The Role of Mary Cooper Cost Young Sheldon’s Star Her Health

Young Sheldon, which recently completed its seventh and final season, remains one of the most successful sitcoms in recent memory, as well as one of the most successful sitcom spinoffs of all time. What began as a show focused on Sheldon Cooper's upbringing ended up being elevated by the brilliant cast.

By the end of the show, viewers were as invested in the lives of every other member of the Cooper family as they were in Sheldon's. Even Mary Cooper, who was mostly hated by the fandom, found some sympathizers for her struggles as a mother. According to Zoe Perry, who portrayed Mary, bringing her to life on the set was no easy task.

Zoe Perry About Mary Cooper

While talking to Mashable about her character, the actress, who took over the role from her mother, who portrayed Mary on The Big Bang Theory, opened up about her biggest struggle. Though Mary had a lot of flaws, a very challenging accent, and a mindset that not everyone will find easy to get into, Perry found another aspect of it much worse.

It turns out that being Mary Cooper is almost like a full-body workout. And even though she doesn't do anything too active on screen, the actress found herself with back pain by the end of filming:

“Least favorite is probably her rigidity, because it is not only metaphorical but literal! I find that I am constantly tense when I am playing her. So at the end of the day, I’m a little sore!” she shared.

Juggling three children with very different needs, an unsupportive husband, the entire household, and her life in a church, Mary had a lot on her plate.

And while some fans found her to be too uptight and unfair to her family at times, others found the image of a 90's housewife in the middle of Texas very realistic and reminiscent of women they knew in their own lives.

The tension that Zoe Perry mentioned came not only from within, as she went through the struggle of figuring out her relationship with God and religion in general, but also from the constant stress of her everyday life. And while the actress' devotion hurt her in the long run, it's hard to deny that it's what made Mary such a remarkable character.

If you already miss the Coopers and want to revisit some of your favorite moments from the show, Young Sheldon is available to stream on Netflix or Paramount Plus.

Source: Mashable