The Big Bang Theory: Who Does Courtney Henggeler Play And How Many Episodes Is She In?

Courtney Henggeler has become quite the popular star in recent years, thanks in no small part to her role in "Cobra Kai" as Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) wise and ever-caring wife Amanda. With many fans knowing Henggeler best for her performance in the "Karate Kid" spin-off, they may be surprised to learn that the actor was once a recurring presence on one of the most popular sitcoms on TV. Henggeler appeared on "The Big Bang Theory" a number of times over the course of its run, and she played a character with a very important connection to one of the show's main stars.

During her time on "The Big Bang Theory," Henggeler portrayed none other than Missy Cooper, the twin sister of Jim Parsons' Sheldon. While fans of the overall franchise may be more familiar with Missy through Raegan Revord's child incarnation in "Young Sheldon," Henggeler was actually the one to originate the character in the main series. When Missy showed up on "The Big Bang Theory," it was usually to serve as a comedic foil to her brother, as the two differed greatly in just about every regard. She's actually quite similar to Revord's "Young Sheldon" iteration, though Henggeler's version has a comparatively low number of appearances.

While Missy Cooper went on to become a key figure in the overall "Big Bang Theory" franchise, Henggeler's original version of the character actually doesn't make that many appearances in the flagship show. In fact, Henggeler only guest-starred as Missy for two episodes across the entire series. What's even more surprising is that these appearances occurred roughly a decade apart from one another, in 2008 and 2018.

Henggeler's Missy first appeared in Season 1, Episode 15, titled "The Pork Chop Indeterminacy," and she returned in Season 11, Episode 24, titled "The Bow Tie Asymmetry." In her Season 1 debut, Missy comes to visit Sheldon, resulting in several members of the main gang developing crushes on her. Missy's second appearance in Season 11 sees her both pregnant and attending Sheldon's wedding — quite the narrative leap from her original appearance.

As she revealed in interviews at the time, Henggeler was nervous to return to "The Big Bang Theory" after a decade away. Nonetheless, she found the process to be far more comfortable than she imagined. "The best part of returning to 'The Big Bang Theory' was how warm and welcoming everyone was," the actor told BriefTake. "It's been 10 years since I last worked with that group (of insanely talented people) so I was a little nervous to go back. But that set is so lovely."