Melissa Ivy Rauch is an American comedian, model, and actress. She is known for her role on the TV series The Big Bang Theory’s Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz.
In 2013, Rauch was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series by Critics’ Choice Television Award.
Rauch also worked as a regular contributor on the VH1 series Best Week Ever from 2004 to 2008. Rauch also played Summer on the fantasy horror drama True Blood and Tina on Kath and Kim.
Rauch was also the voice of Harley Quinn in the DC animated film Batman and Harley Quinn in 2017. Furthermore, she co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in a sports comedy-drama in 2015 called The Bronze.
She had supporting roles in a lot of series as well. This includes The Laundromat, Ode to Joy, Flock of Dudes, Ice Age: Collision Course, and I Love You, Man.
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Early Life
Melissa Ivy Rauch has her birth place in Marlboro Township, New Jersey, while her birth date is on June 23, 1980. She grew up with her father David, mother Susan, and brother Ben. They all live in a Jewish household.
As a kid, Rauch attended Brookdale Arts Camp. For her Bar Mitzvah, Rauch chooses to have a theme of a Comedy Club.
Rauch went to Marlboro High School. After graduating high school, she went to Marymount Manhattan College. In 2002, she earned a BFA Degree.
While Rauch was attending college, she began doing stand-up comedy around Manhattan.
Personal Life
In college, Rauch met Winston Beigel. The two started writing together. They collaborated on the stage show “The Miss Education of Jenna Bush” and a couple of other projects.
On October 10, 2009, Winston and Rauch got married. In December 2017, Rauch gave birth to a baby girl named Sadie. In May 2020, Rauch gave birth to a boy named Brooks.
Rauch also revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage in the past when she announced her pregnancy in July 2017.
Career
During her early days, Raunch was a regular contributor to the Best Week Ever TV series by VH1. She started playing the recurring role of Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz in 2009.
Her role was a co-worker of Penny at The Cheesecake Factory. In the series, she started to date Howard Wolowitz in the 3rd season of the TV series.
In the 4th season, her character became the fiancée of Howard and Rauch was promoted to a regular in the series. In the season 5 finale, the two got married.
Rauch and fellow cast members of the TV series obtained their first of four nominations in December 2011. It was the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series award by the Screen Actors Guild Award.
She also had a recurring role in 2010 in the TV series True Blood as a girl named Summer who likes Hoyt. Other acting credits include the film I Love You, Man, Wright v Wrong, Kath and Kim (American Remake), and The Office.
Rauch also worked with Danielle Schneider, Jessica St. Clair, June Diane Raphael, and Casey Wilson on a comedic stage show titled “The Realest Real Housewives”.
In 2011, the show started running at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
The film “The Bronze” was co-produced and co-wrote by Rauch. She also played a role in the film as Hope Annabelle Greggory.
In 2017, Rauch voiced Light Thief in “Light Riders” from Blaze and the Monster Machines and Harley Quinn in the animated film Batman and Harley Quinn.
Rauch also has an upcoming TV series. It’s a sequel to Night Court. She will serve as executive producer and will play the role of Abby Stone.
Nominations and Awards
In 2020, The Big Bang Theory won a Merit – Honorary Award. The show was also nominated for six Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Show.
In 2016, Rauch also won the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in The Big Bang Theory.
The cast of “Batman and Harley Quinn” was also nominated for a Behind the Voice Actors Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Special in 2018.
How Much Did She Make on The Big Bang Theory?
The well-known TV series ran on air for 12 seasons. The first episode was released on May 16, 2019.
According to reports, she wasn’t the highest-paid cast member in her role. In 2018, the main cast members were the highest-paid actors on TV.
The cast members of the series took a $100,000 pay cut in 2017 so Rauch and other members of the cast can get a raise. This proved that the cast members cared for each other.
According to reports, in recent years on The Big Bang Theory, Maim Bialik and Melissa Rauch’s salary had increased to $500,000 per episode.
This is a huge increase from the $175,000 to $200,000 per episode that the actors were getting. This increase in her salary is part of the reason why her net worth is around $20 million.
Of course, there are other sources of income that contribute to her net worth, aside from acting.
Though the actress became famous due to her role in The Big Bang Theory, she has had a couple of other roles in movies and TV series.
Some of the films and TV series she played a part with include Laundry, Cat and Kim, True Blood, Sofia the First, Ode to Joy, and much more.
Melissa Rauch Total Net Worth
As of today, Melissa Rauch has an estimated net worth of about $20 million. Her acting career is the main source of her net worth.
In a couple of films, Rauch has played supporting, guest, and starring roles. She has also been featured in different programs in the TV industry.
Aside from her acting career, Rauch also makes money by producing and writing films. She also performs stand-up comedy.
