After creating the first-ever university scholarship endowment — The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment at UCLA — named after a television series four years ago, The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation (TCLFF) announced today that in honor of the show’s final season, it has doubled down on its support of The Big Bang Theory endowment for undergraduate scholars in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Established in 2015, the Endowment initially provided for five annual scholarships, in perpetuity, for students in financial need. It was originally funded via a founding donation by TCLFF combined with gifts from more than 50 individuals associated with the series — including the show’s stars, executive producers, writers and crew — plus partners such as Warner Bros. Television, CBS, ICM Partners, United Talent Agency and more. With renewed donations to celebrate the end of the series, more than 80 individuals have made contributions to date, allowing for The Big Bang Theory scholarship to now fund 10 scholars each year in perpetuity. The Endowment currently supports 35 TBBT scholars and has raised more than $5.5 million for UCLA students in financial need studying in STEM fields.
Dell Technologies, a longtime supporter of advancing science and technology skills, has also made a donation to the undergraduate Endowment and will be gifting the first graduating class of TBBT/UCLA scholars with new Alienware m15 laptops at a special celebration on The Big Bang Theory set with the producers, cast and crew.
Additionally, TCLFF has announced the establishment of The Big Bang Theory Graduate School Fund. This fund will provide four-year scholarships of up to $15,000 per year exclusively for graduating TBBT/UCLA scholars who will be continuing their STEM education in graduate school within the University of California system. TBBT/UCLA graduating scholars who will be pursuing their graduate studies outside of the UC system will be eligible for a one-time grant of $15,000.
The first class of 20 scholars was selected for the 2015–16 academic year, with the endowment initially committed to support an additional five scholars in each future academic year — in perpetuity. With today’s announcement, The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment will now support 10 undergraduate scholars at UCLA in each future academic year — in perpetuity.
Scholarships are awarded based on financial need to low-income students who have earned admission to UCLA based on academic merit but need additional support to bridge the gap between typical levels of financial aid and the cost of attendance. Each year, the students visit the show’s set to be honored by the cast and crew, and the scholars have created an official UCLA on-campus club which provides mentorship and weekly study groups.
Beginning with the 2019–20 academic year, The Big Bang Theory Graduate School Fund will provide up to $15,000 per year for four years of scholarship support exclusively to qualified TBBT/UCLA graduating scholars who are pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields within the UC system. TBBT/UCLA scholars attending graduate school outside the UC system will be eligible to receive a one-time grant of $15,000.
In addition to its financial contribution to the Endowment, Dell Technologies has gifted each of the inaugural graduating class of Big Bang Theory scholars with Alienware laptops, which have been featured in many TBBT episodes. The new Alienware m15 is the lightest and thinnest 15” gaming laptop ever from Alienware, with powerful performance for both gaming and their future careers. The laptops include eighth generation Intel Core i7 processors, NVIDIA GeForce graphics, AlienFX and the Alienware Command Center software.
This continues Dell Technologies’ long-standing relationship with The Big Bang Theory, as the company has provided computers for use on-screen by the show’s characters throughout the 12 seasons of the hit comedy.
In addition to centering many of its episodes in the worlds of science and technology, The Big Bang Theory enjoys a healthy appreciation and support from the scientific community at large. And the show’s connection to UCLA extends beyond the scholarship fund: Series star Mayim Bialik earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA, while professor of physics and astronomy David Saltzberg, Ph.D., serves as the show’s science consultant.
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS and five nights a week in syndication. The acclaimed comedy ranks as the #1 entertainment series on broadcast network television among Adults 18–49 and Total Viewers for the 2018–19 television season to date. It will conclude its 12th season in May 2019 as the longest-running multicamera comedy in television history, with 279 episodes.
At UCLA, more than 50 percent of all undergraduate students receive need-based scholarships, grants or other aid. That includes approximately 35% of undergraduates who receive Pell Grants, federal aid for students from low-income families. More than one-third of UCLA graduates are the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college or university.
In addition to its support for The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment at UCLA, The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation recently created a new public school grant program —The Young Sheldon STEM Initiative — inspired by the hit comedy series Young Sheldon. The program was created to foster excitement for learning in STEM fields, specifically in support of U.S. public schools, teachers and students. The program funds two-year educational grants totaling more than $600,000.00 which are awarded to 19 select elementary, middle and high schools in Southern California, where Young Sheldon is produced, and East Texas, where the show is set.
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., affectionately known as Jr NTR, has consistently enthralled audiences with his dynamic performances and versatile acting prowess. Following the successful release of “Devara: Part 1” on September 27, 2024, fans are eagerly anticipating his forthcoming projects. Here’s an overview of what’s next for this action superstar.
1. Devara: Part 2
After the resounding success of “Devara: Part 1,” which grossed over ₹466 crore globally, the sequel is highly anticipated. Director Koratala Siva has hinted that “Devara: Part 2” will be even more intense, stating that if Part 1 showcased 10% of Jr NTR’s capabilities, Part 2 will unveil the remaining 90%. Filming is slated to commence in the first half of 2026, with a targeted release by the end of that year.
2. War 2
Expanding his horizons, Jr NTR is set to make his Hindi film debut with “War 2,” directed by Ayan Mukerji. This sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “War” will see him sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The film is part of the YRF Spy Universe and is scheduled for release on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day weekend.
3. NTR 31 (Tentative Title: Dragon)
In collaboration with acclaimed director Prashanth Neel, Jr NTR will star in a period drama tentatively titled “Dragon.” The film is set to delve into themes of immigration and is expected to be one of the most expensive projects for both the actor and the director. The movie is slated for a grand release on January 9, 2026.
Why Jr NTR is the Action Hero Everyone Wants to See
Jr NTR’s appeal as an action hero stems from his ability to seamlessly blend intense physicality with deep emotional resonance. His performances are characterized by a compelling screen presence, dynamic energy, and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences across diverse roles. This unique combination of skills has solidified his status as a leading figure in Indian cinema, making him the action hero everyone wants to see.
With a lineup of diverse and high-profile projects, Jr NTR continues to push cinematic boundaries and captivate audiences worldwide. His dedication to his craft and ability to reinvent himself with each role ensure that fans have much to look forward to in the coming years.
Headed to a wilderness retreat of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO to hopefully land a lucrative job, widower Elliot and his reluctant daughter Ridley manage to have a car accident with a heretofore-thought creature out of legend, and hijinks ensue!
Oh this is an absolute gem of a movie y’all, brought to you by the genius minds of film production company A24, a delightful blend of horror and campy, almost idiotic, comedy. Make sure your seatbelt is buckled and let’s dive into this!
So Ridley (Jenna Ortega) is you typical teenager, angsty and missing her passed-on mother, full of acne troubles and secretly vaping while her dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) ignores her for much more than appearance purposes, while he schmoozes his way into the good graces of the family they’re going to stay with. Elliot ignores everything but his continued greed, for both money and continuous stability for him and Ridley, really, he swears, so when the misty mountains cause their electronics to go haywire and Elliot’s busy with that crisis, he doesn’t notice until it’s too late and BAM. You’ve hit an actual unicorn with your car.
Like most girls, Ridley can’t help but be fascinated by the poor mythical horse-like creature, and of course she reaches out to grasp the glowing horn, filling her head full of magic and her eyes full of stars and the cosmos, while Elliot has a much more, let’s say visceral, reaction. But rather than calling, I dunno, some sort of wildlife preserve or the cops or even considering burying the unfortunate horned horse, no, the baby is loaded like a downed stag into the back of Elliott’s car and they hurry on to the CEO’s wilderness retreat.
It makes sense that the changes to Ridley’s appearance are the first thing that allows O’Dell (Richard E. Grant) and his greedy, grasping family to understand that the body of the unicorn has healing properties. Wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) is your typical utterly vapid socialite who helps the poor downtrodden of whatever’s currently popular third world country, not for the do-gooder part of it, but for the optics. And their son Shepard (Will Poulter) is a walking poster boy for the arrogant frat boy type who could never settle on just one thing to be or do, and so he tries them all – archery, photography, mixology, music and various forms of pharmaceuticals, all while sporting these terrible fashion choices in shorts and rambling proudly about his nonexistent accomplishments. Griff (Anthony Carrigan) is the family butler and general verbal punching bag, and let us not forget the unfortunate pair of doctoral research scientists who get called in to examine the unicorn, Dr. Song (Steve Park) and Dr. Bhatia (Sunita Mani).
So we have a family of covetous types who all want to divy the unicorn up and sell its various parts for as much wealth and power as they can get, plus the pair of scientists who are flabbergasted to find themselves dissecting an actual unicorn that, hey, guess what, isn’t actually dead for really-real yet. Elliott’s trying to procure his and Ridley’s slice of the action, though honestly, his lawyerly powers of persuasion seem to be rather lacking in this regard, while Ridley is off doing some actual research on medieval unicorns and what the ancient legends in tapestries had to say about them. You know how the modern genie, with his Arabian lamp and his three wishes with their horrifically ironic consequences, actually stems from the ancient legend of that old monster, the creature born from fire that wants nothing more than to destroy all human life on Earth, the Djinn? Our modern legends and beliefs about unicorns is kinda like that.
So everyone, even our scientists with their experiments and O’Dell supposedly being an experienced animal hunter, seems to have forgotten that a horse is a mammal and therefore, has parents. And while everyone is concerning themselves with what to use the babies’ various parts for, only Ridley seems to have realized, that the babies’ sire and dam are coming for it!
We all know horses are smart, and that humans and horses can form an almost mythical bond, but when a stallion or even a dam’s ire is raised, they can attack and defend just as well as any rampaging beast, and do present a very real and dire threat. And these particular horses, with their shaggy midnight-black coats and hooves the size of monster-truck hubcaps, their fangs and absolute righteous rage at their baby being stolen, not to mention both mom and dad’s inherently magical nature, and those utterly badass war-unicorn horns, are here to wreak utter destruction and death upon the humans that would dare to eat, drink and snort, their baby!
Full of utterly ridiculous fun with human greed and the scarcely-remembered wonder of those magical creatures you heard about as a child, cheer along with the Jurassic Park-like screech of our rampaging parents to save their baby, in Death of a Unicorn, in theaters now!
Upcoming NTR Junior projects
“Death of a Unicorn: A24’s Twisted Fairytale You Won’t Forget”
WonderCon 2025: A Faith Full Dickens Tale & The King of Kings Animated Movie
WonderCon 2025: Fade to Black Interviews
Top 10 Unexpected Movies Where The Bad Guy Wins
