The Stunning Transformation Of Big Bang Theory Star Laura Spencer - The List

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As a child, Spencer had a passion for animals She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2008 Spencer appeared in her first film in 2009 She found success through the web series ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries’She went semi-viral thanks to two specific commercial appearances Spencer didn’t know she’d be a recurring character in ‘The Big Bang Theory’Spencer joined the cast of ‘Bones’ in 2014 Spencer tragically lost her brother in 2015 Spencer wrote and starred in the short film ‘Likeness’Spencer regularly used her platform to advocate for several social issues She got married in 2019 Spencer guest-starred in the season premiere of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in 2024

Laura Spencer smiling at 'The Big Bang Theory' series finale party

Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

In 2007, CBS sought to create the quirky sitcom now known as “The Big Bang Theory.” While the show aimed to give beloved nerds-turned-physicists a sense of community, it seemingly dominated its competition, earning notable awards from the Golden Globes to the Emmys throughout its 12-season run. Along the way, it also introduced us to an incredible cast of actors who’d use the show’s success as a launching pad for more prominent careers. Amongst the likes of Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco was Laura Spencer, who quickly became a fan favorite despite joining the show later on.

From Season 7 onward, Spencer portrayed Raj Koothrappali’s girlfriend, Emily Sweeney, the peculiar dermatologist with a massive interest in horror. Although she was relegated to a recurring role in the show, Spencer’s portrayal caught the public’s eye, causing her career outside the show to garner even more attention. Similar to how “Insecure” actor Issa Rae got her start, Spencer grew to prominence through the internet. Given her other accomplishments, her inclusion in “The Big Bang Theory” was only a fragment of her stunning career. Spencer has kept herself busy for over a decade with successful appearances in commercials, creative ventures in writing short films, and raising money for organizations she believes in. To learn more about her transition, here is the stunning transformation of Laura Spencer!

As a child, Spencer had a passion for animals

Born on May 8, 1986, Laura Spencer led a humble life in Oklahoma City long before she pursued acting. Spencer had one older sibling, Daniel Spencer, who’d also make his way into the entertainment industry. Outside of this, however, Spencer has kept aspects of her childhood close to her chest, only sharing bits and pieces on social media or in interviews when necessary. Surprisingly enough, Spencer wasn’t always interested in acting.

According to her 2014 interview with AfterBuzz TV, Spencer spoke candidly about her career. While doing so, the topic of leading an alternate life came up, to which host Yael Tygiel asked Spencer what career she would have followed if it wasn’t for acting. “Something with animals,” she replied. Although she jokingly predicted her alternate life as a tattoo-filled veterinarian, Spencer explained that caring for animals was an early passion of hers. “I mean like, when I was a little kid, I would play with my stuffed animals and I really wanted to be a veterinarian,” she said. “I think every little girl maybe wants to be a vet, at some point.”

She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2008

As a teenager, Laura Spencer attended Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. After graduating in 2004, Spencer went on to attend the University of Oklahoma. Though she’d initially struggled to pick her major, she eventually landed on acting. It wouldn’t be one straight shot for Spencer, however, as she still struggled to fully invest herself in the craft at the time.

During her appearance on the “Okie Show Show Podcast,” she explained that she was initially skeptical about pursuing it due to her perception of what it would entail in the future. “University of Oklahoma was where I eventually got into the acting program there,” she said. “When I first went to college, I didn’t really know what I wanted to major in. I had seen the program and I was just sort of in that state of mind where I envisioned college being the place where I was going to meet all kinds of new people and learn how to be an adult and all of these things. So when went into the program at that time, my 18-year-old self had no interest in only knowing actors. … I really was afraid of that.” As she continued to take acting courses throughout this time, Spencer eventually overcame those beliefs and settled into the program. Luckily, this led her to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 2008.

Spencer appeared in her first film in 2009

Laura Spencer’s trajectory from fresh college graduate to full-fledged working actor was seamless. After meeting notable casting agent, Chris Freihofer, Spencer took her acting career a step further by auditioning for various projects ranging from commercials to short films. Most of the fruit of her labor would find itself in 2009 as she appeared in a plethora of projects like “Funnel of Darkness” and “The Familiar.” Before those, however, Spencer had a semi-successful acting debut portraying Wendy in “Barking Water.”

Released in 2009, Spencer got to work under Sterlin Harjo, a director well-known for his work on the 2021 comedy series, “Reservation Dogs.” Despite “Barking Water” only being a niche film, the project saw decent success among many film festivals at the time. During her appearance on the “Okie Show Show Podcast,” Spencer explained how the experience of getting that role solidified her want to continue pursuing an acting career. “Sterlin Harjo is pretty awesome. So, that was a really cool first gig to get, and we got to go to Sundance with that movie,” she explained. “So, it was just this cool upfront thing where I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m going to act in films now.'”

She found success through the web series ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries’

After graduating college, Laura Spencer split her time between working as an actor and a performance instructor. It wasn’t until Spencer got her “ducks in a row” that she finally moved to Los Angeles, California to fulfill her acting dream. From 2010 onward, Spencer found small gigs in television series like “Mad Love,” “Criminal Minds,” and “2 Broke Girls.” In 2012, however, her first claim to fame would be on the horizon. Instead of it being the big screen, it would be in the form of a web series.

Before “The Big Bang Theory,” Spencer found success in “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” a vlog-esque web series that retells the story of “Pride and Prejudice.” Through reimagining Jane Bennet, Spencer was part of an ensemble that the Streamys and the Primetime Emmys recognized. During her 2014 interview with Backstage, Spencer spoke about the success of the series and how appreciative she was of her time filming it. “That was the true independent spirit of creating something,” she said. “I mean we were literally shooting it at the producer’s apartment building on a shoestring budget and had no idea that people would love it the way they did. Then it became a success through the online community, and I learned so much about being an actor on social media and being part of a show that was interacting with our audience right away.”

She went semi-viral thanks to two specific commercial appearances

Amongst her lengthy catalog, Laura Spencer’s main claim to fame was her inclusion in “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” web series. While this would be her main gig for over a year, Spencer remained busy booking small roles throughout this time, some of which included her guest-starring alongside the cast of “Jessie” in 2012 and “Switched at Birth” in 2013. However, her most notable credit outside of the web series was her stint in two notable commercials, both of which garnered her relevancy online.

In 2013, Spencer appeared in commercials for Sprint and Skittles. Both commercials would air around the same time and Spencer wore the same hairstyle while filming them. As the Reddit community grew aware of this, they deemed Spencer the “girl with the side braid” and even went as far as to create theories as to why she wore the side braid in both commercials. In her 2014 interview with AfterBuzz TV, Spencer suggested it was a happy accident that she appeared the same in both commercials. “I had actually worn my hair like that in both auditions,” she explained. “I think they just liked it and they had done the little sketches of what the commercial would look like with that. …I chose the side braid.”

Spencer didn’t know she’d be a recurring character in ‘The Big Bang Theory’

After her successful venture in “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,” Lauren Spencer went on to book one of her biggest roles to date in 2014. She joined the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” in Season 7, portraying Emily Sweeney. Sweeney was a dermatologist that Kunal Nayyar’s character, Raj Koothrappali, met through a dating app. Just like Spencer, the list of what Nayyar has been up to since the end of the show includes multiple projects. As Sweeney became Raj’s second legitimate girlfriend on the show, her polite exterior was shattered once audiences learned she was into horror.

Though Spencer joined “The Big Bang Theory” during its later seasons, her character became a fan favorite. This eventually caused her to make recurring appearances from Seasons 8 through 10. Shockingly enough, Spencer told TV Watch Tower in 2014 that her gig on the show was initially supposed to be short-term. “When I auditioned for it, I only knew that I would be on for one episode,” she said. “So now that I’m going to be in my 8th episode coming up, it’s turned into such an amazing experience. … The fans have been really lovely to me at the tapings, like cheering when I come on. I feel like I’m part of the family already and that has been a really pleasant surprise.” She may not be the richest “Big Bang Theory” cast member, but the show certainly helped keep her career moving in a positive direction.

Spencer joined the cast of ‘Bones’ in 2014

Despite her growing success, Laura Spencer continued to audition for other roles throughout the early 2010s. Amongst the slew of major projects Spencer was working on, the Oklahoma native found time to join the cast of “Bones” in 2014. Her appearances were relatively frequent as she portrayed intern Jessica Warren from Seasons 9 through 12.

2014 was a great time for Spencer as she got consistent screen time as an actor. In a 2014 interview with Backstage, Spencer shared that her stint on “Bones” coincided with her role in “The Big Bang Theory.” “I auditioned for ‘Bones’ while I was working on ‘Big Bang’ last season,'” she explained. “I kept on giving multi-cam, high-energy sort of comedy at my audition, and so I’m very grateful to casting for letting me do my scene again.” Luckily, her bright personality which was more suitable for comedies didn’t get in the way of her snagging the role as Jessica. Since this meant she’d be shooting two shows at the same time, Spencer had to learn how to manage her time efficiently. “I’ve gotten the hang of it by now,” she stated. “It’s not only cool to be employed but it’s cool to be switching it up every week now! I have two families that I get to go work with each time.”

Spencer tragically lost her brother in 2015

Laura Spencer has an older sibling named Daniel Spencer. Like her, Daniel was active in entertainment as a musician and film editor. From graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2006, Daniel enjoyed a relatively private life in Austin, Texas. Sadly, however, Daniel was brutally murdered on September 21, 2015, by James Miller. According to NBC News, it was alleged that Daniel had invited Miller to his house for music and drinks due to their shared love for the craft. Miller then claimed that Daniel made sexual advances on him, which prompted him to stab Daniel. In 2018, the American-Statesman reported that Miller was merely sentenced to 10 years of probation — along with some jail time — for criminally negligent homicide and forced to pay over $10,000 to Daniel’s family (via People).

Given the outcome of the case, the mass majority recognized this as a senseless death and pushed for the government to ban the use of the “gay panic” criminal defense. In 2020, Laura replied to a user on X, formerly Twitter to inform them of the horrors of gay panic legislation. Through this, she spoke about her brother and how brutal crimes shouldn’t be written off as such. “His life was vast, a lot of people lost someone they loved immensely when he was killed, and it has been hard witnessing his entire life be defined by his murder and an abhorrent defense strategy,” she wrote.

Spencer wrote and starred in the short film ‘Likeness’

After starring “The Big Bang Theory” and “Bones,” Laura Spencer continued to appear in other projects like “Get Shorty,” “American Whoopee,” and “Work/Friends.” Spencer is also creative at heart. With producer credits in 2013 for “The Water’s Fine,” it was only a matter of time before she’d have a hand in creating another short film. This opportunity came in 2019 when she wrote the short film, “Likeness.” Ironically, she’d partner with Jamie Miller and Emily Diana Ruth, former workmates who were also in “The Water’s Fine.”

The three remained friends and set out to create a heartfelt film dedicated to the connection between a mother and a daughter. “Likeness” follows a woman who has visions of her mother’s past of experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s. As the project was announced in 2017, all three banded together to raise money to film the short independently. They’d see an outpour of support, with one individual donating $5,000 to support their creative venture. Once it was funded, it took a year for the trailer to be officially released, followed by the film itself. “Likeness” luckily found small success as it won the best editing in short film award at the 2019 Canadian Cinema Editors Awards.

Outside of acting, Laura Spencer is no stranger to participating in various charities. Whether it be donating to COVID-19 Disaster funds or cheering on friends who were making a difference in the world, she’s seamlessly become a spokesperson for numerous issues worldwide. One of which saw her participate in the Dressember challenge in 2017, where she wore dresses for all 31 days of December. The purpose of this challenge was to raise money to support those who were victims of human trafficking. By 2018, Spencer took to X to not only show all the dresses she wore that month but to announce that she had raised $6,300 for the organization. “Raising $6,300 to fund a rescue operation/trauma therapy for survivors achieved. Thank you! January is Human Trafficking Awareness month so the campaign is still open for donations,” she wrote.

2018 also saw Spencer support the many students who have accused John Scamehorn of sexual misconduct during his time as a professor at the University of Oklahoma — the same university she had attended years prior. “Thank you theater students at the University of Oklahoma for banding together in your #metoo movement against John Scamehorn,” she tweeted. “I’m furious to hear that my Alma Mater failed to protect you as you pursued an education. Consider me signed up to join your fight to be heard, believed, and respected.”

She got married in 2019

As Laura Spencer found herself in the public eye, the Oklahoma native made sure to keep the focus on her career rather than her personal life. Her social media, however, wasn’t completely devoid of her private life as she’d often showcase her partner, Michael Jack Greenwald — a producer — to her numerous followers. Like many real-life partners of “The Big Bang Theory” cast, Greenwald appears to live life out of the limelight. While it is unclear when they met, the two have seemingly been linked together for some time. Their relationship grew to new heights in 2018 when Spencer took to X to announce the two were engaged. Paired with a picture of her wearing her ring was the caption, “I said yaaassss #engaged.”

By January 2019, the two officially got married. Although Spencer didn’t share much of their ceremony with the public, she did upload a video of their choreographed routine on their wedding day to her X account. “I got married last weekend and we kept the holiday spirit alive for our first dance. … Full video available on my Instagram highlights!” she wrote. Spencer gave us yet another glimpse of their special day just a couple of days later when she replied to one of her older tweets about Michael with a photo of them walking down the aisle, captioned, “Update: I married him.”

Spencer guest-starred in the season premiere of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in 2024

With a marriage in the books, a successful release of her independent film, and a plethora of appearances in notable television series, one would assume Laura Spencer would take things slow career-wise. Instead, Spencer has continued to find work from 2019 onward, appearing in “Matt and Dan,” Sterlin Harjo’s “Reservation Dogs,” and podcast series like “Anne of Green Gables” and “Anne of the Island.” Spencer, however, finished 2024 off strong as she took to social media to announce her appearance in one of ABC’s most successful shows to date.

On September 4, 2024, Spencer informed her Instagram followers that she’d be guest-starring in the 21st season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy.” She’d later reminded us of this the night of the premiere with an Instagram photo of her with a fake baby bump. “Announcement! … No I’m not pregnant, but I am in tonight’s Season 21 premiere of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,'” she wrote. In it, she played Lacey, the pregnant daughter of a wildfire activist named Wanda Gallagher, who got injured during a climate change protest. While in the hospital, it was clear the two had a strained relationship. After Wanda unsuccessfully tried to avoid treatment by climbing through the vents — almost worsening her injury — their storyline ended with Lacey voicing her want for Wanda to change her ways so that she could have a healthy relationship with her child.

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