Melissa Ivy Rauch is an American actress and comedian

Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

. She is best known for her role as Bernadette Rostenkowski on the CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 sitcom The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...

.

Early life and education

Rauch was born in Marlboro, New Jersey

Marlboro Township, New Jersey

-Weather:Marlboro is located close to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the location Marlboro Township has on the Eastern Seaboard, the following weather features are noted:*On average, the warmest month is July where the average high is and the average low is ....

. She has a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College

Marymount Manhattan College

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, coeducational, independent, private, liberal arts college located in Manhattan, New York City, New York with a focus in performing arts. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual...

. Rauch is Jewish.

Career

While studying, Melissa performed as a stand-up comedian around Manhattan, and soon made a name for herself on the New York City comedy scene with critically acclaimed appearances like her one-woman show called "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush," in which she portrayed the former President's daughter which played to sold out audiences.

In 2009, Rauch played the recurring role of Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...

, the girlfriend of Howard Wolowitz

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 main male characters in the show, Howard is distinguished for lacking a doctoral degree, for still living with his mother, and for believing himself to...

. Beginning in 2010, during the fourth season of the show, she was promoted to a series regular.

Rauch has been a participant in VH1

VH1

VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

's Best Week Ever

Best Week Ever

Best Week Ever is a weekly television program on the United States cable/satellite network VH1. It started airing in 2004 and was put on hiatus in the summer of 2009...

television show. Other acting credits include True Blood

True Blood

True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...

, on which she had a recurring role in 2010 as Summer, a girl who likes Hoyt, and The Office. Additionally, Rauch appeared on the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 remake

Remake

A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...

 of the Australian TV series, Kath & Kim

Kath & Kim (U.S. TV series)

Kath & Kim is an American version of the Australian television comedy series of the same name starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon. The series premiered on NBC on October 9, 2008...

. She also appeared in Wright v Wrong, Dirty Sexy Money

Dirty Sexy Money

Dirty Sexy Money is an American prime time drama series created by Craig Wright, which ran on the ABC from September 26, 2007 to August 8, 2009. The series was produced by ABC Studios, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Berlanti Television and Gross Entertainment...

, and in the film I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man is a 2009 American comedy film originally titled Let's be Friends and written by Larry Levin before John Hamburg rewrote and directed the film...

.

Rauch is currently starring in the comedic stage show "The Realest Real Housewives", along with Casey Wilson

Casey Wilson

Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter. She was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008–2009 and currently stars as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series Happy Endings....

, June Diane Raphael

June Diane Raphael

June Diane Raphael is an American actress, comedienne and screenwriter known for appearing in films such as Year One and Going the Distance...

, Jessica St. Clair

Jessica St. Clair

Jessica St. Clair is an American actress, writer, sketch comedian and comedy improviser who often performs at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and Los Angeles, usually as a member of the improv group Mother. Jessica has been a regular on the show Best Week Ever, offering her...

 and Danielle Schneider

Danielle Schneider

-Career:Schneider appeared regularly as a panelist on Best Week Ever and various other VH1 commentary programs. She has played a Paris Hilton-like debutante on Fox's My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss, she starred in Trio's The Pop Culture Round-Up: White Noise, Comedy Central's Contest Searchlight with...

. The show began running monthly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in January 2011.

External links

• Official Site
• Melissa Rauch - TV.com
• Melissa Rauch iFilm
  IFilm
  ifilm.com was an online archive of short films, movie trailers, and other video clips of interest. Ifilm.com was originally founded by independent filmmaker Raphael Raphael in 1997 as an independent film and media collective...