During its epic 12-season run from 2007 to 2019, every character took their fair share of lumps on The Big Bang Theory. The story of two brilliant but socially awkward physicists whose lives get turned on their heads when a vivacious and attractive waitress moves in across the hall was a smash hit for CBS. Millions tuned in to see the hijinks between Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), and their friends, Howard (Simon Helberg), Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), and eventually Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik).
But the show also benefited greatly from an excellent group of recurring featured characters that existed in various orbits surrounding the main players. There was one supporting character who took an unusual amount of grief from the gang (mostly from Sheldon), who was so memorable in his limited screen time that he will be playing a much larger role in the new The Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, coming to HBO Max. That’s right, the affable but painfully sheepish geologist, Bert (Brian Posehn), will be one of several The Big Bang Theory grads who star alongside Kevin Sussman in the titular role of Stuart Bloom.
Who Is Bert on ‘The Big Bang Theory’?
To be fair, Sheldon gave everyone a hard time in almost every episode of The Big Bang Theory, but he seemed to take extra pleasure in picking on Bert. His disdain for Bert stemmed from his lack of respect for geology as a scientific field, which Bert was passionate about. And make no mistake, in a cast full of eccentric nerds that lacked social graces, Bert was unusually odd and brought a lot of the barbs onto himself. His extremely passive and shy personality made him easy fodder for the quick-witted crew of scientists.
Nevertheless, Bert was funny in each scene he was in, and his lovably innocent nature made him a fan favorite. Bert made his first appearance in Season 6, Episode 18, “The Contractual Obligation Experimentation,” when he third-wheels a library date with Raj and Lucy (Kate Micucci). His inability to read the room was glaringly obvious the first time we saw him, and he was typically just dismissed as a nuisance by the entire gang from the get-go. This is further evidenced in a subsequent appearance as he tried to woo Amy (to Sheldon’s chagrin) and she blew him off, or as he desperately endeavored to make Sheldon come around to the study of rocks without any success. Nevertheless, he had the earnestness and transparency of a big puppy dog, and it rubbed off on audiences to the point that creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady (who will also be the showrunners for the new show) were inclined to bring Bert back.
Bert’s Most Memorable Episode of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Was About Rocks and Rock n’ Roll
Bian Posehn, who is one of the most prolific and successful voice actors in show business with credits that include Metalocalypse, Bob’s Burgers, American Dad, and Steven Universe, appeared in 15 episodes of The Big Bang Theory from 2013 to 2019, but his best appearance occurred in Season 11, Episode 13, “The Solo Oscillation.” Bert replaces Howard in the band “Footprints on the Moon” and finally gets to cut loose with some serious heavy metal stylings with a lyrical focus on some of the things he loves, like heavy granite and micaceous schists. Bert drops his usually timid and reserved persona and belts out some face-melting vocals in an unexpected, fun performance. Bert gets to show a different side of himself in this episode, and it is one of the funniest and most visceral scenes he is in.
‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’ Will Feature Many Fan-Favorite Characters from ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Alongside Posehn and Sussman, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will have bigger and much meatier roles for fan-favorite and Sheldon Cooper nemesis Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie) and Denise (Lauren Lapkus), who joined the cast as Stuart’s love interest toward the end of the show’s 12-year run. What do all of these characters have in common (other than drawing the ire of Sheldon Cooper)? They all paid their dues as supporting players in a very successful show.
Six years following the series finale of The Big Bang Theory, Brian Posehn as Bert and his band of misfit brainiacs are getting the last laugh as they will be the ones to carry on the torch and add to The Big Bang Theory’s growing universe on the heels of Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Though there hasn’t been an official release date announced as of yet, it looks to have all the ingredients necessary to give the fans of Lorre and Prady’s flagship phenomenon even more television goodness.
