Cuoco attended the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards with fake banks to cover the black eye she got from the incident, but many fans criticized her look because the bangs didn’t compliment her face at all.
When you think of The Big Bang Theory, you might picture the hilarious jokes and quirky antics of Sheldon, Leonard, and their friends. But behind the scenes, the cast was just as playful, often pulling pranks and tricks on each other. However, things got a little out of hand in Season 6, leading to a major change in how things were done.
This happened when a prank by Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco went terribly wrong. After that, strict rules were put on hold, banning all pranks to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. Here’s everything you want to know about the prank.
The prank gone wrong
During the filming of Season 6, Episode 16, titled The Tangible Affection Proof, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco decided to play a prank. Galecki would pretend to punch Cuoco and she would fall off her chair for the gag reel. He thought it would be hilarious but things did not go as planned. After Galecki’s fake punch, Cuoco pretends to fall, but she hits her head for real.
At first, she didn’t realize the severity of her injury. She excitedly got up, thinking they had pulled off the prank perfectly, only to see blood gushing from her head. “We did it. (When I got up) all I saw was blood gushing out of my head… it was all over me.” Cuoco explained at San Diego Comic-Con, “We thought it would be really funny for the gag reel to take it really far.”
The aftermath of the prank
The situation quickly turned serious, as Cuoco had to be rushed to the hospital for stitches. This incident led to a new rule on the set: no more pranks. Signs were put up around the set that said, “No fun allowed on the Big Bang set.” This rule was one of many that the cast had to follow from that point on.
When Cuoco came on the set on the next day, she was shocked to see the signs. She then understood that her injury had a significant impact on the set. The prank gone wrong on The Big Bang Theory set left a lasting impact. The strict no-pranks rule remained in place until the show ended in 2018.
This decision showed how a moment of fun could lead to serious consequences.
The impact on Cuoco’s career
The injury had consequences beyond the set, too. Cuoco attended the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards with fake banks to cover the black eye she got from the incident. Many fans didn’t like her bangs, as they were not complimenting her face. She claimed that these bags almost ruined her entire career.
Once, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cuoco recalled this incident and shared how everybody was shocked on set. Johnny was in tears, Simon was vomiting in the corner, and blood was gushing down Cuoco’s face. But she realized at that moment how important she was. “I thought it was the most awesome thing in the world.”
Kaley Cuoco’s continued love for pranks
Despite the ban on pranks on The Big Bang Theory set, Cuoco didn’t let go of her playful spirit. While filming the thriller The Flight Attendant on HBO, Cuoco shared some behind-the-scenes pranks on Instagram. Her make-up artist, Jayde Moon, once filmed her bathroom with fake cockroaches while Cuoco just screamed in fright.
While sharing the video of this prank, she wrote, “It never ends. I live in constant fear around here lol.” Cuoco’s pranks were not limited to just one incident. The entire cast and crew of The Flight Attendant frequently teamed up to prank her. Cuoco shared that she was often the target of the tricks, and they used to happen literally every day.
One prank involved her initials on her personalized set chair with the word “stupid.” Cuoco offered a reward to anyone who could reveal who did this. But, to date, it remains a mystery. She once joked, “This is literally every day. The cast and crew have plotted against me and now scare me at every turn. I am not safe.”
