Apart from its laughter-filled storylines and sarcastic jabs, The Big Bang Theory also brought in a perfect ensemble to make Thursdays more fun for the viewers. While Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons aced their roles as Leonard and Sheldon Cooper, Kaley Cuoco with her character Penny is not far behind. From the initial episode itself, the fans were drawn to her chirpy personality and how perfectly she blended with the gang.
But during the show, Cuoco got into a terrible accident and was not present in two Big Bang episodes. In this article, let’s take a closer look at what the accident was all about as well as also the episodes in which she did not participate.
Kaley Cuoco Had a Major Horseback Injury That Left Her with Broken Bones
While Kaley Cuoco was riding high on the success of The Big Bang Theory, a major injury detailed her plans for some time. In 2010, the actress was in a serious horseback riding accident that left her with a badly broken leg. Her injury was so severe that doctors had to use about 18 pins to fix it during surgery.
Despite this, she amazed everyone when she quickly bounced back and only missed two episodes of The Big Bang Theory. This also her the only original cast member who had missed an episode in the show. During a past interview via TV Line, the actress talked in detail about the said injury adding:
Oh my god, yeah. I broke two bones in my leg, one came out of my leg…. I was in the hospital for almost three weeks, I had two surgeries …. No one believes how bad the accident was because I healed so fast, but [Big Bang cocreator] Chuck Lorre pulled some strings to get me in with one of the best doctors at Cedar’s in L.A. I was so lucky.
This phase was definitely tough for the actress, however, the support she got from her cast members, especially showrunner Chuck Lorre was quite emotional. The creator had a difficult time watching the actress go through such a traumatic experience. On this, Cuoco added:
Chuck was amazing. I definitely scared a lot of people, and I’ve never felt s—tier about myself. Not that it was my fault, but you feel like you’ve let so many people down. What’s amazing is I only missed two weeks of work. I’m eternally grateful that [the producers] made it work for me.
Despite the challenges she got back on set in no time, only missing two episodes. Let’s take a closer look at the episodes that she missed and what was the premise of them.
Big Bang Theory Episodes That Kaley Cuoco Missed Due to Her Injury
The Big Bang Theory had to deal with a major issue when Kaley Cuoco who was a part of the main cast got into an accident. This caused her to be absent for a few episodes to get her health back on track, however, the sitcom found a creative way to work around this situation. The writers focused more on the storylines of other characters so that her absence wouldn’t raise too many questions.
Cuoco was absent for two episodes of the fourth season titled The Desperation Emanation and The Irish Pub Formulation. The timing also worked out well as Penny and Leonard were already broken up, so the sitcom didn’t have to explain why the duo weren’t together anymore. So, to turn the attention of fans these episodes focused more on Leonard’s struggles with being single and his new romantic interests.
This obviously didn’t require Penny to be present in all the scenes. When Cuoco did return back to filming the show, the makers made sure to film her from the waist up to keep her cast hidden. During her bartender stint at The Cheesecake Factory as well, the bar scene allowed the camera to avoid capturing her leg.
Apart from Cuoco, no other main cast members namely Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg have missed filming an episode. While this was the main cast, in the third season of the sitcom Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch also joined in as full-time cast members.
Kaley Cuoco Almost Didn’t Star in The Big Bang Theory
Kaley Cuoco captured the true essence of Penny in every possible way that it would be impossible for fans to picture any other actress in that role. But in a shocking twist, the actress almost didn’t join the project as revealed by the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff.
This book sheds more-light on how close she was to missing out on the role that completely transformed her career. In Big Bang’s early stages of development, the creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady had envisioned a completely different character as the sitcom’s female lead.
So, during the initial audition, Cuoco didn’t make the final cut despite the fact that she had already worked with Loree in the past (8 Simple Rules). She detailed this disappointment in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and added:
I loved the role, and I loved Chuck. I know Chuck really wanted me for the role of Katie, and I was definitely bummed when I didn’t get it, but I kind of have a way of moving on because you have to.
The original concept for the character was named Katie, and she was made to be darker and more cynical than the quirky Penny. Ken Miller who was the casting director for the sitcom, also explained in the book:
Kaley Cuoco went to the network and tested for the first pilot of Big Bang. She’s so sunny and bubbly, and they just loved her, but she just didn’t bring the dark qualities. She just wasn’t the essence of Penny in that first incarnation.
Actress Jodi Lyn O’Keefe was chosen to play the role of Katie. But after the first table read, the creators felt that the character and O’Keefe’s portrayal were not aligning perfectly with their vision. They then reworked the role and briefly brought in Amanda Walsh to play the role. When this also did not work then Kaley Cuoco was given the role of Penny whom the viewers came to love so much.
Other actresses such as Tara Reid, Elizabeth Berkley, and Marisa Tomei also auditioned for the role. Not only that but Tomei also performed a screen test with Jim Parsons, but it did not click with the creators.
You can watch all the seasons of The Big Bang Theory on Max.
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