The Young Sheldon Star You Likely Forgot Played A Toy Story Character

Expectations for "The Big Bang Theory" spin-off "Young Sheldon" were understandably high prior to the series beginning its network run back in 2017. Its predecessor was, after all, not only one of the biggest shows on television during its 12-season run, but a legit pop culture phenomenon (via The New Yorker). In the small screen realm, that sort of lightning rarely gets bottled twice. 

Rather wisely, "Young Sheldon" creators Chuck Lorre and Steve Molaro didn't try duplicate their success, instead opting to craft a show that stands freely on its own, even as it winks often at the iconic series that spawned it. With five full seasons already under its belt, and a sixth on the way, "Young Sheldon" has likely proven a success far beyond even the expectations of its own creators. With fans continuing to delight in tales about the precocious boy-genius (Iain Armitage) who's destined to become the soft kitty-loving, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), "Young Sheldon" may even be eyeing a run as long as "The Big Bang Theory."

Of course, "Young Sheldon" fans also enjoy stories focused on the titular genius' family members. From his mother and his father to his brother and his sister, Sheldon is very different from each and every member of his family. And few of those family members' stories have been as frequently hilarious as those coming from Sheldon's wise-cracking Meemaw. You may not realize it, but the actress who plays Meemaw actually voiced a major character in the "Toy Story" franchise. 

The actress in question is legendary funny lady Annie Potts. Though she's currently best known for portraying Meemaw in "Young Sheldon," Potts' screen career now spans more than four decades, and includes appearances in cinematic '80s staples like  "Ghostbusters," and "Pretty in Pink." She was also a cast member of the long-running '90s sitcom "Designing Women." Potts' contributions to entertainment also include the hit Pixar franchise "Toy Story." In the beloved series, Potts gives voice to everyone's favorite sheep-tending lamp adornment, Bo Peep.

Potts voiced the character in three out of the four "Toy Story" films. Though she technically called Molly's room home, Bo became as big a part of many of Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang's adventures as any of Andy's other toys in the first film. Despite this fact, her role was significantly smaller for "Toy Story 2," and for reasons well covered by long-time Pixar heavy Lee Unkrich in a 2019 interview with IndieWire, the sheepherder was infamously absent from "Toy Story 3" altogether.

Potts apparently felt the sting of that absence as much as anyone, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2019, "Honestly, I felt a little bit like Bo when I heard that they were doing 'Toy Story 3' and I didn't get a call." Thankfully, the Pixar team more than made up for Bo's brief vanishing act by gifting her a bigger role in "Toy Story 4" and giving her a fittingly modern update to boot. Once Bo Peep was back in the fold, the "Toy Story" saga was finally able to deliver the heartfelt finale the franchise so richly deserved.