Which actress plays Bernadette Rostenkowski in The Big Bang Theory?

Which actress plays Bernadette Rostenkowski in The Big Bang Theory? Melissa Rauch plays Bernadette Rostenkowski.

Rauch first appeared as Bernadette during the show's third season in 2009. Bernadette is introduced as a co-worker of Penny's at The Cheesecake Factory, where she meets Howard Wolowitz. Although initially a recurring character, Bernadette became a series regular in season 4 and remained central to the ensemble through the 2019 finale.

The character is a microbiologist with a deceptively sweet appearance and a famously high-pitched voice. Her scientific career and forceful personality often contrast with Howard's immaturity. Their relationship becomes one of the show's major long-running storylines, leading to an engagement and marriage in the season-five finale. They later have two children.

Viewers sometimes confuse Bernadette's performer with Mayim Bialik, who plays neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, or Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny. Rauch's distinctive vocal performance is also part of why Bernadette is immediately recognizable.