The most well-known role for American actress and comedian Melissa Ivy Rauch is that of Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz in CBS’ wildly popular comedy “The Big Bang Theory.” She has also voiced Harley Quinn in the direct-to-video animated movie “Batman and Harley Quinn” and performed the recurring role of Summer in HBO’s dark fantasy “True Blood.” Rauch, a native of New Jersey, first developed an interest in acting while attending Marlboro High School. She began her career in the entertainment sector as a regular contributor to the VH1 television program “Best Week Ever.” In 2006’s romantic drama “Delirious,” she made her acting debut. Two years later, Rauch made his television debut, appearing frequently in the NBC comedy series “Kath & Kim.” She made her first appearance in ‘The Big Bang Theory’ in 2009. She began the show in a recurring role before being elevated to the main cast.
Career of Melissa Rauch
Early in her career, Melissa Rauch contributed frequently to the VH1 television program “Best Week Ever.” In New York, she also performed as a comedian. In the comedy “Delirious,” directed by Tom DiCillo and starring Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, and Alison Lohman, Rauch made her acting debut in 2006 as Megan. She was set to make her small-screen debut in the television series “12 Miles of Bad Road,” which was originally intended to premiere on HBO, but only six episodes were actually recorded as a result of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. HBO later declared they will not air the program.
With the recurring part of Tina in six episodes of the first and only season of the brief sitcom “Kath & Kim” in 2008–2009, she made her small-screen debut. The short film “The Condom Killer” was written, produced, directed, and starred by her in 2009. She co-wrote the short story “Partially Stalked Love” the following year.
Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, played by Rauch, first featured in season three of “The Big Bang Theory” as Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) coworker and a potential love interest for Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg). She had established herself as a show regular by season four. Rauch and Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler, both joined the cast of the show in the same season, and their separate on-screen careers have followed similar paths ever since. It has so far broadcast 11 seasons, and on September 24, 2018, its 12th season is scheduled to begin. Rauch’s performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
In 2010, she appeared in the television movie “Wright vs. Wrong,” played the recurring character Summer in season three of “True Blood,” and guest starred in an episode of “The Office” (US). She collaborated on the 2013 comedy drama ‘Are You Here’ with fellow comics Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Poehler. Soon after, she and her husband attended the premiere of the first movie based on their screenplay. In the 2015 film “The Bronze,” Rauch played Hope Ann Greggory, a former gymnastics bronze medalist who now relies on her fame to support herself in her hometown.
Rauch has a thriving voice-acting career. In the 2016 American computer-animated comedy picture “Ice Age: Collision Course,” she provided the voice of Francine, and in “Batman and Harley Quinn,” she provided the voice of Harley Quinn. Fairy Tizzy in “Sofia the First” (2015), Kiki in “Scooby-Doo! and the Beach Beastie” (2015), and The Wasp in “Marvel’s Ant-Man” (2017) are just a few of the TV roles she has voiced. Currently, she has been cast in the upcoming live-action comedy “Ode to Joy.”
Individual Life of Melissa Rauch
Susan and David Rauch welcomed Melissa Rauch into the world on June 23, 1980, in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. Her parents, who are both Jewish, brought up Melissa and her brother Ben in a wealthy home. Her interest in performing began to take shape while she was a student at Marlboro High School. Rauch attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City after finishing high school, where she received her degree in 2002.
While they were both in college, Melissa and screenwriter Winston Beigel became friends. In 2005, they came together as a writing partnership and began working on several projects, including “The Miss Education of Jenna Bush,” a comedy stage production. The performance was well-received and even earned a prize for the best solo performance at the New York International Fringe Festival. In 2007, the couple was hitched. Winston afterward took on his wife’s last name.
Rauch announced her pregnancy on July 11, 2017, and she also disclosed that she had previously experienced a miscarriage. Sadie, the daughter of Melissa and Winston, was born in the latter part of that year. On December 4th, Rauch shared a birth announcement on her Instagram page.
Melissa Rauch’s Net Worth
Trivia
Rauch claims that she was inspired by her real-life parents to create Bernadette’s voice.