Why Ramona From The Big Bang Theory Looks So Familiar
"The Big Bang Theory" is a CBS American sitcom that was once the most-watched program on network television. Although it wasn't always the plan, the series mostly follows Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), an arrogant genius with a love of comics, and his friends as they experience life through a decidedly nerdy lens. As the show grew, it collected a wide array of characters, including one whose obsessive antics would somehow lead to Sheldon's engagement, although not with her — Ramona Nowitzki (Riki Lindhome).
Appearing in only three episodes across the entire run of the show, Ramona left her mark on "TBBT" by carrying an obsessive and unreciprocated infatuation for Sheldon. She helps him solve an issue with his research, only for him to refuse her partial credit, but don't let that sentence fool you; neither of them are particularly kind people. When she finally makes her feelings known to Sheldon, he responds by proposing to Amy Fowler (Mayim Bialik). If that seems weird, just know that it's literally the only reason why "TBBT" writers brought Ramona back for Season 10.
In the grand scheme of "TBBT," Ramona is a minor role, but she's par for the course when looking at Lindhome's career. The actress has made appearances in numerous major television productions over the last 30 years. Here are some of Lindhome's highest-profile roles to date.
Gilmore Girls brought Riki Lindhome back for a bigger role
"Gilmore Girls" is one of those shows that people love to rewatch and rewatch and rewatch again. Nothing else explains how a show released at the turn of the century still gets fancams in 2023. The WB — turned CW — American dramedy series follows Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), a single mother and her daughter, as they forge and fracture relationships for an impressive seven seasons. "GG" is often lauded for its brilliant use of dialogue. Seriously, there are all kinds of lists online where fans rank their favorite quotes and these lists tend to feature more words than the average J. R. R. Tolkien novel.
In "GG," Riki Lindhome portrays Juliet, a side character who tags along whenever Rosemary (Elizabeth Abbot) is around. Juliet only appears in four episodes across Seasons 5 and 6, but Lindhome is credited for five episodes in total because "GG" cast her in a background role years prior. In Season 3, Episode 4, "One's Got Class and the Other One Dyes," Lindhome comes on for a small part as an unnamed high school student only labeled as "Girl #2." Although perusing her IMDb page might make it look otherwise, "GG" is one of Lindhome's very first credits, only predated by "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Titus," and an indie short, "Backseat Detour."
Riki Lindhome is Garfunkel of Garfunkel and Oates fame
YouTube might not be the literal birthplace of comedy music, but it is the proverbial catapult that launches silly songs into viral stardom. In 2007, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci formed "Garfunkel and Oates," a two-person folk comedy band. The pair first achieved internet fame when their song "F*** You" landed on YouTube's homepage in 2009 and, since then, they've cranked out three studio albums, made guest appearances on variety shows, and written music for "Scrubs" and "The Big Bang Theory." The duo was also featured on Childish Gambino's "Culdesac," starred in a short-lived sitcom about their band, and remixed "Everything is Awesome" for "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part."
Two of their most popular songs are "Pregnant Women Are Smug" and "The Loophole." Listening to both will give you a pretty good idea of the kind of comedy Lindhome and Micucci adore. "GAO" is currently developing an original animated musical for Netflix.
Another Period isn't just another period piece
Period pieces aren't typically comedies, but period pieces aren't typically written by Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, either. "Another Period" is a Comedy Central series that follows an affluent family in Newport, Rhode Island, at the start of the 20th century. The characters, setting, and aesthetic satirize period pieces like "Downton Abbey," but the formatting and writing mock reality television shows like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." While the series only received three seasons, it was well-received by both critics and audiences, alike. That's just Hollywood, for you.
In "AP," Lindhome portrays Beatrice Bellacourt, the youngest daughter of the family. What she lacks in mental fortitude, she makes up in vigorous passion. Unfortunately, some of that passion is aimed at her brother, with whom she shares a "Game of Thrones" sort of bond. On one hand, she's this vapid, opinion-less person who hates her children but, on the other hand, she also helps Albert Einstein (Matt Gourley) discover his theory of relativity. It's a mixed bag, really.
During a 2016 interview with Decider, Lindhome admitted that history provided her and Leggero with all the comic material they could ever want. "We get so many ideas just from reading about history that it's almost like stealing, just because everything's so right there," she said.
Riki Lindhome is (probably) the least problematic Thrombey in Knives Out
20th Century Studios' "Murder on the Orient Express" might have reignited the world's love of murder mysteries, but it was Lionsgate's "Knives Out" that cemented the whodunit as a viable modern genre. The film, which Rian Johnson wrote and directed, sees detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigate the inexplicable murder of aging author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Like all good whodunits, "Knives Out" lives and dies by its suspect pool. In this case, it's Harlan's family, a group of arrogant and entitled rich people with all the self-awareness of the Bluth family from "Arrested Development" without any of their charm. In other words, they're the perfect group of everyday villains that audiences love to hate.
Riki Lindhom portrays Donna Thrombey, Walt's (Michael Shannon) wife and Jacob's (Jaeden Martell) mother. As a rule, we try not to define women by their relationship to men, but Donna is one of the quietest members of the Thrombey family. She's not as much of a blackmailing bootlicker as her husband, nor is she quite so much of a Neo-Nazi as her son. Still, you don't marry into the Thrombey name if you're someone with a resolute moral compass.
Wednesday Addams needed a therapist and Riki Lindhome answered the call
In late 2022, Netflix went where no studio had gone before and bravely proclaimed to the world that Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) was in desperate need of a therapist. "Wednesday" is an ongoing coming-of-age story that sees the titular eldest daughter of the Addams family attend Nevermore Academy after being expelled from a normie high school. Turns out, dumping piranhas in the school pool is frowned upon, even if it's part of a glorious revenge scheme. Season 1 did numbers for Netflix, with the audience loving Ortega's dedication to the role.
In "Wednesday," Riki Lindhome portrays Dr. Valerie Kinbott, Wednesday's therapist. Dr. Kinbott is a kind soul who accepts Wednesday for who she is. In return, Wednesday suspects her of murder. Don't worry, Wednesday stops thinking of her therapist as a killer eventually — and by eventually, we mean she stops when Dr. Kinbott is murdered by the actual killer. It's a hard life, being a therapist. When she wasn't busy handling the Addams family or dying what was very obviously a horrific death, Dr. Kinbott enjoyed taxidermy, which she used to give roadkill new life. This kinda explains why she worked so well with the students of Nevermore, come to think of it.