Mayim Bialik

Mayim Chaya Bialik ( ; born December 12, 1975) is an American actress and former game show host. From 1991 to 1995, she played the title character of the NBC sitcom Blossom. From 2010 to 2019, she played neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, for which she was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2015 and 2017. Bialik shared hosting duties of Jeopardy! with Ken Jennings on a rotating basis between August 2021 and December 2023.

Early life and education Mayim Chaya Bialik was born on December 12, 1975, in San Diego, California, to Beverly (née Winkleman) and Barry Bialik. Her family were Jewish immigrants who lived in the Bronx, New York City. Three of her four grandparents migrated from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Bialik became a bat mitzvah and has called herself a "staunch Zionist". Her name, Mayim ("water" in Hebrew), originates in a family nickname for her great-grandmother, Miriam. The Hebrew-language poet Hayim Nahman Bialik was her great-great-great-granduncle.

Bialik graduated in 1993 from North Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, California. In acknowledgment of her acting commitments, she was granted a deferred acceptance and attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience, with minors in Hebrew and Jewish studies, in 2000.

Bialik has said she did not have the grades needed for medical school. She went on to study for a doctorate in neuroscience. She took a break from studies in 2005 to return to acting. She returned to earn her PhD degree in neuroscience from UCLA in 2007 under Dr. James McCracken. Her dissertation was titled "Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative and satiety behaviors in Prader–Willi syndrome". Bialik has publicly discussed having obsessive-compulsive disorder, which first became apparent during her childhood.

Career 1987–2009: Child actress and other roles

Bialik started her career as a child actress in the late 1980s. Her early roles included the 1988 horror film Pumpkinhead (her first acting job) and guest appearances on The Facts of Life (two final-season episodes) and Beauty and the Beast. In 1988 to 1989, she appeared in eight episodes of the sitcom Webster as Frieda, Webster's classmate. It was for Beauty and the Beast, where she played a sewer-dwelling girl named Ellie (with about ten lines of dialogue) that she obtained her Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card. Bialik appeared in three episodes of MacGyver as Lisa Woodman. She appeared in Beaches (1988), playing Bette Midler's character as a young girl. Many reviews singled out her performance as a strong point in the film. She appeared in the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Liberian Girl". In 1990, she was tied to two television pilots, Fox's Molloy and NBC's Blossom. Molloy produced six episodes for a tryout run, followed by the shooting of the pilot special for Blossom. The latter aired two weeks before the Fox series and garnered higher ratings. When Molloy folded after its six episodes, Blossom premiered as a mid-season replacement on January 3, 1991, and aired until May 22, 1995.

Bialik also made a guest appearance as a fictionalized version of herself in the series Saving Grace. In 2009, Clinton Kelly nominated her for a makeover on TLC's What Not to Wear. Amy is a neurobiologist, a field that is related to Bialik's real-life doctorate in neuroscience. Bialik's performance in The Big Bang Theory earned her Emmy Award nominations in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Bialik was one of seven actresses who had a "quirky" personality to audition for the role. She is one of the guest stars on the 2014 Steve Carell improvisational sketch show Riot.

In August 2014, Bialik began hosting a revival of Candid Camera on TV Land alongside Peter Funt. In 2019, Bialik appeared in a commercial for IBM. On August 20, 2019, it was announced that she and her new production company, Sad Clown Productions, had signed exclusive contracts with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Mackenzie Gabriel-Vaught, a former executive at Chuck Lorre Productions, is Sad Clown's head of development. Sad Clown Productions, in conjunction with Jim Parsons's That's Wonderful Productions, BBC Studios, and Miranda Hart, executive-produces a starring vehicle for Bialik, Call Me Kat, based on the British series Miranda. A co-production of Warner Bros. and Fox Entertainment, it premiered on Fox on January 3, 2021, and was renewed for a second season in May 2021.

During her time on The Big Bang Theory, Bialik wrote two books: 2012's Beyond the Sling is about attachment parenting, while 2014's Mayim's Vegan Table contains over 100 of Bialik's vegan recipes. Her third book, 2017's Girling Up, is about the struggles of and ways in which girls grow up, showing the scientific ways in which their bodies change. Its successor, Boying Up (2018) analyzes the science, anatomy, and mentality of growing up as a boy, and the physical and mental changes and challenges boys face while transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.

2021–2023: Jeopardy! host and directorial debut From May 31 to June 11, 2021, Bialik was a guest host of Jeopardy! On August 11, 2021, it was announced that she would host the series' future primetime specials and spinoffs. When executive producer Mike Richards resigned as host after one week, it was announced that Bialik would guest-host the show for three weeks. Her contract was extended to seven weeks; she would then alternate with Ken Jennings for the rest of the calendar year. On December 8, 2021, it was announced that Bialik and Jennings would continue to host the show for the rest of the 2021–22 season. On July 27, 2022, it was announced that Bialik and Jennings would be the show's permanent hosts in a job-sharing arrangement.

In May 2023, it was announced that Bialik would temporarily leave Jeopardy! and would not serve as host for the rest of season 39 due to her support of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Ken Jennings hosted the remainder of season 39 during Bialik's absence. In December 2023, it was announced that she would no longer host the syndicated version of Jeopardy! Despite this, the show was still open to having her host the prime-time specials and spin-offs. Bialik teased a potential return to the series in September 2024. Michael Davies, the executive producer of the show, told Rolling Stone in January 2025 that "Mayim, which was absolutely her right, elected not to cross the picket line during the [SAG-AFTRA] strike. And as Ken got more reps, I think he got better and he earned the job."

Bialik wrote and directed her first film, As They Made Us (2022), about a divorced mom juggling her family's needs and her own quest for love. Dustin Hoffman and Candice Bergen starred as well as Simon Helberg, Bialik's former The Big Bang Theory castmate. The film was expected to premiere in late 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed filming. Ash Christian was attached to the project, but died in August 2020. Principal photography began in June 2021. The film was released on April 8, 2022.

In May 2023, Bialik competed as a contestant on an episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune against Vanna White and Ken Jennings. Bialik won $62,200 for Mental Wealth Alliance.

Advocacy and activism

Grok Nation Bialik founded Grok Nation (originally styled "GrokNation") in August 2015 to facilitate conversations among people of different ages and backgrounds about issues. It aimed to engage readers in online conversations that led to offline action, mobilizing them to change the world as a community. To grok means to understand in a profound manner. (The term comes from the 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.) Bialik had written on a similar idea for Jewish Telegraphic Agency–affiliated Jewish parenting site Kveller for five years. She announced and described her new creation on Kveller.

Along with former Sassy writer and editor Christina Kelly , Bialik relaunched Grok Nation as a women's lifestyle site in March 2018. The site ceased updates in March 2019, with new content shifting to Bialik's email newsletter.

Support of Israel Bialik identifies as "unapologetically Zionist" and often advocates for Israel on social media. She has stated that she has family who live on a kibbutz as well as family who are religious Zionists and live in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

During the 2014 Gaza war, Bialik donated money to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for armored vests. In a 2018 keynote address at the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism, she stated that her support for Israel has led to attacks against her on social media, including calls to boycott her and The Big Bang Theory.

After the 2023 October 7 attacks, Bialik posted frequently in support of the IDF and the Israeli hostages. In late 2023, she appeared in several videos with Noa Tishby in which they rejected calls for a ceasefire. PEN America was criticized for co-sponsoring an event hosted by Bialik in January 2024. and a 2025 letter condemning a boycott of Israeli film institutions by Film Workers for Palestine. In September 2024, Bialik signed an open letter by StopAntisemitism, StandWithUs, End Jew Hatred and 2024 New Voices urging the Biden administration to "protect and support" Israel and secure the release of the hostages.

Veganism Bialik is a vegan and a founding member of the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, a Jewish organization that advocates the ethical treatment of animals. She stopped eating meat at age 19, and later became vegan after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's 2009 book, Eating Animals.

In 2012, in response to recent safety recalls of salmon and beef products, Bialik appeared in a still-image ad for the animal-rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The ad featured Bialik in a 1950s-style house dress and apron, holding a piece of meat over an open trash can. The ad's caption read, "The only way to be sure that meat doesn't poison your family is to throw it out. Protect your families (and animals!) now by choosing vegan." In a promotional interview, Bialik told PETA she felt guilty eating meat earlier in life and did not realize there was another option at the time. She also claimed she had not contracted any sinus infections or needed to take any antibiotics since cutting dairy products out of her diet. In April 2025, Bialik collaborated with PETA to promote vegan alternatives to traditional Passover foods made from or with animal products.

In 2017, Bialik announced that she and vegan chef Ali Cruddas had opened Bodhi Bowl, a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. It closed permanently in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York Times op-ed After the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, Bialik wrote a New York Times op-ed in 2017 in which she described the entertainment industry as one "that profits on the exploitation of women ... [and] the objectification of women". With regard to protecting herself from sexual harassment, Bialik wrote that she dressed modestly and did not act flirtatiously with men, adding, "In a perfect world, women should be free to act however they want. But our world isn't perfect. Nothing—absolutely nothing—excuses men for assaulting or abusing women. But we can't be naïve about the culture we live in." Bialik's article drew backlash from critics who said she was insinuating that modesty and a conservative wardrobe can guard one against sexual assault. Patricia Arquette tweeted, "I have to say I was dressed non-provocatively at 12 walking home from school when men masturbated at me. It's not the clothes." In response, Bialik said she regretted that the piece "became what it became" and participated in a Facebook Live event hosted by The New York Times to answer questions about it.

Vaccination Initial statements In a 2009 interview, Bialik said of her family: "We are a non-vaccinating family, but I make no claims about people's individual decisions. We based ours on research and discussions with our pediatrician, and we've been happy with that decision, but obviously there's a lot of controversy about it."

Beyond the Sling In 2012, Bialik's book, Beyond the Sling, was published, in which she discussed the attachment parenting movement and once again stated that she and her spouse had decided not to vaccinate their children.

In a May 2012 criticism of the book, Wired columnist Marziah Karch accused Bialik of "freeloading on the system and weakening it at the same time" by relying on herd immunity to protect her children when they had no medical reason to forgo vaccines. Karch also labeled Bialik a "Typhoid Mary" and pointed out that her children's pediatrician was anti-vaccine activist Jay Gordon. and contributed to Bialik's 2014 cookbook, has falsely claimed that vaccines cause autism. In her column, Karch also claimed that anti-vaccine beliefs were common within the attachment parenting movement. —Bialik stated that neither the attachment parenting movement at large nor the nonprofit Attachment Parenting International took any stance regarding the vaccination of children. She also said she would not engage with anyone who brought up the death of a child when criticizing attachment parenting, stating:

It's disrespectful to families who have lost children for me to defend myself, since responding with, "My friend's brother had an adverse reaction to a vaccination and he is never going to develop mentally past the age of 6 because of it," seems really tacky and insensitive and wrong (even if it's true). ).

Later statements and public scrutiny In February 2015, Bialik stated on social media and Kveller that her children had been vaccinated and she was not anti-vaccine. She implied she was motivated to "clea things up" by the "anger" and "hysteria" surrounding her previous public statements. The following day, Bialik added:

Honestly, people. Do your research. Do what's right for you. Let me live my life and you live yours. No one gets to know the timeline of my kids' medical appointments because they are not celebrities and they are not your property. Put me on the altar if you have nothing better to do today, but just be happy with your decisions and leave my kids alone. My job is not in jeopardy. Everything is fine, except in the clearly supportive and loving world of social media and gossip. Have a fantastic day everyone. Bialik also stated, “Now, do I think we give way too many vaccines in this country compared to when I was a vaccinated child? Yes,” and said she believed there was a "tremendous profit" being made from the sale of vaccines.

When Bialik was chosen to guest-host Jeopardy! in 2021, her prior statements regarding vaccines, attachment parenting, and the Weinstein scandal (as well as her endorsement of the controversial nutritional supplement Neuriva) were widely discussed and debated by mainstream journalists and social-media users.

In April 2022, Bialik said her children were unvaccinated when Beyond the Sling was published, but had since been vaccinated according to a "delayed" vaccination schedule.

Personal life In 2014, Bialik was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Boston University. In June 2017, she sprained her vocal cords and was ordered by her ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist to avoid speaking for a month.

Marriage and family Bialik married Michael Stone on August 31, 2003; they had a Victorian-themed ceremony that included traditional Jewish wedding customs. Stone, who was raised Mormon, but left the church as an adolescent, converted to Judaism to marry Bialik. They have two sons together. Bialik returned to television in 2010, as opposed to continuing her scientific career, so she could spend more time with her children. and it was finalized six months later.

Religious beliefs In a 2012 interview, Bialik labeled herself "aspiring Modern Orthodox". The videos are produced by Allison Josephs, Bialik's Judaism study partner, whom she met with the help of Partners in Torah. Bialik is a frequent contributor to the Jewish parenting website Kveller. In an October 2011 Kveller column, Bialik discussed having to work on the set of The Big Bang Theory during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and how she adhered to halakha (Jewish religious law) as closely as possible while doing so. Bialik said she hired a non-Jewish driver to take her to set (as she was forbidden from driving a car, but not riding in it), abstained from using her phone and laptop, and dressed in fancy "shul" clothing she would normally wear to observe religious holidays or attend religious services. Bialik said that she one day hoped to be able to avoid filming on any Jewish holiday and described herself as a "Jew in exile" and "a happily employed actress." She also stated:

I wasn't sure if I should be so public about me working on the holiday, but I have never claimed to be perfect in observance, and I hope that by sharing ways I make observance fit my life, I can give someone else the support to know that it's it's not all or nothing as we learn and grow, that while we are on any particular path, we can still enjoy it even if it's not moving exactly where—or as fast as—we want it to. In a May 2012 Kveller column responding to various unnamed critics, Bialik said that anti-circumcision activists had accused her of "worshiping a false god" and "mutilating and psychologically scarring [her] sons beyond repair". 2025 Father Mother Sister Brother Emily Television Year Title Role Notes 1987 Beauty and the Beast Ellie Episode: "No Way Down" 1988 Jennifer Cole Episodes: "The Beginning of the End" and "The Beginning of the Beginning" 1988–1989 Webster Frieda Recurring role (Season 6) 1989–1990 Empty Nest Laurie Kincaid Episodes: "The R.N. Who Came to Dinner" and "Harry Knows Best" 1989–1990 MacGyver Lisa Woodman Recurring role (Season 5 and Season 6) 1990 Doogie Howser, M.D. Candace Episode: "Ask Dr. Doogie" 1990 Molloy Molloy Martin Lead role 1990 Murphy Brown Natalie Episode: "I Want My FYI" 1990 The Earth Day Special Herself Television special 1990–1995 Blossom Blossom Russo Lead role 1991 Sea World's Mother Earth Celebration Herself Television special 1992Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?HerselfGuest role 1993 The Hidden Room Jillie Episode: "Jillie" 1994 Don't Drink the Water Susan Hollander Television film 1994–1995 Rachel Episodes: "The Book of Rachel", "Rachel and Ton" and "Rachel Redux" 1995–1996 Brittany Bright Voice; Main role 1996, 1999 Hey Arnold! Maria Voice; Episodes: "6th Grade Girls" and "Phoebe Skips" 1996 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Cindy Voice; Episode: "Things That Go Bump in the Night" 1996 Lucy / Julia Voice; Episodes: "Assault on Questworld" and "The Alchemist" 1997, 2000 Recess Kirsten Kurst Voice; 5 episodes 1997 Johnny Bravo Tour Guide Voice; Episode: "Going Batty" 1997 Extreme Ghostbusters Girl in Future Voice; Episode: "Ghost Apocalyptic Future" 1998 Welcome to Paradox Rita Episode: "Alien Jane" 2001–2002 Lloyd in Space Mean Cindy Voice; Recurring role (Season 1–2) 2003 7th Heaven Cathy Episode: "Dick" 2004 Kim Possible Justine Flanner Voice; Episode: "Partners" 2005 Katbot Paula Voice; Recurring role 2005 Fat Actress Herself Episode: "The Koi Effect" and "Holy Lesbo Batman" 2005, 2007 Curb Your Enthusiasm Jodi Funkhouser Episodes: "The Bowtie", "The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial" and "The TiVo Guy" 2009 What Not to Wear Herself Episode: "Mayim" 2009 Saving Grace Esther Episode: "Mooooooooo" 2009 Bones Genie Gormon Episode: "The Cinderella in the Cardboard" 2009 'Til Death Herself Episodes: "The Break-Up", "Merit Play" and "Baby Steps" 2010 The Secret Life of the American Teenager Dr. Wilameena Bink Recurring role (Season 2–3) 2010 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Herself / Expert Season 8 2010–2019 Amy Farrah Fowler Guest role (Season 3)Main role (Season 4–Season 12) 2011 The Dog Who Saved Halloween Medusa Voice; television film 2012 Survivor: One World Herself/Attendant Reality; Episode: "Reunion" 2014 Candid Camera Host Season 38 2014 Stan Lee's Mighty 7 Lady Lightning Voice; Television film 2015 Blaze and the Monster Machines Great Sphinx Voice; Episode: "Race to the Top of the World" 2015 The Flight Before Christmas Stephanie Michelle Hunt Television film; also producer 2016 Star vs. the Forces of Evil Willoughby Voice; Episode: "Fetch" 2017 MasterChef Junior Guest judge Episode: "Batter Hurry Up" 2017 Rhett & Link's Buddy System Glenda Episode: "To Kill a Robot" 2017 Drop the Mic Herself Episode: "Mayim Bialik vs. Kunal Nayyar / Ashley Tisdale vs. Nick Lachey" 2020 Celebrity Show-Off Herself Host 2020 Lego Masters Herself Episode: "Space Smash" 2020 Match Game Herself Celebrity panel 2020 Vampirina Dr. Gem Jeodopolis Voice; Episode: "Fang Ten!/Science Rocks" 2020–2024 Young Sheldon Amy Farrah Fowler 3 episodes (voice only in 2 episodes, live-action in "Memoir") 2021–2023 Call Me Kat Kat Main role; also executive producer 2021–2023 Jeopardy! Herself Host, 10 episodes syndicated (season 37), 115 episodes syndicated (season 38), 9 episodes ABC (season 38) 2022–2023 Celebrity Jeopardy! Herself Host (season 1) 2023 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Self – Celebrity Contestant Episode: "Vanna White, Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik" 2023 The Tiny Chef Show Herself Episode: "Tiny Chef's Marvelous Mish Mesh Special" 2025 Night Court Herself Episode: "Mayim Worst Enemy"

Web Year Title Role Notes 2013 Untitled Web Series About a Space Traveler Who Can Also Travel Through Time B.O.O.T.H. Voice; Episode: "Second Season Prequel" 2016 Yidlife Crisis Chaya Episode: "The Double Date"2017Rhett and Link's Buddy SystemPathologist 2017–2018 Good Mythical Morning Herself Episodes: "What's On My Head?", "3 Monkeys Blindfold" and "Dissecting A Frog" 2018 The Super Slow Show Herself Episode: "Slow Learners"

Video games

Podcast Year Title Genre Ref.2021–present Mayim Bialik's Breakdown Focuses on mental health

Written works Non-academic

Bialik, Mayim (2017) Girling Up: How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular. Philomel Books. . Bialik, Mayim (2018) Boying Up: How to be Brave, Bold and Brilliant. Philomel Books. . Bialik, Mayim (2021) Flash Facts. DC Comics. .

Academic

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result 1988 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy Beaches 1990 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Television Series Empty Nestrowspan=4 1992 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a New Television SeriesBlossom 1993 Young Artist Award Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series 2012 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series The Big Bang Theory Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Seriesrowspan=3 Satellite Award Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2013 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Seriesrowspan=14 2014 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesCritics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Young Hollywood Award Best On-Screen Couple TV Guide Award Favorite Duo 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesCritics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Online Film and Television Association Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2018 Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2019 Jew in the City Orthodox Jewish All Stars Keter Shem Tov Award Herself 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Host For A Game Show Jeopardy!