Laurie Metcalf's 4 Children: All About Her Sons and Daughters
'The Conners' star Laurie Metcalf has shared special moments with her kids: Zoe, Will, Donovan and Mae
Laurie Metcalf takes on the role of mom both on-screen and off with her four children: Zoe, Will, Mae and Donovan.
The Conners star welcomed her first child, daughter Zoe, with her first husband, actor Jeff Perry. Metcalf is also mother to sons Will and Donavan and daughter Mae, whom she raised with her second husband, fellow Roseanne alum Matt Roth.
Metcalf made a rare reference to her younger son and daughter during her acceptance speech at the Tony Awards in 2017 when she won best actress in a play for her role in A Doll’s House, Part 2, per the Chicago Sun-Times. In her speech, she thanked Donovan and Mae for allowing her to “do what I love doing the most: working in the theater.”
Related: All About Zoe Perry's Relationship with Famous Parents Jeff Perry and Laurie Metcalf
Zoe, who followed in the footsteps of both of her actor parents, has discussed her mom in several interviews over the years.
When asked in 2017 if Metcalf gave her any advice for her role as Sheldon Cooper’s mom in Young Sheldon, she told The Hollywood Reporter that her mom was “too good and empathetic an actor to give another actor any notes.”
“She’s been really supportive through the whole thing and I feel lucky that I get to share this with her in that way,” Zoe added. “At the end of the day, she’s a parent and she’s happy to see that her kids are OK.”
Here’s everything to know about Laurie Metcalf’s children: Zoe, Will, Donovan and Mae.
Zoe Perry
Metcalf and Perry welcomed their first and only child together, daughter Zoe, in 1983.
Though the couple split when Zoe was 2, they had an “unwritten pact” that she wouldn’t get into acting until she was an adult. “I didn’t want her to have to deal with the stress," the Roseanne actress told PEOPLE in 2017.
Zoe initially went to college at Boston University before she transferred to Northwestern University, per Broadway Buzz. Despite her aversion to acting as a child, Zoe began working in the industry after she transferred schools.
After college, she pursued an acting career, moving to New York to avoid having to use her parents’ contacts in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Like her mom, Zoe has had roles both on-screen and onstage. She’s even shared the stage with both of her parents, first with Metcalf in 2013’s The Other Place and then with her father in a revival of Anna Christie in 2015.
Zoe is best known for portraying Mary Cooper in Young Sheldon, a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory. Her mom played the character during the original run of the show, as the mother of Jim Parsons’ character while Zoe acted opposite Iain Armitage. She’s also appeared in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and starred alongside her father during a guest role on Scandal.
In 2018, Zoe spoke to Entertainment Tonight about how her relationship with Metcalf has affected her acting choices.
“For me, she's always been such an inspiration because not only is she incredibly talented — I might be biased — but she's always been such a good example of having a really strong work ethic and taking pride and value in the work that she does," she said.
As for her personal life, Zoe wed producer Gab Taraboulsy in a ceremony in Italy. Screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna shared a photo on Instagram from the couple’s wedding in July 2022.
Will Roth
Metcalf and Roth welcomed their first child together, son Will, in 1993.
As a child, Will was occasionally photographed with his mom at events, including at the November 1999 premiere of Pokémon: The First Movie in Hollywood. He also attended the L.A. Mission Thanksgiving meal event with Metcalf in the early 2000s.
Will married Angela Saggiomo in October 2022 in Pennsylvania. His younger sister, Mae, gave a glimpse into their special day on Instagram, sharing several snaps from the wedding.
Her photos included a shot of her mom, Will and Angela, all smiling wide.
Donovan Roth
Metcalf and Roth adopted their second child together, son Donovan, after being his foster parents. As a child, he made a red carpet appearance with his mom in March 2007 at the L.A. premiere of Meet The Robinsons.
The actress has opened up about how she relates to movies and shows about adoption after welcoming Donovan to the family.
In 2008, Time Out Chicago asked if she had a special connection to the plot of her show Easy Money, which includes a child discovering he is not biologically related to the rest of the family.
Metcalf replied, "I do. ... They’ve dealt with the character’s confusion and my fear as his mother in a really realistic way."
Mae Roth, 19
Metcalf and Roth’s third child together, daughter Mae, was born on June 3, 2005. She attended John Burroughs High School in Burbank, California, and graduated in May 2023, per her Instagram.
Before her milestone moment, she announced on Instagram that she would be attending Marymount Manhattan College to study musical theater. She expressed her excitement about the future, writing, “I have loved this school since 7th grade and I can’t even believe I get to go here for musical theatre.”
Mae has also experienced life on set with Metcalf. In 2018, the Emmy winner told PEOPLE that she had brought Mae to work with her when she was a guest star on Supergirl.
“I’m so thrilled to be here on the set of Supergirl!” Metcalf said at the time. “My daughter, Mae, and I are huge fans of the show and it was her dream to meet Melissa [Benoist].”
She added, “I’m incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to bring Mae to work with me as I take on the guest role of Mary McGowan.”
The youngest of Metcalf's children has given glimpses into her family’s life on her Instagram account, including sharing photos from her sister’s wedding festivities in Italy, posing with her mom and siblings.
She also captured a sweet family gathering at her graduation, which included her dad and stepmom, Will, Zoe and their partners.
Over the years, Mae has been by her mom's side to celebrate career achievements. In June 2019, she attended the Tony Awards with Metcalf, stopping for photos on the red carpet. She was also by her mom’s side after she was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in July 2023.
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