Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik

The Big Bang Theory's Amy Farrah Fowler is an easy character to love. She's genius-level smart, she owns an enviable array of cardigans, and she's the apple of Sheldon Cooper's eye. But what makes Amy even more admirable is that she's played by Mayim Bialik, a veteran actress who also so happens to be a neuroscientist in real life!

And that's not all: Mayim's also a published author, a cat and sloth lover, and runs her own website, Grok Nation, among other things.

The first fun Mayim fact? During a chat with The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, Mayim revealed the name of her first-ever email address—"nerd@ucla.edu"—saying, "It wasn't cool yet, and no one wanted it, but I did!"

Stream episodes of The Big Bang Theory now on CBS All Access. 

Plus, don't forget to watch the Season 11 premiere of The Big Bang Theory on Monday, Sept. 25 at 8/7c on CBS and CBS All Access.

Mayim, who has described herself as a "late bloomer," wrote a book for teen girls called Girling Up: How To Be Strong, Smart And Spectacular, which was released in May 2017.

"This is the book I needed," she told The Talk hosts. "Our culture has things that our moms didn't navigate and that many of us didn't navigate, because of the internet, because of social media, because of more discussions of mental health and body image. These are things that really do need to be talked about in the first place." 

When she starred in the '90s sitcom Blossom, Mayim's character's first—and second kiss—happened to also be the actress' first—and second kiss—in real life.

Another fun fact: One of those kisses was with her current costar from The Big Bang Theory, Johnny Galecki!

It's no secret that Mayim and her onscreen boyfriend, Jim Parsons, are close in real life, too; so close, in fact, that she attended Jim's May wedding to longtime partner and co-producer Todd Spiewak.

"It was beautiful... At a Hollywood event, to see no cell phones—not that they were confiscated—but that we really just wanted to be there for them. It was literally the most beautiful chuppah I've ever seen," she told the ladies of The Talk. 

It's no easy feat to authentically propose to your onscreen love interest, but Jim and Mayim did it in one take for the Season 10 finale ("The Long Distance Dissonance") of The Big Bang Theory—and in front of a live audience, to boot!

Now all we have to do is wait until the Season 11 premiere on Sept. 25 at 8/7c to find out if she says, "Yes!" 

Until she was 15, Mayim grew up in a small house that had only one bathroom to serve four people. As a result, she's super-efficient in the morning—because she had to be!

"I always manage to find a space [for grooming and getting ready] in my bedroom or my living room," she's said in a Grok Nation video. 

Mayim doesn't just love cars—she loves sports cars!

She can drive a stick and, as she noted in a Grok Nation video, as a teenager she wanted a 1965 Ford Falcon when she got her driver's license.

Her parents wouldn't let her have one (surprise, surprise), so she ended up with an automatic Saab instead.

Mayim adores sightseeing, as fans can see from all the attractions she features on her Instagram account.

She's even a self-proclaimed fan of factory tours, with her favorite being the Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in Louisville, Kentucky.

Photo: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

In addition to being spooked by spiders, Mayim's also grossed out by snakes, lizards, cockroaches; basically anything that crawls on the ground.

"I'm the lady who will either try to save a spider, or scream for someone to do it for me," she declared in a Grok Nation video.

Photo: © DFree/Shutterstock

A well-known cat lover, Mayim recently adopted a special-needs kitten named Adamantium. (That's "Addie," for short.)

Photo: © DFree/Shutterstock

Turns out we're not the only ones who can watch videos of baby sloths ad infinitum!

On her website, Grok Nation, Mayim shares some of her favorite clips of these totally adorbs, three-toed mammals. 

Whether it's an apron or a coffee mug, most people tend to have one special culinary item they can't live without. For Mayim, the one thing she always keeps close while whipping up a delicious meal is far more practical. 

The vegan chef says that she loves nothing more than a good wooden spoon to assist with all her baking needs. But, not any old tool will do, of course. Mayim purchased her trusty gadget while traveling in Greece, and she's kept it by her side ever since. 

While Mayim and her character, Amy, share a few similarities—they're both brilliant, caring, and independent women—they couldn't be more different when it comes to their taste in bling. 

Unlike Amy, whose mother forbid ear piercings as a child, Mayim rocks enough lobe ornaments to keep a jewelry store afloat. The charming actress currently has 14 piercings; eight in her right ear and six in her left. Between Seasons 7 and 8 of The Big Bang Theory, she got a seventh piercing in her left ear; however, she had to take it out once they resumed filming the show, and it closed up shortly after.  

Photo: © Byron Purvis/AdMedia/Corbis

Every time she steps on set, Mayim's surrounded by cameras, phones, and countless tech gadgets, and maybe that's why she makes a conscious effort to take a break from technology every night.

This mother of two has a strict "no phones at the table" rule she follows whether she's having a meal with friends or breaking bread in the comfort of her own home. She also sets a daily email cutoff time to ensure she's not checking her phone or computer instead of fostering her personal relationships IRL. 

 

Ever wish you could read with Mayim? Well, grab your reading specs and stretch out your page turners (aka "fingers"), because you, too, can join Mayim on her literary adventures. 

This bibliophile runs an online bookclub that's open to anyone and everyone. All you have to do is head over to her website and dive in to this month's read. To foster a sense of community among her fans, Mayim provides insightful and thought-provoking questions and commentary to foster conversation. 

Photo: © Katy Winn/Corbis

Before celebrating the 200th episode of The Big Bang Theory, Mayim shared a story about the time Johnny Galecki almost made it to her birthday party. 

"I don't know if it was my most memorable birthday, but Johnny Galecki got into a motorcycle accident on the way to my Sweet 16," Mayim said, laughing. "I never invited him to a party again." 

Photo: © Byron Purvis/AdMedia/Corbis

In a video posted to her website, Mayim opened up about what she would've loved to know as a kid. 

She admits, "I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to pay really close attention to parents and to grandparents and to older people—see how they act, see how they do things—because it becomes increasingly important in ways that my younger self would have never understood if I said it."

Photo: © Gary Lewis/Retna Ltd./Corbis

For those keeping score at home, Mayim Bialik has been acting since the age of 12.

First, she garnered tons of attention for her amazing performance in the 1988 tearjerker, Beaches. She then followed it up as star of the fun-loving '90s sitcom, Blossom. 

© Frank Trapper/Corbis

Mayim credits her incredibly supportive—yet strict—parents for keeping her focus on school and chores. “They kept life as normal as possible for me," Mayim said during a daytime talk-show interview. "It's a huge reason why I avoided the pitfalls of chid acting."

During a late-night show interview, Mayim was more than open about her nerdiness and unapologetic to admit she recently started playing Dungeons And Dragons.

The loud-and-proud nerd also admitted to shedding some serious tears while watching superhero movies, saying, "I guess it’s the ultimate struggles they face in their worlds [that make me cry]."

Impressive, right?

Mayim may've spent much of her youth in Hollywood, but always knew she wanted to go to college one day. After five years of undergrad (with a minor in Hebrew and Jewish Studies), she then went on to complete seven more to earn her PhD in Neuroscience. “I taught for five years after that, with a baby on my chest for half of it," Mayim said, laughing, on a daytime talk show.

Her knowledge of the field has come in handy on The Big Bang Theory set, where her character, Amy, has the same occupation.

"Modern-day Orthodox is a sub-denomination in Judaism of people who are immersed in secular world but who also keep to some traditional things,” the cardigan-loving comedian explained during a morning show appearance. 

Mayim’s Vegan Table highlights all the yummy home-cooked, meat and dairy-free recipes she whips up for her family at home.

"I’m not a fancy chef. I don’t have a chef. I don’t have a nanny. I happen to be a plant-based person and I’ve raised my kids vegan," she shared in a morning show Q&A. "We should all be eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods."

© Corbis

Playing "the girl version of Sheldon" has always held great meaning to Mayim, who first stepped into the role during the Season 3 finale of The Big Bang Theory.

“Jim [Parsons] and I care so tenderly for our characters, especially their relationship, because it means so much to the fans,” she said during in a morning show interview.

Mayim has been speaking at DeVry University for some time now, spreading knowledge to women about going into a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

"I want to show girls what women in these careers look like," she explained in a morning talk show. Get it, girl!

Founded by Mayim herself, "GrokNation is an online community for people of all ages and backgrounds to dive deep into conversations on contemporary issues."

Whether you're a Big Bang superfan, a comic book enthusiast, or just a person who just wants to learn more about the world, Mayim welcomes any and all "Grokites" to her site. 

INFphoto.com Ref.: infusny-244/PGSK|sp|

Go on and add "talented musician" to the list of things this lady’s got on lock.

She can tickle the ivories and wail on the trumpet. Plus, she’s also taken harp lessons to be able to play song fragments as Amy on The Big Bang Theory.

What can’t this woman do? (Answer: Nothing.)

This feline fanatic's "first born" is her beloved Peterbald hairless wonder, Esau.

© U-T San Diego/ZUMAPRESS.com

During a PBS Q&A, Mayim credits J.D.Salinger's work as some of the first literature speak to the emotions she experienced as as a teenager. 

Mayim, who spent much of her education on a sound stage when she was a child actress, credits her on-set biology tutor for opening her up to the wonders of science. 

"She showed me science is for women," Mayim explained in a PBS interview. "It's exciting and you can be as passionate and as in love with science as you are for literature."

Mayim's ultimate road-trip playlist would include a mix of tunes from Elvis Costello, They Might Be Giants, Neko Case, David Gray and Dan Bern.

We can dig it!

© Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPRESS.com

Mayim often gets asked if she thinks child acting is a good idea or not, so she expressed her feelings in a GronkNation article, saying, "When parents ask me if their kids should be actors, I encourage parents to enroll their children in theater." 

© Paul A. Hebert/Press Line Photos/Corbis

Like Amy, her character on The Big Bang Theory, Mayim also considers herself super honest and sometimes "uncertain of her place in the social world."

"But I don't mix stripes and plaid," Mayim said, laughing during a PBS interview. "I know that much."

Stream episodes of The Big Bang Theory now on CBS All Access.