The Real-Life Evolution Of Missy Cooper From Young Sheldon

Fans of "The Big Bang Theory" were in for a treat when its prequel, "Young Sheldon," first aired in 2017. Following the life of Sheldon Cooper as a kid, played by Iain Armitage, the series also featured his twin sister, Missy Cooper, played by Raegan Revord. At the start of Season 1, they were just 9 years old, but the young actor was no stranger to Hollywood. "I did modeling and commercials when I was 4 years old, and then when I was like 5, I started doing TV and movies," Revord told Channel 9 in 2019.

Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted Revord in a couple of episodes of "Modern Family" in Seasons 6 and 7 and their bit part in "Grace and Frankie" in 2016. They had some minor roles after, but "Young Sheldon" truly catapulted Revord's acting career. When the series ended in 2024, they were 16 years old, and fans had literally seen the "Night Court" actor grow up before their eyes. From a young prodigy to a published author, Revord's real-life evolution is a sight to behold.

"Young Sheldon" wasn't the first major television show Raegan Revord starred in. At 6 years old, they made their debut as Lily Tucker-Pritchett's friend, Megan, in Season 6. The two shared an adorable scene playing dress-up in Lily's room with bright makeup smeared over their faces. Revord already had a knack for acting and even perfectly deadpanned a line that blue and yellow make "blellow."

Revord showed up in "Modern Family" again the following year in an episode called "The Storm." Lily, who is so gorgeous in real life, has a birthday party that's derailed by a storm, and Megan is one of her many friends who help make the best of it by jumping into the pool. Little did Revord know that they'd soon nab a much bigger role the following year. "At the time I didn't know it was even called a series regular," they told arts and culture publication A Book Of. "I left 'Modern Family' and wondered, 'How do I get on a TV show where I can work every day but don't have to audition for it every time?' Getting the role of Missy on 'Young Sheldon' really was a dream of mine."

Raegan Revord got their big break in 2017 with "Young Sheldon," and they developed their acting chops as they starred alongside industry vets such as Annie Potts and Zoe Perry, who plays the stunning Mary Cooper. Revord soon settled in with their television family, and they naturally bonded with their on-screen twin brother, Sheldon, played by Iain Armitage. He happened to be the same age as Revord when they were cast in their respective roles, with the Missy portrayer telling Alex Schiffman of "Sweety High" in 2018, "It actually feels like I have a twin. Like, I'm an only child, and Iain is an only child." They continued, "We are literally the exact same. We love the exact same things, we play the exact same things."

As a kid, Revord said they couldn't help but get into some hijinks on set, and they recalled to SBJCT, "In Season 1, Iain and I found this creepy 3-foot-tall doll that we named DD (demon doll) in this hidden closet on our stage. We started hiding her all over to scare our cast and crew. ... She's motion activated and glows purple." The pair even hid the doll in the backseat of a producer's car, which likely resulted in a scare. During a 2018 interview with KTLA 5, Revord and Montana Jordan, who portrays Georgie Cooper, said the best part about working together was that the cast felt like family. "We have a second family," Revord said. "My favorite part, being from Texas, is the dinner scenes, for sure," Jordan said. "Getting all the family together." The family dinners featured real food — with vegan meatloaf for Revord — so the kids loved working on those scenes.

Raegan Revord has always been open about their love of reading, which inspired them to launch their book club, Read with Raegan, with a focus on young adult books. "I started this online book club as a space where young adults like me can come together and celebrate everything we love about books, like our latest favorite reads, author interviews and more," they shared on their website. "It's grown into a true community of thought-provoking recommendations and conversations, for the genuine joy of getting lost in a great story," Revord wrote.

Revord is well on their way to joining the ranks of Reese Witherspoon and Jenna Bush Hager with their book club. They're not only recommending some YA books from the 2020s that teens and adults alike can enjoy, but the bibliophile is also interviewing authors. In a July chat with "Difficult Girls" author Veronica Bane, Revord empathized with her over facing rejection as a writer countless times. "Rejection can be tough, but that one 'yes' makes it all worth it! Veronica Bane reminded me how important resilience is. Had the best time chatting about 'Difficult Girls' and turning rejection into motivation," Revord wrote on Instagram.

Raegan Revord proved to be a person of many talents when they revealed their very first book, the YA title "Rules for Fake Girlfriends," in 2024, saying that Wednesday Books scheduled it for a September 2025 publication. The story follows a college girl named Avery who copes with the death of her mom through a scavenger hunt, while pretending to be her schoolmate's girlfriend at the same time. "I am so excited for readers to go on this journey with Avery and her friends," Revord told People. "Inclusive Stories are more important now than ever, and I'm excited to have been given the opportunity to share 'Rules for Fake Girlfriends' with readers."

Revord really did their research to get the tone of the book just right, revealing to Publishers Weekly, "I watched a lot of '90s rom-coms to study how stories used tropes and how audiences reacted to them." They also visited Brighton, England, where Avery attends college. Revord isn't a one-and-done author, either. "After promotion for 'Rules' calms down, I'll turn to my next book idea, which I was actually working on before 'Rules.' It's a YA fantasy. After I read all those rom-coms, I had to switch to fantasy," they shared.