a close relationship with both her parents and her stepfather.
Did you like this story? Well, this is just the beginning! Let’s get to know Zoe Perry’s parents, Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry, in detail.
Laurie Metcalf and Jeff Perry are famous actors
From the Steppenwolf Theatre Company (the name of their theatre group) to celebrating television stars and top actors in Hollywood today, Metcalf and Perry are evergreen! After spending nearly 20 years of his career in the theatre company, Perry began focusing on acting in TV and film roles.
One of his best-known roles was that of Bryce Hunter in Wild Things, and he also made appearances in popular pop culture shows such as The West Wing, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, and Inventing Anna.
Similarly, Metcalf also spent the early years of her career in theater, appearing in shows ranging from the SNL show to Broadway and the Roseanne show, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
She played Jackie Harris in all 10 seasons of the original show and reprised her role for its spinoff, The Conners. Also, in 2018, Laurie Metcalf earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird.
In addition to her numerous Tony Award nominations for her performances in Hillary & Clinton, Misery, The Other Place, and November, she received Best Actress awards for A Doll’s House, Part 2 and Best Featured Actress awards for Three Tall Women.
Zoe and Laurie Metcalf played the same character on screen
It’s a rare occurrence, but Zoe and her mom have played the same character on a TV show. But Laurie Metcalf played Sheldon Cooper’s mom, Mary Cooper, on The Big Bang Theory, from the show’s debut in 2007 to its end in 2018, starring opposite Jim Parsons as Sheldon.
Then in 2017, her daughter Zoe took over the role for the spinoff prequel series Young SheldonIain Armitage played the role of young Sheldon, portraying the younger version of Mary Cooper.
Zoe Perry learned serious work ethic from both her parents
Zoe has spoken in interviews about how her parents encouraged her to pursue her passions without the pressure of family expectations. Her grandmother was also into the arts. She was a ballet teacher and her grandfather was a businessman who had a keen interest in theatre.
When asked about their mother-daughter relationship by Entertainment Tonight, the actress said Zoe cited her mom as an inspiration. She said, “She’s always been a good example of having a strong work ethic and taking pride in and valuing your work,” as quoted by PEOPLE.
Zoe shared screen space with her parents
Lucky are those who get to share the screen with their actor parents, like Zoe, who has shared the screen with Metcalfe and Perry.
From December 2012 to March 2013, Metcalfe and Zoe starred in The Other Place on Broadway. Perry also shared the stage with Zoe in the revival of Anna Christie, where Perry played her father and she played a recurring character.
Not only this, a few years later, they worked together in Scandal, where Zoe played the role of Samantha. According to PEOPLE, talking about the experience of working with his daughter, Perry said that he is really proud of his daughter.
Also read: ‘The loss was huge’: Young Sheldon star Zoe Perry opens up about emotional finale
