Who Plays Bernadette's Dad Mike On The Big Bang Theory & What Other Shows Was He In?

Parents play a significant role in Bernadette Rostenkowski's (Melissa Rauch) relationship with Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) on "The Big Bang Theory." Howard, notably, lives with his mom for much of the show's early run. Then, when viewers meet Bernadette's parents, it turns out her mother is doting just like Howard's. Her father, Mike Rostenkowski, however, is a volatile ex-cop whose hypermasculinity contrasts sharply with Howard's comparatively meek personality.

Playing Bernadette's dad in a total of six episodes between Seasons 5 and 9 is an actor named Casey Sander. The biggest role of Sander's career by a significant margin is Grace Burdette-Kelly's (Brett Butler) neighbor Wade Swoboda in all 112 episodes of the '90s sitcom "Grace Under Fire." The fact that he ended up on "The Big Bang Theory" is unsurprising given that "The Big Bang Theory" co-creator Chuck Lorre was also responsible for "Grace Under Fire."

Overall, Sander is a prolific television actor with a particular affinity for sitcoms. He has more than 130 screen acting credits to his name, the majority of which are TV roles.

Some of Casey Sander's first acting gigs were on major TV series, albeit in bit parts without names. For instance, he played a security guard on two episodes of "Dallas" in 1984 and a cop on a 1986 episode of "Dynasty." In 1987, Sander appeared as a cousin of Rose's named Sven Lindstrom on an episode of "The Golden Girls," setting the stage for his emergence as a sitcom actor. In that role's wake, he contributed to a number of popular movies and TV shows, including "Matlock," "Dragnet," "Predator 2," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Then he landed his part in the main cast of "Grace Under Fire," which lasted from 1993 to 1998.

During that era, Sander also appeared in 10 episodes of "Home Improvement," debuting as a character named Rock Lannigan in Season 1 and reprising the role in Seasons 2, 7, and 8. In the 2000s, his sitcom credits included 13 episodes of NBC's "Tucker," one episode of "George Lopez," and two episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle." He worked on some more serious projects during that decade too, including "JAG," "Mystery Woman," and "NCIS."

Since then, some of Sander's biggest roles have been on sitcoms, including three episodes of "The Middle," 17 episodes of "Marvin Marvin," and four episodes of "The Ranch." He also shows up in "Mad Men," "Justified," and "Vice," among various other shows and movies, rounding out an altogether lengthy career.