The casts of our favorite shows feel iconic and it's almost impossible to imagine anyone else playing the roles. However, it's not uncommon for our favorite actors to have auditioned for a different role or to have even been cast in a different role up until the last minute.
It turns out The Big Bang Theory is one of those shows.
Part of that is definitely because of the perfect casting. Every character seems perfectly fitted to the actor playing them, especially when it comes to the chemistry between all the actors — Leonard and Penny's chemistry, for example, was so good that Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco dated in real life!
It's hard to imagine anyone else bringing the awkward charm, the eloquence, the humor, and the heart that Mayim brings to Amy, and it's just as hard to imagine anyone else having the same powerful chemistry with Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper.
From 1990 to 1995, Mayim starred as the title character on the sitcom Blossom, about a young teenager who lived with her father and her two older brothers. The show was a hit, and I don't know about you, but I watched it all the time.
Mayim Bialik actually has a PhD in neuroscience in real life, just like Amy does on the show. She was actually working teaching neuroscience at the time she auditioned, and only really did so to get health insurance — we're betting that worked out for her!
The characters actually refer to her in Season 1, when Raj is pitching potential members for his physics team and mentions "the girl who played TV's Blossom" because she had a "PhD in neuroscience or something" as an option.
Leonard replies, “Raj, we’re not getting TV’s Blossom to join our Physics Bowl team," but it looks like he was wrong about that!
This actress even appeared on the show later as a recurring character!
It isn't super uncommon for casting directors to keep in mind actors that they like for parts other than the one they auditioned for. Kaley Cuoco revealed that her initial audition was for a "a dark, brooding unhappy woman" that was pretty far from Penny!
"They thought of me for Lucy because I auditioned for Amy years ago, and they liked and kept me in the back of their minds. When this character came up, that's how I ended up playing Lucy," Kate told The Hollywood Reporter.
While Kate may not have a neuroscience degree (that we know about, anyway), she still probably would have brought a lot of heart to the role!
Kate actually already had a pretty strong connection to the show!
While she's made appearances on Scrubs and Raising Hope, she's most well-known for her work with fellow singer Riki Lindhome in the band (and show) Garfunkel and Oates, a hilarious comedy band that's gone viral for a few hits like "The Loophole" and "Pregnant Women Are Smug."
Riki appeared as Ramona, a grad student who was obsessed with Sheldon, and her connection with Kate may have gotten her cast in the first place! "I remember Riki having an amazing time working on the show, and I was super-excited when I was cast. The producers definitely know Riki, and they love her, and it was nice to know that they're aware of Garfunkel and Oates," Kate said.
Do you think Kate could've made a good Amy? Would Mayim have made a good Lucy if that had happened? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
As far as I'm concerned, though, there's only ever going to be one Amy Farrah-Fowler.
