18 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From 'The Big Bang Theory'
In September 2007, The Big Bang Theory premiered on CBS. At the time, the little-known comedy struggled to find an audience. Cut to eleven years later and the shows have become a fan favorite along with earning critical acclaim. The show helps revive the career of former Roseanne star Johnny Galecki along with making Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco stars. Rounding out the star-studded cast is Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, and former child star Mayik Bialik.
Throughout the course of the show, it's won numerous awards and earn praise from critics. There's also been a slew of guest stars including Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates. Every week, viewers tune in to see what hijinks the nerdy scientists and their ladies get into. Over the course of eleven seasons, we've seen the characters get married and settle down to have children. They've also experience drama and heartache over the years along with coping with changes. No matter what the focus of the episode was, viewers could count on Sheldon and company to provide them with laughs.
While fans have gotten to know the characters and portrayers, there are some facts about the actors and the show that viewers would be surprised to learn. For instance, did you know that a psychics professor helps with the show, or that the producers wanted to take Sheldon's character in a different direction?
So in honor of the show's upcoming 12th season, let's take a look at some behind the scene secrets from The Big Bang Theory.
18 Kaley Cuoco And Johnny Galecki Secretly Dated
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki have remarkable chemistry as Penny and Leonard. Fans of the show always rooted for Penny and Leonard to wind up together, even when they broke up. During season nine, viewers got to see their favorite Big Bang couple marry when the couple fled to Las Vegas for a quick ceremony.
While Penny and Leonard's relationship ended in a happily ever after, the same can't be said for their portrayers.
What many fans don't know is that Kaley and Johnny secretly dated in real life. Their relationship started in 2007 around the time the show debuted.
They dated for two years before calling it quits in 2009. Unlike most celebrity couples Kaley and Johnny kept their relationship private, nobody knew about their real-life romance until Kaley admitted it in an interview with CBS Watch Magazine.
Even though the couple split up, they still remain the best of friends. Johnny even attended Kaley's 2015 wedding to her ex-husband, Ryan Sweeting. He's also going to be a guest at her upcoming ceremony to Karl Cook. While Kaley has found happiness, Johnny remains single.
Although Kaley and Johnny didn't work out in real life, they still get the fans' hearts fluttering during Penny and Leonard's scenes.
17 Sheldon Was Actually Supposed To Be A Ladies Man
Sheldon Cooper is one of television's most eccentric characters. Although he sometimes merges on the annoying side, viewers have come to love Sheldon and his quirky habits. Whether it's his obsessive need to clean and organize, his childlike demeanor, or his stance that he's smarter than everyone; fans can't get enough of Sheldon.
Yet, producers had a different version of Sheldon in mind when they created the show.
Instead of the lovable smart dork we love, Sheldon was going to be a ladies man. The original pilot that was filmed showcased Shelson's playboy attitude as he flirted with women.
Sheldon as a ladies man seemed rather odd and after an initial screening, the producers decided to rewrite the character. Thanks to the rewrite we've now got the oddball brainiac that viewers love.
Over the years, Sheldon has become the object of affection for many women, including grad student Ramona Nowitzki. However, only one woman was able to tame his heart and that is Amy Farrah Fowler. For the past seven seasons, viewers watched as Sheldon and Amy's relationship developed. On the eleventh season finale, audience tuned in to the most-touted event to see the scientist couple finally married in a star-studded ceremony.
16 The Cast Is Also Talented Musicians
Throughout the course of the show, we've seen many of the Big Bang characters showcase musical talents by playing instruments. Of course, Amy Farrah Fowler is often seen playing the harp while belting out a soothing song. But what viewers don't know is that Amy's portrayer, Mayim Bialik plays the harp in real life. Mayim decided to take lessons shortly after landing the role of Amy.
But Mayim isn't the only actor who's musically talented. Viewers will remember that in one episode, Sheldon was using a theremin, which is like a conducting instrument that allows sound to emanate between two antennas. Like his character, Jim Parsons is a pro at playing the theremin.
Aside from Parsons and Bialik, Johnny Galecki is also a pro at the piano along with the cello, which is the instrument Leonard plays. The other cast member who is musically talented is Simon Helberg, who's a piano player. Fans will remember that Howard has played the piano numerous times on the show as Mr. Wolowitz serenaded his lady love, Bernadette.
Even though Kaley Cuoco doesn't play a musical instrument, she's shown she's a good singer as we've seen Penny sing “Soft Kitty” to Sheldon when he was sick.
15 Jim Parsons Had To Audition Twice For The Role Of Sheldon
As any producer will tell you finding the right actor for a role is a hard job. When it came time to cast for the role of Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, the producers auditioned dozens of actors. Yet, one star stood up amongst the others. That was Jim Parsons.
Prior to The Big Bang Theory, Parsons worked steadily by landing roles in small budget movies such as Garden State. When it came time to audition for The Big Bang Theory, Parsons impressed the producers. In fact, they loved Parsons so much they asked him to come back for a second audition.
After nailing it a second time, Parsons was immediately cast as Sheldon Cooper.
Thanks to his role as Sheldon, Jim Parsons has launched a successful career for himself. Not only is he one of the highest-paid stars on television, but he's also won numerous awards for his work along with gaining spokesperson deals with Intel. He's also started to branch out into films by voicing an alien in the animated kids' film Home. He also had a major role in the widely successful and critically acclaimed Hidden Figures, for which he along with the cast earned a SAG Award nomination.
14 Bob Newhart Earned His First Emmy For Guest Appearance
TV icon Bob Newhart has had an illustrious career for over 50 years. Starting out in the 1960s, the comedian worked steadily by appearing in variety shows along with films. In the 70s, he found success with his own television series The Bob Newhart Show, which ran for six years before being canceled in 1978. He then went on to achieve more success with the 80s sitcom Newhart and the comedian was nominated three times for a Primetime Emmy.
Bob Newhart would go on to guest star on other shows and earn more award nominations. However, it wasn't until 2013 when he guest-starred on The Big Bang Theory that he was introduced to a new generation of audiences. Playing the role of Professor Proton, Newhart was a former TV star and one of Sheldon's childhood heroes.
Newhart's role as Professor Proton finally earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Star In a Comedy Series. The actor would go on to reprise his role on Big Bang for four more episodes as Professor Proton returned to offer Sheldon advice. Newhart would also receive two more Emmy nominations in his other guest appearances on the show, yet he hasn't added another Emmy to his mantle.
13 Sheldon's Dad Was Leonard's Bully
When the Big Bang prequel Young Sheldon premiered in September 2017, fans would finally get a glimpse of what Sheldon's childhood was like in Texas. Zoe Perry plays Sheldon's mother Mary, while Lance Barber plays his dad, George. As longtime fans will recall, Sheldon's father passed away when he was just a teen.
During Young Sheldon, viewers get to see what George was like as a father. He's a manly man, who coaches high-school football and loves to indulge in a beer. He's not as smart as his youngest son and doesn't understand Sheldon's fascination with science, yet he supports his son.
As viewers tuned in to Young Sheldon, they couldn't help but notice that Lance Barber seemed familiar. Barber has had a long career in television, his most memorable roles were on 'The Comeback' and 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia'.
Yet, fans remember him better from a guest appearance he made on The Big Bang Theory long before he was cast as Sheldon's father. In the episode, Barber played Leonard's high-school bully, Jimmy, who came to Los Angeles to make amends. When Leonard rejects his apology, Jimmy gets drunk and passes out on Sheldon's couch, the next day when he awakens Leonard and Sheldon learn that Jimmy's still the bully he was in high-school.
Maybe it was that one-time guest appearance that scored Barber his current gig on Young Sheldon.
12 Kaley Cuoco Wasn't The First Choice To Play Penny
Before the show premiered, there were some tweaks the producers had to make. For instance, the character of Penny was originally supposed to be called Katie. The character of Katie was played by actress Amanda Walsh. Not much is known of Walsh, except she was born in Canada and she had guest appearances on Smallville, Veronica Mars, and Two and a Half Men.
With the cast all set and the pilot filmed, the producers had an advanced screening for their first episode.
The reaction isn't what they were hoping for, audiences had negative opinions about it, especially with Katie's character. With the viewer feedback, the creators knew they had to make some changes.
The major change they made was to the female lead. They changed the character's name from Katie to Penny, then they set out to find another actress for the role. The producer brought back Kaley to audition for the role, even though they had rejected her twice already. The third time proved to be the time for Kaley when she was cast as the new Penny.
With her role as Penny, Kaley is enjoying a successful career that has saw her earn millions of dollars along branching out into other ventures such as her new production company Yes, Norman Productions.
11 Mayim Bialik Has A Ph.D.
With a comedy series about scientists, you wonder if the actors know anything about the profession their characters are in. The Big Bang cast admits they don't know much about physics and they only learn about this stuff when reading the script. However, there's one actor on the show who knows a lot about the field of study her character is in.
Like Amy Farrah Fowler, Mayim Bialik has a Ph.D. in neuroscience. When she turned eighteen, Mayim enrolled at UCLA where she'd originally earned a Bachelor's degree in the field. She then decided to earn a doctorate and in 2007, she finally graduated with her Ph.D. in neuroscience.
With her Ph.D., Mayim began studying Obsessive Compulsive Disorders in children, a subject she wrote about in the book Beyond The Sling.
While Mayim has accomplished a lot with her Ph.D., her love of acting never wavered. She continued to work during her college days, but it wasn't until 2010 when she landed her Big Bang role and made a comeback. Being on a show like The Big Bang Theory having an actress as smart as Mayim is good to have. Mayim tends to help with the show's scripts when it comes to Amy's work.
10 Kevin Sussman Auditioned For The Role Of Kripke
Big Bang fans have come to love Kevin Sussman's character, Stuart Bloom. The lovable comic book store owner became a hit with viewers due to his shy, lonely personality. During the show's early seasons, Stuart was a recurring character, but in recent years he's been featured heavily as the main character. Some of Stuart's storylines include his relationship with Mrs. Wolowitz, the burning down of his comic store, moving in with Howard and Bernadette, and his friendship with Raj.
However, Kevin Sussman almost didn't get the role of Stuart. He originally auditioned for the role of Barry Kripke, Sheldon's nemesis at the university.
Yet, that role went to Sussman's good friend John Ross Bowie. While Kevin didn't get the role of Kripke, the producers loved him so much that they cast him as Stuart.
Sussman has become just as popular as the main cast of The Big Bang Theory. With Stuart being a character you can't help but root for, viewers wonder if he'll ever catch a break.
While Sussman and Bowie are best known for their Big Bang roles, they're also talented screenwriters and recently sold their ideas for a new comedy shows to CBS and Fox.
9 Laurie Metcalf's Daughter Plays Young Sheldon's Mother
Another Roseanne co-star that has appeared on The Big Bang Theory is Laurie Metcalf, who plays Sheldon's devoutly religious mother Mary. Metcalf has made numerous appearances as Mary came to Los Angeles to help her son through a crisis. We've also seen mother and son have a few disagreements when it came to the science versus religion debate, one of the running gags on the show.
When it was announced that a Big Bang spinoff about Sheldon's childhood was in the works, fans wondered if Metcalf would play his mother on the other show. Since the show centered on the early years of Sheldon's life growing up in Texas, Metcalf wasn't going to be an option for the show. However, producers quickly found the perfect actress to play Mary on Young Sheldon. That actress is Zoe Perry, the oldest daughter of Laurie Metcalf.
Perry landed the role following a successful audition and just like her famous mama, Perry has the same tone of voice and mannerisms that viewers have come to love about Mary Cooper. Perry's role on Young Sheldon has earned her acclaim for critics and fans will get to see more of her as the show was picked up for a second season.
8 A Physics Professor Assists With The Scripts
Although the characters' personal lives have become a huge part of the show's recent storylines, most of the time the focus is on their jobs. Being physicists, the characters are often at the university working on their latest experiments in the science world. While it's interesting to watch the characters work their equations and talk about their scientific research, sometimes viewers can get lost in all the scientific terms. It also has them wondering, how do the writers come up with the scripts revolving around physics when they don't know anything about the subject.
Well, luckily the writers have a physics professor on hand to help with the scripts.
When creator and producer Chuck Lorre came up with the idea for the show, he'd knew they'd need assistance with explaining the characters' work and brought in David Saltzberg to help.
Saltzberg is a local California physics professor who has worked with the show since it's early years. When an episode calls for Saltzberg's knowledge, the professor makes a trip to the studio to consult with the writers.
The next time fans watch the show and see Leonard and Sheldon working their science equations on the whiteboard, they can remember that Saltzberg helped with the script.
7 Sara Gilbert And Johnny Galecki Rekindled Their Romance On Big Bang
What many fans don't know about Johnny Galecki is that he was a child star. He landed roles in movies and guest roles on TV shows. One of his most memorable roles came when he was cast as David, Darlene's boyfriend on Roseanne. The role not only helped Johnny's career but also created a friendship with Sara Gilbert that has lasted over 20 years.
After Roseanne ended in 1997, Johnny and Sara went on to have successful careers. But in 2007, the friends and former co-stars were once again paired together onscreen when Sara made a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory. Playing the role of Leslie Winkle, Sara was a fellow physicist who works at the same university as Leonard and Sheldon.
Leslie and Leonard have a brief romance which ends when he wants their relationship to get more serious and she's just looking for a fling. Sara would reprise her role as Leslie a few more times when the physicist would pop up in an episode just to antagonize the uptight Sheldon. Leslie would also have another short-lived romance with another Big Bang character, Howard Wolowitz. However, just like his good buddy Leonard, Howard had his heart broken by Leslie.
6 Only 3 Cast Members Have Been Nominated For Emmys
During the early seasons of Big Bang, the show struggled to find an audience and the critics' reaction to the premise was mixed with some applauding it originality and others not finding it interesting. But as the show progressed, critics began applauding the writers and the actors for delivering funny storylines and showing character development. As more critical acclaim rolled in, the show began to receive numerous award nominations.
They've won 5 Critics Choice Television Awards along with 10 People's Choice Awards. But their biggest honor is being nominated for a Primetime Emmy, which is the most prestigious award in television.
The show's been nominated three times for Outstanding Comedy Series, while three of its stars have earned acting nominations. Mayim Bialik has been nominated four times for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Johnny Galecki earned his first and only Emmy nomination in 2011 for Outstanding Lead Actor.
As for Jim Parsons, since 2009, he's been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor a total of six times. Out of the six times, he's received nominations, he's won the coveted award four times.
While Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, and Melissa Rauch have never been nominated for an Emmy, they still attend the awards ceremony to cheer on their co-stars.
5 Kaley Was Reunited With Former TV Mom Katey Sagal
Prior to landing her breakout role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco was on another sitcom. In September 2002, she landed the role of oldest daughter Bridget Hennessy on the ABC show 8 Simple Rules. The show had John Ritter and Katey Sagal playing Kaley's parents. In September 2003, tragedy struck the show when John Ritter passed away due to a heart attack. The show would run for two more years before being canceled in 2005.
Shortly after the cancellation of 8 Simple Rules, Kaley would land the role of Penny, which jumpstarted her career. In 2016, Kaley would share a reunion with her former TV mom when Sagal was cast to play Penny's mother. When the casting news was announced, Kaley expressed her excitement at being able to work with Sagal again.
In the season 10 premiere, Sagal appeared as Penny and Leonard's families came to town to watch the couple renew their vows. Rounding out the cast as Penny's family was Keith Carradine as her father and Jack McBrayer as her troublesome brother. While it had been almost ten years since they last worked together, Sagal and Cuoco proved they still had the same mother and daughter chemistry as their characters tried to smooth things over before Penny's big day.
4 The Cast Took A Pay Decrease For Their Co-stars
With The Big Bang Theory becoming CBS' top-rated sitcom, it was only a matter of time before the cast started to negotiate their salaries. During the early years of the show, the cast was earning around $60,000 an episode. By the time the fourth season started filming, the cast's salaries were bumped up to around $300,000 per episode.
As the popularity of the show continued to grow, so did the actors' checkbooks.
In 2014, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar negotiated new deals which saw them earn a million dollars per episode.
As for Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, they originally earned $20,000 during their first season of the show before it was raised to $100,000 per episode.
Yet, when it came time to discuss their contracts for the eleventh season, Bialik and Rauch asked for an increase in their pay. Executives didn't know if they'd have enough money to meet the women's demands, however, the rest of the cast came to the rescue. The co-stars agreed to take a pay cut so Mayim and Melissa could get the pay increase they rightfully deserved. That big gesture showed how close the entire Big Bang cast is in real life as they are onscreen.
3 Melissa Rauch Suffered Heartache On Journey To Motherhood
During season three of the show, Melissa Rauch was introduced as a new love interest for Howard Wolowitz. Playing the role of Bernadette Rostenkowski, Rauch became an instant hit with her squeaky voice and quirky personality. Now a permanent character, Bernadette has gone from waitress to pharmaceutical rep. We've also seen her tame ladies man Howard as the two married before he was sent into space. In the past two years, Bernadette and Howard's family has grown as they welcomed two children Halley and Neil.
While Bernadette had an easy journey to motherhood, for Melissa Rauch it was a tough road. In July 2017, Rauch announced that she and her husband Winston were expecting a baby. She also shocked fans when she revealed that she and her husband struggled to start their family. In a blog post for Glamour Magazine, Rauch revealed that she suffered a miscarriage the previous year. She expressed her emotions in the heartfelt post that she shared with fans.
On December 4, 2017, Rauch's dream of motherhood came true when she gave birth to a daughter named Sadie. Rauch's co-stars were quick to offer their congratulations along with babysitting services. With a close-knit cast such as The Big Bang group, Sadie is going to have fun going to the set with mom.
2 Mayim's Short Term Role Turned Into A Permanent Stay
In 2010, producers of Big Bang decided to spruce up the show by adding a girlfriend for Sheldon. Former Blossom star Mayim Bialik was brought on to play the role of Amy Farrah Fowler. Amy is a neurobiologist, who is set up on a date with Sheldon thanks to the help of Howard and Raj.
Mayim's appearance as Amy continued throughout season four, however, her role was almost short-lived. Producers only wanted Amy around for three episodes, but Mayim's chemistry with Jim Parsons was so remarkable that audiences fell in love with Amy and the producers decided to make her a permanent character.
Amy's relationship with Sheldon has become one of the most interesting storylines throughout the last seven years.
Viewers loved how Amy challenged Sheldon and slowly got him to change his ways. Fans got to see the couple share their first kiss along with their first night together. But their special moment came when Sheldon and Amy became engaged and tied the knot during the season eleven finale.
Not only has the Amy character become a hit on The Big Bang Theory, but the role also helps rejuvenate Mayim Bialik's career. Since joining the show, Mayim has earned critical acclaim along with 4 Emmy nominations.
1 Johnny Galecki Was Mayim's First Onscreen Boyfriend
Prior to joining The Big Bang Theory, Johnny Galecki was known for his role as Darlene's boyfriend, David on the ABC show Roseanne. However, long before Roseanne, Johnny was a child star and appeared in numerous television shows. One show had him paired with a girl, who would later go on to reunite with him on The Big Bang Theory.
Mayim Bialik is remembered by fans for her role as the teen Blossom on the hit NBC show. During one episode of the show's first season, Blossom attends a party with her new boyfriend, who was played by none other than Johnny Galecki. In the episode, the two attend a party and at the end share a kiss. Mayim stated that was the first time a boy had kissed her.
Twenty years later, Mayim was reunited with her first onscreen boyfriend when she joined the cast of The Big Bang Theory. Mayim and Johnny's friendship is stronger than ever as the two have talked about how much they love working together and often pose for pictures on social media.
As for any romance for their Big Bang characters, that's out of the question since Leonard's with Penny and Amy is infatuated with Sheldon.
References: glamour.com web.archive.org