'Big Bang Theory': Bob Newhart, Regina King & More Bangin' Guest Stars (PHOTOS)
Bob Newhart
“He was wonderfully written,” Newhart says of Arthur Jeffries, aka kids’ science-show host Professor Proton. After Arthur’s passing, he often appeared to Sheldon via dreams to offer advice.
Regina King
Janine Davis, a human resources administrator at Caltech, where the guys work, is “more of a straight face,” says the Oscar winner, who adds that being part of the show “makes my heart giggle.”
Stephen Hawking
One of the guys’ heroes, the cosmologist first appeared as himself in Season 5. (He returned six times!) “Everyone was in awe,” recalls Galecki. Adds Kaley Cuoco, “You could tell he loved being there.”
Christine Baranski
Of her favorite moments as Beverly, Leonard’s frosty psychiatrist mother, Baranski lists “singing rock with Sheldon, getting drunk with Penny and expressing anything maternal with Leonard.”
Laurie Metcalf
Jim Parsons was starstruck by Metcalf when she debuted as Sheldon’s religious and overbearing mom, Mary, in Season 1. “I was so frightened I would expose myself as a fraud [of an actor],” he says.
Sara Gilbert
Leslie Winkle, Leonard’s snarky ex-girlfriend, “could talk down to [the guys] and the audience didn’t think less of her,” says Johnny Galecki. “Sara’s one of the few guest stars to pull that off.”
The Big Bang Theory has had many memorable guest stars over its 12 seasons, but some were really out of this world.
Ahead of the CBS comedy's finale on May 16, the cast has been looking back on the series' beginnings, fandom, catchphrases, and more. And what would TBBT be without the colorful characters (and familiar faces) that stopped by through the years?
Click through the gallery above for our picks of the most iconic guest appearances, from Bob Newhart to Regina King, and hear what the actors had to say about their characters!
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