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Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar might be best known as the shy Raj, but since “The Big Bang Theory” wrapped, he’s been anything but retiring. He’s quickly established a name for himself in the voice acting world, taking on the role of Guy Diamond in the “Trolls” franchise. But he definitely hasn’t given up live-action acting.
Nayyar has appeared in “Sweetness in the Belly,” “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,” and “How to Date Billy Walsh” on the big screen, as well as the Adam Sandler Netflix exclusive film “Spaceman” in 2024. He was a regular on the Apple TV+ series “Suspicion,” and lent his voice to four episodes of “Mira, Royal Detective,” the first Disney Junior show to feature an all-South Asian voice cast.
The actor’s next role? “Christmas Karma,” a Bollywood musical take on “A Christmas Carol” with Eva Longoria. The film is set for a December 2025 release.
Simon Helberg
While many of the main actors who comprised the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” have preferred big studio projects, Simon Helberg has taken a quirkier and more independent route to acting success. His adventurous choice of roles proves he’s nothing like the rather domesticated Howard Wolowitz.
Helbig’s biggest role since “Big Bang” ended was that of The Accompanist in “Annette.” He also pops up in two episodes of Peacock’s “Poker Face” as Luca Clark, in addition to “As They Made Us” — a film directed by “Big Bang Theory” co-star Mayim Bialik — and “Space Oddity.” On two separate occasions, he’s given voice to the character Dr. Revanche in “American Dad!”
He’s also become a regular actor in the California-based theatrical scene. He has appeared in productions for both the Pasadena Playhouse and Geffen Playhouse, including radio plays. Helberg will appear in “The Witch” at the latter theater in the late summer of 2024.
Mayim Bialik
Mayim Bialik has arguably lived the most controversial life among the show’s main cast members since “The Big Bang Theory” ended. While she definitely made some conventional moves after the sitcom ended — like launching her own show, “Call Me Kat,” which endured for three seasons before being cancelled at Fox — she’s stumbled through a tough series of controversies during her stewardship of a famous game show.
Being named both the daily host of “Jeopardy!” and the host of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” proved to be a boon and a bane to the actress. First, comments she made about the #MeToo movement in 2017 surfaced, causing her to walk back her comments via her X, formerly known as Twitter, account. Then she was accused of being anti-vaccination, thanks to comments she made in her book about attachment parenting, “Beyond The Sling” — a notion which she also denied. As a result, some “Jeopardy!” fans vowed they wouldn’t forget her comments. It didn’t help when her endorsement of the allegedly brain-boosting supplement Neuriva, which Psychology Today referred to as “snake oil,” added fuel to the fire.
In 2023, Bialik walked off “Jeopardy!” during the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which led to Ken Jennings — with whom she alternated hosting duties — to take over the slot full time. Sony subsequently informed Bialik during the fall of 2023 that her contract would not be renewed for the syndicated version of the show. Since then, she’s continued to co-host her podcast, the Bialik Breakdown.
Melissa Rauch
Melissa Rauch seemed to find her acting stride as the perky but tough Bernadette Rostenkowski, and she’s stayed in the sitcom milieu to keep audiences rolling in the aisles ever since then. Rauch not only produces NBC’s revival of “Night Court,” but she stars in it as Abby Stone, daughter of the late Harold T. Stone (Harry Anderson). The sitcom will see a third season in fall 2024. She also appeared in the Netflix movie “The Laundromat” in 2020.
Melissa Rauch seemed to find her acting stride as the perky but tough Bernadette Rostenkowski, and she’s stayed in the sitcom milieu to keep audiences rolling in the aisles ever since then. Rauch not only produces NBC’s revival of “Night Court,” but she stars in it as Abby Stone, daughter of the late Harold T. Stone (Harry Anderson). The sitcom will see a third season in fall 2024. She also appeared in the Netflix movie “The Laundromat” in 2020.
