5 years after The Big Bang Theory ended, it was revealed that this star was almost fired after one episode – Series News

One can hardly imagine TBBT without Penny and the nerdy quartet at its center. But that almost would have happened, because after the pilot, the station manager decided to let one of the stars go.

How different The Big Bang Theory could have been has been said many times. In the original idea for the series, there was no neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco), just nerds. And of these, only Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) existed at the beginning. Simon Helberg as Howard and Kunal Nayyar as Raj were created later in the script’s development. But one of them almost got kicked out again after filming the pilot episode.

In the book “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story Of The Epic Hit Series”, series creator Chuck Lorre told the corresponding story: a person responsible for the TV station CBS decided to fire Kunal Nayyar and replace him with another actor after the pilot.

The Big Bang Theory star explains the golden rule for the show’s jokes to stay funny over 12 seasons

Chuck Lorre saved Kunal Nayyar from being fired

As Lorre said (via ScreenRant), he himself wasn’t told about it. When he arrived in New York for the traditional upfronts, in which the networks presented their new programs and The Big Bang Theory would also be announced, Chuck Lorre discovered at the airport that Kunal Nayyar was not present for the presentation, as the station manager decided that the actor was not the right person for the role.

According to Lorre, he was furious. For one, he wasn’t even consulted, and for another, it wasn’t possible to decide based on the pilot whether Nayyar was suitable for the role. After all, his character has nothing to do with the first episode. He therefore called and argued against dismissal, making it clear that he believed in the occupation and took responsibility for it. This way he managed to change the opinion of those responsible for the broadcaster.

In the end, Lorre had the right instinct. Starring Kunal Nayyar, The Big Bang Theory became one of the most successful comedies of all time and ran from 2007 to 2019.

All 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory are available in the Max catalog.

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