8 Times Young Sheldon’s Lance Barber Appeared in Your Favorite Shows

The Big Bang Theory aside, it’s a surprising list.

Young Sheldon ‘s Lance Barber, who portrayed George Cooper Sr. on the show from the first season to the last, became its heart and soul. Though flawed like any other character, he was loyal and dedicated to his family and tried his best to succeed in life while treating everyone with kindness.

Unfortunately, the series ended on a tragic note, as George passed away from a heart attack, and the entire Cooper family paid their respects at his funeral. On the bright side, Young Sheldon wasn’t the first time Lance Barber appeared on television. And although some of his roles were minor, the titles from his filmography may surprise you.

ER (1994-2009)

One of the most iconic medical dramas of the 90’s was the first television credit for Lance Barber, who appeared as Howard Norden in the episode Start All Over Again (S8E5). The episode premiered in 2001 and opened some doors to further his acting career. However, Lance Barber’s path to success wasn’t as linear as one might think.

Gilmore Girls ( 2000-2007)

It’s no secret that studios often invite the same actors to play several episodic roles. Lance Barber was twice invited to join The CW’s hit Gilmore Girls. The first time, he appeared as an unnamed man who helped build the Independence Inn runway.

The second role ended up being more significant, as he portrayed Hugo Gray, one of Logan’s friends who also has an online media outlet of his own. The role was small, but key to Rory Gilmore’s character, as it was Hugo who gave her the job.

Californication (2007-2014)

In the 7-season Showtime series starring David Duchovny as a novelist struggling to overcome writer’s block, Lance Barber appeared in 3 episodes as Nick Lowry, a teacher of Mia Lewis.

Although his own role in the series was small, he appeared several times throughout the series and interacted with one of Californication’s funniest and most controversial characters, which is a treat in itself.

The Mentalist (2008-2015)

Lance Barber’s character Daniel Cardeira appeared in the very first season of The Mentalist, in an episode called Red Handed (S1E6), and he was a far cry from the kind and caring George Cooper Sr. we are used to seeing in Young Sheldon.

Perhaps the only similarity is both characters’ love of sports games on television. It is this detail that makes Daniel a suspect in the case who later confesses to murdering his mother-in-law.

Grey’s Anatomy (2004-…)

Another iconic medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy, introduced Lance Barber’s Phil in the episode Suicide Is Painless (S6E18). A fan of all things extreme, his character Phil ended up in the hospital with severe trauma after he and his friends went heli-skiing. Fortunately, they all survived and decided to stop their dangerous adventures.

The Big Bang Theory ( 2007-2019)

Pretty much everyone knows by now that before becoming George Cooper Sr., Lance Barber visited The Big Bang Theory universe as Leonard’s school bully Jimmy Speckerman. At the time, the episode infuriated the majority of fans who stood up against bullying.

Now, however, the episode The Speckerman Recurrence (S5E11) is one of the funniest to return to, given all the Young Sheldon history viewers have seen.

How I Met Your Mother ( 2005-2014)

If How I Met Your Mother is one of your favorite TV shows, and you’re sure you haven’t seen Lance Barber in a single episode, it’s very likely that you simply missed his appearance. Not only is he credited very modestly as Bouncer #1, but he was also part of a very hectic episode, The Magician’s Code, the grand finale of season 7.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2019-2021)

Another great sitcom that Lance Barber appeared on is Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but his appearance was also brief. Barber portrayed Patrick, a criminal with a wonderful voice who was supposed to be the key to the team winning an annual Christmas caroling competition.

However, in a panic, Patrick got the lyrics wrong and ended up singing something deeply offensive, ruining the holiday spirit.

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