“The Big Bang Theory” is at its most interesting when it’s delving deep into the personal lives of its chaotic cast of characters. One episode that explores the childhoods of various characters is Season 5, Episode 11, “The Speckerman Recurrence.” In the hilarious episode, the gang remembers their respective childhood bullies, discussing how traumatic and disappointing their formative years were. This introspection is brought up thanks to Leonard’s (Johnny Galecki) bully, Jimmy Speckerman, who reaches out to his former classmate after several years.
While Jimmy and Leonard seem to make amends, things do eventually turn sour, revealing Speckerman’s true nature as a bully. The 2011 episode is an absolute highlight for “The Big Bang Theory” as it shows the leads at their most vulnerable and intense, with one of the key moments being Leonard standing up to the foul Speckerman, leading to some much-needed catharsis. It’s also an important episode as it features Lance Barber in the shoes of Leonard’s bully. That name must be familiar to hardcore fans of the series as Barber plays the titular character’s (Iain Armitage) father, George Cooper Sr., on “Young Sheldon,” the spin-off/prequel series to “The Big Bang Theory.”
Known to discipline the future genius, George is the patriarch of the Cooper household and stands out as one of the show’s most likable, though complicated characters. Barber’s empathetic performance on “Young Sheldon” is a far cry from the vile and genuinely mean character he (briefly) plays on “The Big Bang Theory.”
Lance Barber opened up about his dual role
It hasn’t escaped fans of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon” that Lance Barber plays two important characters in the franchise. It is pretty hilarious considering both of Barber’s characters play key, impactful roles in shaping the childhoods of both Leonard (Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). For what it’s worth, the actor was more than aware that fans would latch onto the idea of him playing two dueling characters. “It was fun for me because when that happened and I got that job, it was apparent to me that that was going to be noticed, especially from how deep the fans are of those shows,” the “Young Sheldon” veteran told ET Online. “So it wasn’t going to go unmissed by the fandom.”
Fans of both “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon” don’t think that it’s just a coincidence that Barber plays both characters. Theories have popped up on social media sites to suggest that Jimmy Speckerman and George Cooper Sr. are connected… but Barber isn’t having it, making it clear to ET that there’s no deeper meaning behind the continuity “error.” “I’ve heard some and there’s been some weird stuff like is this a multidimensional universe,” Barber said about the theories, adding, “It’s nonsense […] It’s an actor playing a different part!”
Speckerman’s appearance on “The Big Bang Theory” was brief, but Barber’s role as George Cooper Sr. is constant, with the character appearing throughout “Young Sheldon.” Though Barber became a fan favorite thanks to “Young Sheldon,” viewers have seen the actor in tons of different projects throughout the years.
What else has Lance Barber been in?
Before he played Leonard’s cruel bully, and well before he tried to understand Sheldon’s various wacky inventions, Lance Barber had a number of intriguing roles under his belt. Fans might have seen the actor on “Gilmore Girls,” a show where he played two separate guest/minor characters. The actor’s first major television role was on the HBO series “The Comeback,” which saw him taking on the role of Paulie G, a creative who often butts heads with Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie.
After lending his talents to several procedurals, Barber landed the role of Bill Ponderosa on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Barber enjoyed playing Ponderosa, a family man — and absolute goofball — whose life has seen better days. “I think I got the job really cause I am… a genuine lowlife of a human being,” the actor said in a behind-the-scenes interview with FX, before (jokingly) discussing how he’s done despicable things that are similar to his character.
After his initial appearance on “The Big Bang Theory,” Barber landed several roles, including a character in the Ryan Gosling-starring crime film “Gangster Squad.” Of course, the Jimmy Speckerman actor is most well-known for his “Young Sheldon” role, which has turned the actor into a sitcom darling.
