Amy Farrah Fowler
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Amy Farrah Fowler is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
in the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on C ...
'', portrayed by
Mayim Bialik Mayim Chaya Bialik ( ; born December 12, 1975) is an American actress, game show host, and author. 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 ...
. Amy is a
neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, neural circuits, and glial ...
who is Sheldon's (
Jim Parsons James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, he played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom '' The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead ...
) love interest and subsequent partner in the series. She has a PhD in
neurobiology Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...
(Bialik herself has a PhD in
neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...
), with a research focus on addiction in primates and invertebrates, occasionally mentioning such experiments as getting a
capuchin monkey The capuchin monkeys () are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae. They are readily identified as the " organ grinder" monkey, and have been used in many movies and television shows. The range of capuchin monkeys includes some tropical fores ...
addicted to
cigarettes A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
or getting a starfish addicted to
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
. Amy goes on to win the
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
alongside her husband, Sheldon Cooper.


Character biography

Amy makes her debut in Season 3, Episode 23 titled "The Lunar Excitation" (aired May 24, 2010). In the episode,
Raj Koothrappali Rajesh "Raj" Ramayan Koothrappali, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the CBS television series ''The Big Bang Theory'', portrayed by British actor Kunal Nayyar. He is one of four characters in the show, alongside Howard Wolowitz, Sheldon Coope ...
(
Kunal Nayyar Kunal Nayyar (, ; born 30 April 1981) is a British actor. He portrayed Raj Koothrappali on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019) and voiced Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom ''Sanjay and Craig'' (2013–2016). Nayyar als ...
) and
Howard Wolowitz Howard Joel Wolowitz, M.Eng. is a fictional character on the CBS television series ''The Big Bang Theory'', portrayed by actor Simon Helberg. Among the four main male characters in the show, Howard is distinctive for being an engineer—rather ...
(
Simon Helberg Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Howard Wolowitz in the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), for which he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Sup ...
) find Amy through an online dating site, after establishing an account using Sheldon's name and information. The site matches her to Sheldon, since the two share many similar traits. Upon meeting, Amy and Sheldon become acquainted. The two initially communicate via
text messages Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/ laptops, or another type of compatible comput ...
and video calls, and eventually begin meeting in person. Early on, Amy is shown as coldly rational, displaying little emotion, and is awkward in social situations. She is initially ambivalent and often condescending towards Penny (
Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (200 ...
) and
Bernadette Bernadette is a French name, a female form of the name Bernard, which means "brave bear". Notable persons with the name include: People * Bernadette (singer) (born 1959), Dutch singer * Bernadette Allen (born 1956), American foreign service of ...
(
Melissa Rauch Melissa Ivy Rauch (born June 23, 1980) is an American actress, model and comedian. She is known for playing Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'', for which she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Televi ...
). But as they grow closer, she sheds her strident, aloof personality for a more feminine and social one, although retaining some social awkwardness. Amy begins to consider Penny a close friend, sometimes referring to her as her " bestie", and occasionally admitting that her entire social life revolves around Penny. Amy also often demonstrates an infatuation towards Penny, occasionally bordering on physical attraction. Amy tends to display a condescending attitude towards Bernadette, although she still considers her a close friend. Her feelings towards Sheldon grow considerably over time. Amy considers him to be ideal in almost every way, though sometimes she displays frustration with Sheldon's quirks. In season 5, after Amy goes out on a date with comic-bookstore owner Stuart Bloom ( Kevin Sussman), Sheldon decides to solidify their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend with a 31-page "Relationship Agreement". Later in the season, Amy begins a campaign to increase Sheldon's feelings for her by becoming more involved in his interests, including
video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
and '' Star Trek''. By the beginning of season 6, Sheldon and Amy regularly display signs of affection, such as holding hands, although Amy wants the relationship to evolve further to include
sexual intimacy Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
. By mid-season, Sheldon gets some intimate views of Amy when he cares for her while she has the flu. She also provides Sheldon with consoling hugs. On one Thanksgiving, Amy receives a slap on the rear by an intoxicated Sheldon who tells everyone that she is a "great gal.” In the season 7 episode "The Locomotive Manipulation", Amy wants to have a romantic Valentine’s night with Sheldon and arranges for them (and Howard and Bernadette) to have dinner on a train. While on the train, they meet Eric, another train enthusiast, who engages Sheldon in conversation during dinner. Amy is upset about it, first sparking Bernadette, then Amy herself to confront Sheldon. Sarcastically, Sheldon says he will give Amy the romance she wants. He openly mocks her, staring into her eyes then kissing her. At first, the kiss is forced, then he leans in and enjoys it. In Season 8, Sheldon and Amy admit to being in love with each other in "The Prom Equivalency". In “The Clean Room Infiltration”, Amy threw a Victorian Christmas at her home. Sheldon wanted to ruin her Christmas by getting her a thoughtful gift. He gave her a picture of him sitting on Santa’s lap, which she loved. Amy gave Sheldon cookies she made from his Meemaw’s recipe, which he loved as well. In the season 8 finale episode, "The Commitment Determination", Amy and Sheldon are celebrating their 5th anniversary. While making out on Sheldon’s couch, Amy tries to reminisce with him. Sheldon asks her whether he should start watching and become invested in the Flash TV show. Amy becomes upset that Sheldon can’t appreciate the irony how slowly they are taking their relationship and his interest in the Flash tv show. She doesn’t respond to any of Sheldon’s attempts to contact her, then finally answers a Skype message. Amy tells him that she has decided to take a break from her relationship with Sheldon, telling him she needs some time to think. Unbeknownst to her, Sheldon had intended to propose. In the Season 9 premiere, “The Matrimonial Momentum”, Amy ultimately breaks up with Sheldon after his relentless berating and annoying behavior. Amy casually dated three men while they were apart. During Thanksgiving, they decided to the aquarium together. Afterwards, Amy decided she wanted to get back together with Sheldon. She called to ask him if he wanted to get back together. Sheldon said that getting over her was the hardest thing he’s ever had to do and he didn’t think he could do it again. Disappointed, Amy decided to go out with Dave, a man she had previously went out with, to try and move on. Sheldon ended up getting an ear worm, “Darlin” by the Beach Boys, and realized it was about Amy how much he loved her. He went to Amy’s apartment, who was currently on a date with Dave to declare his love. They ended up making out and subsequently getting back together. In Season 9, episode 11, “The Opening Night Excitation”, Sheldon decides to skip the premiere of the new Star Wars movie and celebrates Amy’s birthday with her. As a present, he felt it was time that the two of them to get intimate. This starts a tradition of the “annual birthday booty spectacular”. When Sheldon's
grandmother Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic gra ...
visits in season 9, she confronts Amy for hurting Sheldon and unintentionally reveals the secret engagement ring in his possession. Although initially shocked, Amy is happy to know that Sheldon loves her enough to have considered taking that step forward in their relationship. Amy later prepares a surprise birthday party for Sheldon, which he has not previously celebrated with the group. After a plumbing accident makes her apartment uninhabitable in season 10, Sheldon and Amy embark on a 5-week experiment living together to test their compatibility. Amy later admits she lied about how long the repairs were taking so that she could continue living with Sheldon. They eventually move into Penny's old apartment together, while Penny moves in with Leonard, and later makes the arrangement permanent. Amy is later offered a 3-month science research project at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
in New Jersey and leaves with Sheldon's encouragement. She becomes angry when she learns of Sheldon spending time with Ramona Nowitzki, who she rightfully suspects to have romantic feelings for Sheldon. In the season 10 finale, after Ramona kisses Sheldon, he visits Amy and proposes to her. The episode ends on a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
awaiting her answer. In the season 11 premiere episode "The Proposal Proposal", which picks up immediately after Sheldon's proposal, Amy's answer is further delayed by a phone call from Leonard and Penny, after which she finally says yes. She and Sheldon marry in the season 11 finale. Amy objects to Sheldon wanting to provide sperm for Zack Johnson's baby but does try and get him excited about having their own child. Amy is musically inclined and is shown to play the harp, autoharp and keyboard throughout the series. In the final season, Sheldon and Amy publish their work on super-asymmetric string theory and win the
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
together.


Reception

The fourth season received particular praise for character developments. Alan Sepinwall of ''
Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
'' praised the additions of Amy and Bernadette to the cast, writing that "With Amy Farrah Fowler and Bernadette Rostenkowski promoted to semi-permanent status, the show is now able to spend large chunks of each episode focusing only on the women, and in the process has made Penny a much more well-rounded character rather than just a foil for the nerds."


Awards and nominations

For her performance as Amy Farrah Fowler, Bialik received 4 consecutive nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 64th, 65th, 66th and
67th Primetime Emmy Awards The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2014 until May 31, 2015, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at the M ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Amy Farrah Television characters introduced in 2010 Fictional American scientists and engineers Fictional neuroscientists Fictional female scientists The Big Bang Theory characters Fictional Nobel laureates American female characters in television