Melissa Rauch's Full Biography
Melissa Ivy Rauch, an American actress and comedian, is best known for playing Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz in the wildly successful CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In addition to her role on The Big Bang Theory, Melissa Rauch has also made appearances in other popular television shows and films. Her unique portrayal of her characters has earned her a dedicated fan base.
Melissa Raunch's Early Life/Education
Melissa Rauch was raised in a Jewish household in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. Growing up, she shared her childhood with her younger brother, Ben. It was during her time at Marlboro High School that Melissa discovered her passion for acting. In fact, she showcased her comedy skills early on at her Bat Mitzvah. After finishing high school, Rauch went to school for acting in New York City, where she graduated with a degree from Marymount Manhattan College in 2002.
Even though she had graduated from acting school, the young actress had to work hard to be taken seriously as a performer. She waited tables in New York City for a steady paycheck while handing out fliers on the street in hopes that anyone would come see her perform. Although Rauch did book some TV roles, most of her early work never made it to the screen.
Melissa Rauch's Career
Melissa Rauch faced numerous obstacles when trying to break into her career. After meeting her husband in college and getting married after graduation, the couple relocated to Los Angeles. Los Angeles became a place where Rauch experienced frequent rejections, resulting in numerous crying episodes.
It was VH1's comedy sketch series Best Week Ever that provided her with a much-needed breakthrough. From 2004 to 2008, Rauch made appearances on the show, marking a significant advancement in her career, as she shared with Us Weekly magazine.
In 2009, everything changed. She took on the recurring role of Bernadette in the third season of The Big Bang Theory, where her character started dating Howard Wolowitz. Rauch's character in The Big Bang Theory went through significant developments as she went from being Howard's girlfriend to his fiancée. This led to Rauch being promoted to a series regular on the show. The peak of their relationship occurred in the season five finale, when their characters got married.
While portraying Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory, Rauch drew inspiration from her parents for the character's unique voice. Her mother's sweet and high-pitched voice served as a model for Bernadette's voice, while her father's eerie and intimidating voice became the basis for Mrs. Wolowitz's voice. It is interesting to note that both voices are different from Rauch's natural speaking voice.
You can also see Melissa Rauch in Wright v. Wrong, I Love You Man, The Office, Kath & Kim, and in 2010, she had a recurring role in True Blood as Summer, a girl who likes Hoyt.
Melissa Rauch co-wrote and co-produced the film in which she played the role of bronze-medal-winning gymnast Hope Ann Greggory, who is still clinging to her earlier glory. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Rauch, who had never starred in a movie before, however, her performance was hailed as the best new comedic performance by an actress since Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids. Sony Pictures Classics purchased the movie in September 2015.
Rauch also voiced Harley Quinn in the animated film Batman and Harley Quinn. Currently, she is starring in the Night Court revival series, where she plays Judge Abby Stone, the daughter of Judge Harold T. Stone and Gina Stone from the original Night Court series.
Melissa Rauch's Business Ventures
In 2019, Melissa Rauch teamed up with House Foods and created a children's picture book called "The Tales of Tofu." She stated she was excited to figure out a fun way to introduce kids to tofu, which she believes is incredibly good for you and versatile. While tofu is known for its chewy texture and lack of flavor, House Foods was determined to make it appealing by crafting recipes that creatively incorporated tofu in surprising ways.
Melissa Rauch's Personal Life
In addition to her successful acting career, Melissa Rauch is married to Winston Beigel, a writer, and has also become a mother.
On December 4, 2017, she shared the joyous news on Instagram that she had given birth to a baby girl. And on May 4, 2020, Rauch announced the birth of their son.
Melissa Rauch's Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Melissa Rauch has a net worth of $20 million. This is, of course, mainly from her role in The Big Bang Theory.
At the peak of the show's success, the producers boosted Melissa's salary from $75,000 per episode to $500,000, resulting in her earning $11 million total for two seasons.
