Young Sheldon's Annie Potts Is Nothing Like Meemaw In Real-Life
Annie Potts agreed to her "Young Sheldon" role after watching three minutes of its pilot, knowing in such a short amount of time that she would be right for the role of Sheldon (Iain Armitage)'s grandmother Meemaw. Her instincts paid off once a number of fans started describing Meemaw as a series standout. As it turns out, Potts had never seen "The Big Bang Theory" prior to joining its prequel, meaning that she began developing her widely-loved interpretation of the character based entirely on what was written on the page and not the work done by her older predecessor June Squibb.
In fact, in a conversation with Smashing Interviews Magazine, Potts characterized herself as not even all that similar to Meemaw in her real life, further emphasizing her acting ability. "I think it would be really weird to be Meemaw in reality and on TV. I don't know. Granny's granny, you know?" she replied to a question asking her outright whether or not she resembles her "Young Sheldon" character.
Potts then agreed with an assessment that Meemaw is louder than she is in her everyday life. "I'm not quite as brash as Meemaw is. I think it would scare the little children," she joked, referencing her toddler-aged grandchildren. The Meemaw so many "Young Sheldon" fans have come to enjoy, then, is not so much a manifestation of Potts' own personality but a fabrication she came up with in conjunction with the series' writers and producers.
Hair and makeup are key to Annie Potts' transformation into Meemaw
In an interview with Glamour spanning her extensive Hollywood career, Annie Potts explained that her natural hair at the time of its filming became her "Ghostbusters" character's signature haircut. When she filmed "Ghostbusters 2," however, she had grown her hair out and needed to wear a wig.
Just as her hairstyle was so essential to becoming Janine in "Ghostbusters," Potts credited the gray wig she wears when she plays Meemaw with helping her transition from her natural self into her "Young Sheldon" character. "With 'Young Sheldon,' popping that white wig on makes Meemaw such a complete character. It's so different from me," she said.
Potts then revealed that she even applies Meemaw's makeup herself. Her style, in fact, is supposed to reflect what's popular among women her age in the show's Texas setting. "I use blue eye shadow a lot because that's still the gold standard in Texas. And that's how I start," she continued. With the apparently stark difference between her own personality and Meemaw's character in mind, it's hardly surprising that she dons a new and unique appearance when getting into character on the set of "Young Sheldon."