With quite a teary ending, we all prepared to say bye to Young Sheldon after the final ever episode was aired on May 16th. As a spin-off of one of the most popular television shows of the 21st century, Young Sheldon has had its fair share of celebrity appearances, just like its older sibling The Big Bang Theory. You may recognise some of these famous faces, despite the majority appearing in just a few episodes rather than ending up as returning characters. Here’s a rundown of all the young Sheldon celebrity cameos you may have missed or forgotten throughout the series.
Cast your mind back to season one; Elon Musk’s takes on one of the funniest Young Sheldon celebrity cameos in his role. Musk plays himself who steals Sheldon’s notebook and takes credit for his scientific breakthroughs. Some might call it ironic.
Jason Alexander appears five times as Gene Lundy in Young Sheldon, with one different cameo in each season from one to five. He firstly played Sheldon’s acting coach after recruiting him for a musical. Throughout the seasons, he returned in a Halloween episode to help Mary put on a show at the church, as a realtor who wanted to sell the Coopers’ neighbour’s house, as Georgie’s business partner for the Cowboy Aerobics VHS, and as a cosmetics seller.
David Hasselhoff
via Netflix
The Baywatch star needs no introduction, and appears in season four, episode 10 as a Cowboy Aerobics instructor playing himself. According to co-creator Steve Molaro, Hasselhoff was chosen because they wanted to use a star from the 90s who “still looked young enough to play his earlier self.”
Ray Liotta
via Netflix
As one of the first celebrity cameos to appear on Young Sheldon, Liotta stars as Connie’s out-of-town bookie, Vincent, in season one. He was a vital addition to the plot which soon revealed her hidden gambling den. However, the episode resolves in a positive outcome once she is able to repay her debt in quarters. You won’t be blamed for forgetting about his pivotal role in the Bee Movie, but you might remember him more recently from his role in Cocaine Bear.
Dave Foley
via Netflix
Dave Foley appears in seasons four and six of Young Sheldon, playing Gary O’Brien, a patron of Sheldon’s university. His first cameo involves a scathing dinner Sheldon was forced to attend with him, which ends with Sheldon bursting out a cold truth and labelling him “A rich man no one will be honest with because everyone wants your money.” In season six, the character later appeared when Sheldon was looking for investors for his database project.
Reba McEntire
via Netflix
Reba McEntire won the record for the most appearances from any celebrity on the show after playing June in season three and remaining a returning character for the duration of the show. Although the ex-wife of Connie’s new boyfriend Dale, the two become close friends, and Connie even helped out around the house when June broke her knee.
Richard Kind
via Netflix
Richard Kind starred in three episodes over seasons one and three of Young Sheldon as Ira Rosenbloom. He was firstly introduced as Connie’s ex-boyfriend, but later helped Sheldon with his research into Judaism and ended up becoming friends with Dr Sturgis after a failed attempt to win her back. Not that you’d recognise him, but he’s also known for playing Bing Bong in the movie Inside Out.
Ming-Na Wen
via Netflix
The iconic voice of Mulan cameoed in season five of Young Sheldon as Dr. Lee, Physics professor. Although the episode is titled “A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles”, she took on the role of a strong, intelligent female character. Despite being challenged by Sheldon, she ultimately outsmarted him.
Lance Reddick
via Netflix
Similar to his John Wick roles, Lance Reddick plays the scathing Professor Boucher in one of the most infuriating episodes of Young Sheldon. In season five, Sheldon is continuously challenged and led to the brink of insanity by a particularly challenging assignment from Professor Boucher. The irony is that the class is engineering, foreshadowing one profession that adult Sheldon looks down on in The Big Bang Theory.
Penn and Teller
via Netflix
The magic duo Penn and Teller appear in the season five finale, who appear as Acne Vulgaris and Pus in order to inform Sheldon about puberty after getting a pimple, and how it is synonymous with growth, despite being unwelcome to Sheldon. They acted as visual representations until Missy finally popped the pimple on his face.
