{"id":827,"date":"2026-08-08T15:22:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/2026\/08\/08\/john-ross-bowie-says-it-was-harder-to-stop-using-his-big-bang-theory-characters-voice-after-filming-new-spinoff-exclusive\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:22:29","slug":"john-ross-bowie-says-it-was-harder-to-stop-using-his-big-bang-theory-characters-voice-after-filming-new-spinoff-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/2026\/08\/08\/john-ross-bowie-says-it-was-harder-to-stop-using-his-big-bang-theory-characters-voice-after-filming-new-spinoff-exclusive\/","title":{"rendered":"John Ross Bowie Says It Was \u2018Harder\u2019 to Stop Using His \u201cBig Bang Theory\u201d Character\u2019s Voice After Filming New Spinoff (Exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The actor opens up about bringing back his character\u2019s unmistakable voice to \u2018Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\u2019<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/DuRneZ9SVTs87uZKcJuba9dr2k8=\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)\/John-Ross-Bowie-073026-9e46ccfd2af045eab083b8676dfc307f.jpg\" alt=\"John Ross Bowie attends the Los Angeles Premiere of \u2018Stuart Fails To Save The Universe\u2019 on July 21, 2026Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez\/Getty\" title=\"John Ross Bowie attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of HBO Max's \" \/><figcaption><i>John Ross Bowie attends the Los Angeles Premiere of \u2018Stuart Fails To Save The Universe\u2019 on July 21, 2026<br \/>Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez\/Getty<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>John Ross Bowie reprises his role as Barry Kripke in the <em>Big Bang Theory<\/em> spinoff <em>Stuart Fails to Save the Universe<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Bowie says the spinoff allows Kripke to grow more in 10 episodes than in the original series\u2019 11 seasons<\/li>\n<li>The show explores Kripke\u2019s softer side through his friendship with Bert while keeping his trademark unpredictability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/comic-con-2026-stuart-star-felt-terrible-killing-big-bang-theory-character-12026524\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">John Ross Bowie<\/a>, returning as Barry Kripke meant bringing back one of the most recognizable voices in <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/where-is-the-big-bang-theory-cast-now-11993246\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"2\"><em>The Big Bang Theory<\/em><\/a> universe. While reviving Kripke\u2019s signature speech pattern came easily, saying goodbye to it proved to be the real challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve stayed in practice, so it snapped back pretty quickly,\u201d Bowie, 55, tells PEOPLE. \u201cThe challenge this time was getting rid of it because normally I would do an episode and then I\u2019d be gone for six months. Then I\u2019d come back and do another episode. But to be there every day for whatever it was, 13, 14 weeks, it was harder to get rid of the speech impediment than it was to bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bowie reprises his role as Kripke in the newest <em>Big Bang Theory<\/em> spinoff, <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/the-big-bang-theory-actors-returning-stuart-fails-to-save-the-universe-12023575\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\"><em>Stuart Fails to Save the Universe<\/em><\/a>, in which the fan-favorite character gets a much bigger spotlight.<\/p>\n<p>First introduced during season 2 of <em>The Big Bang Theory<\/em>, Kripke quickly became one of the show\u2019s most memorable recurring characters thanks to his sharp humor, competitive nature and unmistakable inability to pronounce his \u201cR\u201d sounds.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/ujVQBUn8jRSYXwYBJaQ2OGuTqkI=\/fit-in\/1280x960\/John-Ross-Bowie-big-bang-theory-073026-e02e60ded0c446e4922d025dc2e3aca3.jpg\" alt=\"(L to R): Simon Helberg, John Ross Bowie and Jim Parsons in \u2018The Big Bang Theory\u2019Credit: Sonja Flemming\/CBS via Getty\" title=\"\" \/><figcaption><i>(L to R): Simon Helberg, John Ross Bowie and Jim Parsons in \u2018The Big Bang Theory\u2019<br \/>Credit: Sonja Flemming\/CBS via Getty<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A fellow Caltech scientist, Kripke often found himself going head-to-head with <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/jim-parsons\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Jim Parsons<\/a>\u2019 Sheldon Cooper, whether through academic competitions, playful rivalries or his habit of pushing everyone\u2019s buttons.<\/p>\n<p>Finding Kripke\u2019s voice again after years away came naturally for the actor, thanks in part to the character\u2019s continued popularity. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t really that hard because for one thing, I do Cameos,\u201d he says. \u201cI do the little video messages, and more often than not people want to hear the voice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He adds, mimicking his character\u2019s speech impediment, \u201cIt\u2019s fun to hear this guy say, \u2018Happy anniversary!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/cHDmXOL-jBk3Fd8o_NqgJADm89Y=\/fit-in\/1280x960\/John-Ross-Bowie-Stuart-Fails-to-Save-the-Universe-073026-82ed89ab2da34219ae9c6ae2430b0954.jpg\" alt=\"Lauren Lapkus and John Ross Bowie in \u2018Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\u2019Credit: Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max\" title=\"Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie HBO Max Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\" \/><figcaption><i>Lauren Lapkus and John Ross Bowie in \u2018Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\u2019<br \/>Credit: Colin Remas Brown\/HBO Max<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While Kripke has always been a source of chaos, <em>Stuart Fails to Save the Universe<\/em> gives Bowie the opportunity to explore what happens when the character is pushed outside his usual comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe gets some moments of redemption as this series progresses. I think he grows more in these 10 episodes than he did in the previous 11 seasons,\u201d Bowie says.<\/p>\n<p>He continues, \u201cThere are moments where he recognizes his foibles and his shortcomings, and there\u2019s some lovely moments that Bert brings out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That growth comes through his unexpected friendship with <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/big-bang-theory-spinoff-first-photos-stuart-fails-save-universe-11959055\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Brian Posehn<\/a>\u2019s Bert, the lovable geologist who was introduced on <em>The Big Bang Theory<\/em> and joins Kripke on the new adventure. Their unlikely pairing gives Kripke a chance to show a softer, more patient side that viewers rarely saw before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBert is the lovable bunny rabbit of the show. He brings out a patience in Kripke that we have not gotten a chance to see before,\u201d Bowie says.<\/p>\n<p>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\">PEOPLE\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n<p>Posehn, 60, agrees that Kripke\u2019s journey takes him somewhere surprising, describing the character\u2019s evolution in a way that fits perfectly with the show\u2019s nerdy sense of humor. In fact, he describes the character\u2019s evolution in a way that would feel right at home in the world of <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/movies\/chris-pine-calls-dungeons-and-dragons-movie-80s-heartfelt-goonies-princess-bride\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\">Dungeons &amp; Dragons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe goes from chaotic evil to chaotic neutral to also almost chaotic good at the end there,\u201d Posehn says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a sense of him trying to help out his colleagues more and more as the series progresses,\u201d Bowie says.<\/p>\n<p>For Bowie, part of the fun of returning to the role was understanding Kripke as a classic agent of chaos. When the series was first pitched to him, he immediately connected the character to another famously disruptive figure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea was he was Dr. Smith on <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/june-lockhart-remembered-by-tv-sons-from-lassie-and-lost-in-space-11837383\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\"><em>Lost in Space<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em> who was always there but was always kind of screwing things up for everybody else and was completely self-serving. I loved that idea,\u201d Bowie says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a big [question], \u2018What would Dr. Smith do in this situation?\u2019 It motored me through the 10 episodes,\u201d Bowie says<\/p>\n<p><em>Stuart Fails to Save the Universe<\/em> drops new episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The actor opens up about bringing back his character\u2019s unmistakable voice to \u2018Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\u2019 John Ross Bowie attends the Los Angeles Premiere of \u2018Stuart Fails To Save The Universe\u2019 on July 21, 2026Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez\/Getty NEED TO KNOW John Ross Bowie reprises his role as Barry Kripke in the Big [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-everything-else"],"wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":"","cvmm-medium":"","cvmm-medium-plus":"","cvmm-portrait":"","cvmm-medium-square":"","cvmm-large":"","cvmm-small":"","full":""},"categories_names":{"1":{"name":"Everything Else","link":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/category\/everything-else\/"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adsandthings.com\/winews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}