Who Plays Howard's Second Cousin Jeanie On The Big Bang Theory?
In "The Big Bang Theory" Season 3, Episode 8, Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Raj (Kunal Nayyar), and Howard (Simon Helberg) are out camping in a remote desert so they can see the annual Leonid Meteor Shower without any interference from light pollution. After they eat some cookies they're unaware contain THC, Howard confesses that he lost his virginity to a second cousin named Jeanie. Season 8, Episode 8 follows up on this revelation when Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and friends decide to have a second prom to make up for some forgettable high school prom experiences. Stuart (Kevin Sussman) ends up taking Jeanie as his date.
This is the first and only time Jeanie appears in person on an episode of "The Big Bang Theory." Playing her is an actor named Kara Luiz. Before her "Big Bang Theory" episode's premiere in 2014, she had already made a name for herself on TV and as a comedic performer. Just one year prior, Luiz appeared as a bartender oblivious to the murders she was helping her bar's owners commit on "Criminal Minds" Season 8. Before that, she studied comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade and Groundlings theaters in Los Angeles. Her sketch work includes videos for Funny Or Die, and she performed with a team called Some Kinda Monster, which typically improvises episodes of "Law & Order."
Kara Luiz is still a regular TV actor
Outside of appearing on TV comedies and dramas, Kara Luiz has starred in several national commercials, including ads for Sprint, Dish Network, and the mobile video game "Yo-Kai Watch: Wibble Wobble."
Beyond just this advertising work, Luiz's career grew following her portrayal of Jeanie on "The Big Bang Theory." In 2017, she was one of the stars of a gory horror-comedy hidden gem on Hulu called "The Night Watchmen." Meanwhile, 2021 was something of a banner year for Luiz's acting career; she appeared on single episodes of "American Crime Story," "Head of the Class," and "The Flight Attendant." She also debuted as a character named Katie on the pilot episode of the HBO comedy "Hacks," which was a role she reprised on two subsequent occasions.
Since then, she's worked on shows like "The Conners," "Physical," and "Chad." Fans of her one-off "Big Bang Theory" appearance can find more from Luiz across a variety of media.