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Mayim Bialik

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Mayim Bialik
Bialik at PaleyFest 2013 for The Big Bang Theory
Born
Mayim Chaya Bialik

(1975-12-12) December 12, 1975 (age 48)
EducationNorth Hollywood High School
Alma materUCLA (BS, PhD)
Occupation(s)Actress, neuroscientist, author
Years active1987–present
Spouse
Michael Stone
(m. 2003; div. 2012)
Children2 sons
Websitemayimbialik.net

Mayim Chaya Bialik[1][2] (/ˈməm biˈɑːl[invalid input: 'ɨ']k/, MY-im bee-AH-lik; born December 12, 1975)[3] is an American actress and neuroscientist.[4] From 1991 to 1995, she played the title character of NBC's Blossom. Since 2010, she has played Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler – like the actress, a neuroscientist – on CBS's The Big Bang Theory, a role for which she has been nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series,[5] and won a Critic's Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Early life

Bialik was born in San Diego, California, to Barry (died 2015) and Beverly (née Winkleman) Bialik.[6][7][8] Israel's national poet, Hayim Nahman Bialik, is Bialik's first cousin, three times removed.[9] Three of her four grandparents emigrated from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.[10] Bialik was raised as a Reform Jew.[10] Her first name is the Hebrew word for water.[11]

Bialik attended Walter Reed Junior High School and graduated from North Hollywood High School in North Hollywood, California, as part of the class of 1993.[12] At the end of Blossom, she chose to attend UCLA, although she also had been accepted at both Harvard and Yale.[13][14] She stated that she wanted to stay close to her parents and did not want to move to the East Coast. She earned a B.S. degree in neuroscience, Hebrew studies, and Jewish studies,[15] and went on to study for a doctorate in neuroscience. She took a break from studies in 2005 to return to acting.[16] Bialik earned her Ph.D. in 2007,[17] her dissertation being an investigation of hypothalamic activity in patients with Prader–Willi syndrome, titled "Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative, and satiety behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome."[4][18][19]

Career

Bialik started her career as a child actress in the late 1980s. Her early roles included the horror film Pumpkinhead (1988), her first acting job,[20] and guest appearances on The Facts of Life and Beauty and the Beast. It was for her Beauty and the Beast work, in which she played a sewer-dwelling girl named Ellie who had about 10 lines of dialogue, that Bialik obtained her Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card.[21] She appeared in three episodes of MacGyver as Lisa Woodman. She appeared in Beaches (1988), playing Bette Midler's character as a young girl. She also appeared in the video for the song "Liberian Girl" by Michael Jackson.

Bialik at the rehearsal for the 1989 Academy Awards

In 1990, Bialik was tied to two television pilots, Fox's Molloy and NBC's Blossom. Molloy at first produced six episodes for a tryout run, followed by the shooting of the pilot special for Blossom. The latter actually aired two weeks before Bialik's Fox series and ultimately garnered higher ratings than it. When Molloy folded after its six episodes, Blossom was pursued as a regular series, airing until 1995. She had a major part in the Woody Allen comedy film Don't Drink the Water in 1994. On September 8, 1992, Bialik was in the episode "Disturbing The Heavenly Peace," the first episode of the second season of the game show "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?".

Between 1995 and 2005, Bialik mostly did voice-over work for cartoons, such as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Disney's Recess and Kim Possible, Cartoon Network's Johnny Bravo, and Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold.

She appeared in the feature film Kalamazoo? (2005) and appeared in three episodes of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm as Jodi Funkhouser, the lesbian daughter of a friend of Larry David. Bialik also made guest appearances as a fictionalized version of herself in the series Fat Actress and made a guest appearance in an episode of Saving Grace.[22] She had a recurring role as the high school guidance counselor in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

In 2009, Bialik was nominated by Clinton Kelly for a makeover on TLC's What Not To Wear.[23]

She joined the cast of The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. Her first appearance was in the season 3 finale as a potential love interest for the character of Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). In Season 4, she began as a recurring character playing Sheldon's "friend that's a girl, but not a girlfriend." Beginning with Season 4, Episode 8, she became part of the main cast.[24] Amy is a neurobiologist, which is a field related to Bialik's real-life academic career 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.[25]

Prior to her joining the cast, in the episode "The Bat Jar Conjecture", Raj suggests recruiting the real-life Bialik to their Physics Bowl team, saying "You know who's apparently very smart is the girl who played TV's Blossom. She got a Ph.D. in Neuroscience or something." She is cast as one of the guest stars on the Steve Carell 2014 improvisational sketch show Riot.[26][27][28]

In August 2014, Bialik began hosting a revival of Candid Camera on TV Land alongside Peter Funt.[29]

On March 6, 2012, her book, Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way, was released.[30]

Personal life

Bialik married Michael Stone on August 31, 2003, in a Victorian-themed ceremony that included traditional Jewish wedding customs.[citation needed] Stone was born into a Mormon family and converted to Judaism. Several years later, his mother converted to Judaism as well.[31][32] Bialik and Stone have two sons, one born in 2005 and the other in 2008.[33] In 2010, Bialik returned to television so that she could spend more time with her children and stated "I'm glad that I completed my PhD and I'm very proud of it, but the life of a research professor would not have suited my needs in terms of what kind of parenting I wanted to do."[25] In November 2012, her marriage ended in divorce.[34]

In a 2012 interview, Bialik stated she sees herself as an "aspiring Modern Orthodox".[35] Bialik has also described herself as a "staunch Zionist".[10] During the July–August 2014 Israeli operation in Gaza, she reportedly donated money to the IDF for armored vests.[36] She has appeared in several YouTube cameos as Blossom and Amy Farrah Fowler asking questions about Jewish beliefs.[37] The videos are produced by Allison Josephs, Bialik's Judaism study partner, whom she encountered with the help of Partners in Torah.[38] She has stated that she has vaccinated her children and is for the practice.[39] Bialik is a celebrity spokesperson for the Holistic Moms Network.[40]

Bialik is a vegan[41] and a founding member of the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, a Jewish organization that advocates for the ethical treatment of animals.[42]

She stated on The Late Late Show with James Corden that she identified as a feminist.[43]

Other works and writings

In August 2015, Bialik launched her own lifestyle website, GrokNation, which caters to women and includes wide-ranging topics such as religion, popular culture, parenting, and Hollywood. Bialik also mentioned on her interviews that her website's title was in reference to the classic 1961 sci-fi novel Stranger in a Strange Land and was derived from the word 'grok' which means to fully grasp something in the deepest way possible.[44][45][46]

Bialik has also written two books with pediatrician Jay Gordon. Beyond the Sling[47][48] is about attachment parenting, while Mayim's Vegan Table contains over one hundred vegan recipes written by Bialik.[49][50]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1988 Beaches Young Cecilia "CC" Carol Bloom
1988 Pumpkinhead Wallace kid
1990 The Kingdom Chums: Original Top Ten Petey Voice only
1994 Don't Drink the Water Susan Hollander
2005 Kalamazoo? Maggie Goldman
2011 The Chicago 8 Nancy Kurshan
2011 The Dog Who Saved Halloween Medusa Voice only
2012 Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire Maria Voice only
2015 The Flight Before Christmas Stephanie Michelle Hunt
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Beauty and the Beast Ellie Episode:
  • "No Way Down"
1988 The Facts of Life Jennifer Cole Episodes:
  • "The Beginning of the Beginning"
  • "The Beginning of the End"
1988–1989 Webster Frieda Eight episodes
1989–1990 Empty Nest Laurie Kincaid Episodes:
  • "The R.N. Who Came to Dinner"
  • "Harry Knows Best"
1989–1990 MacGyver Lisa Woodman Episodes:
  • "Cease Fire"
  • "Twenty Questions"
  • "Hearts of Steel"
1990 Doogie Howser, M.D. Candace Episode:
  • "Ask Dr. Doogie"
1990 Molloy Molloy Martin Canceled after seven episodes
1990 Murphy Brown Natalie Episode:
  • "I Want My FYI"
1990 The Earth Day Special Herself
1990–1995 Blossom Blossom Russo
  • Lead Role: 114 episodes
1991 Sea World's Mother Earth Celebration (on Nickelodeon) Herself
1992 The Kingdom Chums: Original Top Ten Petey
1993 The Hidden Room Jillie Episode:
  • "Jillie"
1994 Don't Drink the Water Susan Hollander
1994–1995 The John Larroquette Show Rachel Episodes:
  • "The Book of Rachel"
  • "Rachel and Ton"
  • "Rachel Redux"
1995–1996 The Adventures of Hyperman Brittany Bright Episodes:
  • 1.1
  • "Oceans a Leavin'"

Voice only

1996–1999 Hey Arnold! Maria Episodes:
  • "6th Grade Girls/The Baseball"
  • "Dinner for Four/Phoebe Skips"

Voice only

1996 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Lucy Episode:
  • "The Alchemist"

Voice only

1996 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Julia/French Woman Episode:
  • "Assault on Questworld:

Voice only

1997–2001 Recess Kirsten Kurst Episodes:
  • "The Break-In"
  • "The Girl Was Trouble"
  • "The Ratings Game"

Voice only

1997 Johnny Bravo Tour Guide Episode:
  • "Going Batty/Berry the Butler/Red Faced in the White House"

Voice only

1997 Extreme Ghostbusters Girl in Future Episode:
  • "Ghost Apocalyptic Future

Voice only

1998 Welcome to Paradox Rita Episode:
  • "Alien Jane"
2003 7th Heaven Cathy Episode:
  • "Dick"
2003–2004 Kim Possible Justine Flanner Episodes:
  • "The Secret Files"
  • "Partners"

Voice only

2005 Katbot Paula Voice only
2005 Fat Actress Herself Episodes:
  • "The Koi Effect"
  • "Holy Lesbo Batman"
2005–2007 Curb Your Enthusiasm Jodi Funkhauser Episodes:
  • "The Bowtie"
  • "The TiVo Guy"
  • "The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial"
2009 Saving Grace Esther Episode:
  • "Mooooooooo"
2009 What Not to Wear Herself
2009 Bones Genie Gormon Episode:
  • "The Cinderella in the Cardboard"
2009 'Til Death Herself Episodes:
  • "The Break-Up"
  • "Merit Play"
  • "Baby Steps"
2010 The Secret Life of the American Teenager Dr. Wilameena Bink Episodes:
  • "You Don’t Know What You’ve Got..."
  • "Just Say Me"
  • "Let's Try That Again"
  • "The Rhythm of Life"
2010–present The Big Bang Theory Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler season 3 (guest role), season 4–present (regular cast)
2014 Stan Lee's Mighty 7 Lady Lightning Voice only
2014–present Candid Camera Herself
Host
2016 YidLife Crisis Chaya Episode:
  • "The Double Date"
Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2003 X2: Wolverine's Revenge Bush Pilot, May Deuce Voice only

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1988 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Fantasy
Beaches
Won
1990 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Television Series
Empty Nest
Nominated
1992 Young Artist Award Best Young Actress in a New Television Series
Blossom
Nominated
1993 Young Artist Award Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series Nominated
2012 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
Satellite Award Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
2013 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated
2014 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2016 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Won

Written works

  • Bialik, Mayim; Jay Gordon (Introduction) (2012). Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way. Touchstone. ISBN 978-1451662184.[51]
  • Bialik, Mayim; Jay Gordon (2014). Mayim's Vegan Table: More Than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours. Da Capo Lifelong Books. ISBN 978-0738217048.[52]

References

  1. ^ https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Hypothalamic_regulation_in_relation_to_m.html?id=SZhJAQAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
  2. ^ http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/Q-and-A-with-Mayim-Bialik-An-observant-Jew-in-Hollywood
  3. ^ "Mayim H Bialik - California, Birth Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Bialik, Mayim C. "Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative, and satiety behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome" (PhD Diss., UCLA, 2007).
  5. ^ Russo, G. (2012). "Turning point: Mayim Bialik. Actress makes the shift from television to neuroscience and then back again". Nature. 485 (7400): 669–669. doi:10.1038/nj7400-669a.
  6. ^ "Mourning My Father's Death"
  7. ^ http://www.jewishjournal.com/obituaries/article/obituaries_20060224
  8. ^ Berkman, Meredith "Mayim Bialik: the young feminist", Entertainment Weekly, March 8, 1991. Retrieved on 11 February 2015.
  9. ^ "super niche comment for those of you who know who Chaim Nachman Bialik is: i just rechecked my genealogy. my great grandfather and chaim nachman bialik were first cousins. their fathers were brothers. that's a much closer relation than i had previously thought! i am his first cousin thrice removed (3 generations away)" (Press release). Subject's Facebook page. November 30, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c Stein, Jason (2011). "Big Bang Theory star thought she was auditioning for a game show". Jewish Telegraph. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  11. ^ King, Larry (May 6, 2014). "Mayim Bialik & Melissa Rauch" (Video interview). Larry King Now. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  12. ^ Kleid, Beth (February 8, 1993). "Television". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  13. ^ Carter, Alan (July 16, 1993). "Blossom Flowers: Mayim Bialik Grows into Adult Roles". Ew.com. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  14. ^ Mayim Bialik; Playing the Role Of an American in Paris Michael E. Hill; The Washington Post; Sep 19, 1993; Y.07;
  15. ^ Biography - official website of Mayim Bialik
  16. ^ "Alumni Stories – Notable Alumni". Uclalumni.net. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  17. ^ "Biography". Mayim Bialik. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  18. ^ "Hypothalamic regulation in relation to maladaptive, obsessive-compulsive, affiliative, and satiety behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome (Book, 2007)". [WorldCat.org]. February 22, 1999. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  19. ^ "Life After Child Stardom – Not by the Numbers". Abcnews.go.com. November 24, 2006. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  20. ^ Pierce, Leonard (January 28, 2009). "Mayim Bialik: Random Roles". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  21. ^ "How Did You Get Your SAG-AFTRA Card?" TV Guide. January 13, 2014. p. 10.
  22. ^ "Mayim Bialik Learns What Not to Wear". Celebrity-babies.com. November 15, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  23. ^ [1], additional text.
  24. ^ Ausiello, Michael (November 15, 2010). "'Bang Theory' ups Mayim Bialik to Regular". deadline.com. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Perricone, Kathleen (August 28, 2012). "Why Mayim Bialik returned to TV after getting her PhD | Goddess: Celebrity Moms and Dads - Yahoo Celebrity". Omg.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  26. ^ Kroeger, Jake (April 8, 2014). "Fox Improv Show RIOT Will Feature Steve Carell, Jason Alexander, Cheryl Hines". Nerdist. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  27. ^ Geddes, Robin (April 8, 2014). "Steve Carell, Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik for new Fox series Riot". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  28. ^ Swift, Andy (April 8, 2014). "Exclusive: Steve Carell and Cheryl Hines Among Celebrity Guests in Fox Improv Series Riot". TV Line. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  29. ^ "'Big Bang Theory' Star Mayim Bialik to Host 'Candid Camera' Reboot". TheWrap. July 24, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  30. ^ Weaver, Stephanie (March 5, 2012). "Actress Mayim Bialik writes book on 'attachment parenting'". USA Today. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  31. ^ Bialik, Mayim (March 9, 2011). "Mayim Bialik's Husband, Mike, was a Mormon". Kveller.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  32. ^ Bialik, Mayim. "From Mormon to Jew - Kveller, Jewish Family & Children". Kveller.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  33. ^ Allin, Olivia (May 21, 2012). "Mayim Bialik talks about attachment parenting, sharing a family bed". ontheredcarpet.com.
  34. ^ ""Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik and husband to divorce after nine years". CBS News. November 23, 2012.
  35. ^ Cohen, Marla (May 2012). "Geek Love, Parenting, and Judaism". Jewish Federation of Rockland County.
  36. ^ "'Big Bang' star Mayim Bialik helps send bulletproof vests to IDF". The Washington Times. July 30, 2013.
  37. ^ "'Science vs. Religion: Mayim Bialik and the Other Big Bang Theory', Jew in the City". Jewinthecity.com. October 31, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  38. ^ "Mayim Bialik to Guest Star on a Very Special Jew in the City!". Jewinthecity.com. May 20, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  39. ^ "I would like to dispel the rumors about my stance on vaccines. I am not anti-vaccine. my children are vaccinated. There has been so much hysteria and anger about this issue and I hope this clears things up as far as my part" (Press release). Subject's Facebook page. February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  40. ^ "Meet Mayim Bialik: Actress and Holistic Mom". Holisticmoms.org. July 7, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  41. ^ "Exclusive: Mayim Bialik Gets Her Eco On At The Go Green Expo In Los Angeles". Ecorazzi.com. January 20, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  42. ^ "The Shamayim V'Aretz Institute - A Center For Jewish Spirituality and Leadership - Leadership". Shamayimvaretz.com. March 21, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  43. ^ http://uverse.com/watch/c___gWZe90YNSwO9?ref=yfp
  44. ^ http://greatideas.people.com/2015/08/11/mayim-bialik-lifestyle-site-groknation/
  45. ^ http://www.timesofisrael.com/mayim-bialik-launches-own-website/
  46. ^ http://forward.com/the-assimilator/318926/mayim-bialik-launches-her-own-website-groknation/
  47. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Sling-Real-Life-Confident-Attachment/dp/1451662181/ref=la_B00796CCRW_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445139142&sr=1-2
  48. ^ http://www.mayimbialik.net/beyondthesling/
  49. ^ http://www.mayimbialik.net/writing/
  50. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Mayims-Vegan-Table-Great-Tasting-Healthy/dp/0738217042/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389219908&sr=1-1&keywords=Mayim%27s+Vegan+Table
  51. ^ "About the book - BEYOND THE SLING". Mayimbialik.net. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  52. ^ "Mayim's Vegan Table". Mayimbialik.net. January 19, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.