Fictional heartbreak matching reality, fighting for Raj's character, and huge celebrity
what-ifs. These are the most eye-opening things from 'The Big Bang Theory' book.
There's a solid case to be made that "The Big Bang Theory" wouldn't function without Kaley
Cuoco as Penny. Penny was initially designed to be a foil to Leonard and Sheldon when Chuck
Lorre presented the show's pilot to several networks. However, that plan changed after
test audiences and TV executives were unimpressed with that version of Penny.
"…Molecules."
As devoted fans may already be aware, the first iteration wasn't even named Penny;
she was named Katie, and she was not played by Kaley Cuoco. That first incarnation was dark,
and interestingly, Marisa Tomei was one of the leading candidates for the role.
Jim Parsons acknowledged just how different the show would have been while talking with People
Magazine and it's difficult to disagree. The dynamic between Sheldon and Penny is
undoubtedly one of the show's highlights, and it's difficult to imagine a version in which
Penny isn't a bubbly and understanding delight who challenges Sheldon's dislike of humanity.
By now many viewers know that the actors who played Leonard
and Penny were also romantically involved. In the book, Kaley Cuoco
revealed that this mutual attraction began pretty quickly. She mentioned,
But, of course, both were in different relationships when their attraction
began. Still, it became real when Johnny Galecki invited Cuoco on a wine date,
and the rest, as they say, is history.
For a long time, the two managed to keep their relationship hidden from not only the media, but
also the rest of the cast and crew of the show. However, the sneaking around ultimately led them
to decide to reveal their relationship to creator Chuck Lorre at Comic-Con, who said in the book -
Sheldon's relationships are a major source of comedy in the series. He does not like
other people. He even hilariously categorizes his pals; Leonard,
Penny, and Raj are his best friends, whereas Howard is only a "treasured acquaintance."
And when he is interested in someone, such as Leonard's mother, it is typically not romantic.
Furthermore, Sheldon's romantic exploits are frequently one-sided,
whether it's his one-time date with Lalita or his awkward platonic connection with Ramona.
According to the book, Chuck Lorre initially pushed for Sheldon to be asexual, saying -
An asexual Sheldon would've been interesting, given that sort of depiction in pop culture is
uncommon. On the other hand, the writers chose to make Sheldon meet his match in Amy. In some ways,
this works better for the show since it gives Sheldon's character arc a sense of growth.
Leonard and Penny's romance finally takes off at the start of the third
season. When they eventually start dating, though,
things come to a standstill when Leonard tells Penny he loves her, and she can't say it back.
"Ah, the premature I love you."
In the book, co-creator Bill Prady stated that
Cuoco confided in him that the writing on the show accurately captured what
Galecki and Cuoco experienced during their separation, with Prady saying -
Unlike their on-screen counterparts, though,
Galecki and Cuoco never reunited. However, both pairs ended up in good situations.
Howard Wolowitz is the show's closest thing to a villain. That's not because he's a horrible guy,
but because he needs to grow the most out of the bunch. He is frequently creepy with ladies and
makes incredibly inappropriate remarks about his closest friend Raj. However,
as the series progresses, the introduction of Bernadette and the exploration of his
relationship with his mother reveal another side of him. The character's intricacy keeps
him compelling throughout the show. And it's all held together by Simon Helberg's performance.
In another reality, though, Simon Helberg did not play Howard Wolowitz. Kevin Sussman was
the first choice for the role, but he couldn't take it due to a contractual obligation with
"Ugly Betty." According to Entertainment Tonight, this revelation even shocked the
author Jessica Radloff, and she was initially hesitant to tell Helberg.
Of course, Sussman ended up playing Stuart Bloom, the owner of the comic book store frequented by
the gang. Radloff praised Sussman for never bringing up the fact that he was
the first choice for Howard throughout the entire show's production, adding -
Raj is first introduced to fans as the gang's pal who can't talk to women while sober. When
he drinks, he has the confidence to speak to women ... but can only do so in an offensive
manner. Kunal Nayyar generally performed the character lightheartedly, and he always
had a fantastic sense of humor with the show's writing, despite usually being the butt of jokes.
So Jessica Radloff's revelation that CBS initially chose to go behind Chuck Lorre's
back in order to replace Nayyar came as a great surprise, with Lorre saying -
Lorre immediately went to CBS executives to express his unhappiness at being belittled
and to make it clear that he would not allow Nayyar to depart the show without a fight.
Since then, Raj has joined the pantheon of brilliant television supporting characters.
"Later losers!"
"The Big Bang Theory" became a pop-cultural giant,
and for sitcoms, that generally means big stars making appearances on the show. "The
Office" went from a first season with no major celebrities to having guest stars like James
Spader and Idris Elba in the later seasons. It goes without saying celebrity cameos on
"The Big Bang Theory" became commonplace, but they didn't always pan out as intended.
Selena Gomez was one of the stars who never made it to the show. In Jessica Radloff's book,
Steven Molaro, one of the show's producers, talked about the moment Selena Gomez shared a social
media photo of herself watching the show. Molaro then reached out to her team to see if they could
plan a guest star spot for Gomez, but her hectic schedule prevented her from appearing on the show.
Although Molaro never made it to the pitching stage, he did reveal that the
writers were contemplating having Gomez play Amy's stepsister. The idea was to make Amy
slightly irritated with Gomez's character and envious of her since, well, she's Selena Gomez.
Penny is presented in "The Big Bang Theory"
as having an active and sporting lifestyle. Her father wanted a boy, so when he got Penny,
he raised her just like he would a son. As a result, Penny is good with engines, enjoys sports,
and once stole a horse while intoxicated in high school. In that particular regard, her real-life
counterpart, Kaley Cuoco, is no different. Cuoco is well renowned for her love of horses.
However, the only problem with an active lifestyle is sometimes it leads to terrifying injuries.
Cuoco experienced this during a horse-riding accident. In the book Chuck Lorre and Cuoco
reminisced about a horse-riding accident that almost led to her leg's amputation. According
to People Magazine, Cuoco fell from her horse in 2010 because the horse was startled by something,
and while she was on the ground, the animal trod on her left leg.
Cuoco, thankfully, did not lose her leg. Nonetheless, the anxiety was valid and spread
among the cast and crew. While Cuoco later remarked that the experience was still too
new and horrific for her to relive fully, she was back on her feet in a matter of weeks. However,
despite her injuries, she returned to work, but the writers made her a bartender so that she could
hide her cast and she needed to employ a body double in circumstances when Penny needed to walk.
Mark Hamill is, without a doubt, one of the most influential actors of his
generation. In geek culture, though, his work in "Star Wars" movies and "Batman:
The Animated Series" has made him a virtual deity. So it's no surprise that Hamill was
considered for a guest appearance on the show and luckily, his schedule permitted him to stop by.
"Congratulations on your wedding."
"Thank you. When this is over I have 4,000 things for you to sign."
However, while Hamill agreed to appear on the show, he had only seen a couple of episodes
and had no idea how important the show was to pop culture at the time, saying in the book -
Hamill admitted that his appearance and subsequent viewing of the entire
show made him regret his approach to the performance, conceding -
It's no secret that the first season of "The Big Bang Theory" is centered around Leonard
and Penny's romance, with Sheldon serving as a quirky friend who balances the drama with humor.
But as the series progressed, the audience grew to adore Sheldon and got invested in seeing him
overcome his struggles, especially in terms of how he interacts with others. So in a way,
the show became an ensemble piece with Sheldon at its heart. That was
due in large part to Jim Parsons' endearing performance in the role.
However, after 12 seasons, Parsons thought it was time to let go and move on with his career.
Parsons proposed to Lorre that he depart the show and they all carry on without him. The only
problem was that none of the other cast members were aware of Parsons' feelings. Galecki stated -
The cast and crew decided against continuing the show without him since they thought it
wouldn't work if one of the cast members left. So, after expressing their feelings,
they all agreed to end the show after Parsons voiced his intention to leave.
Later in the show's existence, the emphasis moves to Sheldon's growth and struggles,
especially with his dislike of the human touch. One way the sitcom portrays this
is through Penny's friendship with Sheldon. It begins with them aggravating each other a lot,
but the audience gradually realizes how precious their friendship is. Penny looks after Sheldon
when he is unwell, and Sheldon returns the favor when Penny dislocates her shoulder.
Sheldon's journey and friendship with Penny climaxes with an uncharacteristic
hug initiated by Sheldon. Even though the hug is out of character, it's well-planned and earned.
"Leonard look, Sheldon's hugging me!"
"It's a Saturnalia miracle!"
In the book, Parsons explained -
Parsons was referring to the Christmas episode in which Penny gives him a napkin
used and signed by Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon is overwhelmed with gratitude and reasons
that the only way he can repay her generosity is to hug her.