The Big Bang Theory had many important facets that helped keep it memorable even five years after being on the air. The jokes about science, science-fiction memorabilia, and more all played pivotal roles in the series. One recurring part of the show became so noticeable that it even caused fan discussions.
The Big Bang Theory group can be found eating in a high number of scenes throughout the show, whether it’s takeout food from a Chinese restaurant, a meal prepared by someone’s parents, or a restaurant like the one where Penny briefly worked. The prop team had to work hard to make sure there was enough food on set for each scene. It’s also been debated among fans if the actors are actually eating on the show, if they’re fake-eating, or if they’re given fake food. Surprisingly, it took a NASA team of scientists to find the answer.
How NASA Discovered What’s Authentic in ‘The Big Bang Theory’
In 2010, while The Big Bang Theory was still on the air, Maggie Masetti was working on a blog post for NASA about a beach ball that showed data from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. Masetti wanted to demonstrate the ball’s use as a teaching tool, but she needed a picture for the blog post. A version of the ball sat on a bookshelf in The Big Bang Theory apartment, and Masetti’s director had the idea to get in touch with the show’s producer. The scientists were invited to visit The Big Bang Theory set for a picture of the ball and to learn more about the show.
At the set, the scientists dropped off some props to be used for the show. While they were talking with the prop master, Scott London, they discovered something unusual about The Big Bang Theory. Despite all the scientific props and talking on the show, one of the most authentic parts on the sitcom is the food.
In a blog post for NASA, Masetti recorded the team’s conversation with London, where he revealed that he cooks all the food used on the show. “I’ve got to make the actors’ food plus all the background food,” London said. “Some shows I think we’ve had [food in] every single scene, between three cafeteria scenes and two restaurant scenes.”
These large cooking duties do come with a perk for London, though. He said that the staff affectionately referred to him with the nickname Chef London. London once considered being a chef, too, and the cooking duties as prop master gave him the chance to act as one.
Having Real Food Is Unusual in Hollywood
Having real food on a Hollywood set is not typical. With so many takes happening for a single scene, stand-ins for foods are used to make props last longer. One prop master revealed on TikTok that the look of ice cream can easily be replicated using powdered sugar and cake frosting. In a more specific case, the prop master for Midsommar shared that in a scene where a character has to eat a meat pie, oatmeal and cocoa powder were used to make ground beef, so the pies would stay up during a hot and long shoot.
For The Big Bang Theory, it wasn’t as easy to use fake food. The show was filmed in front of a live studio audience with multiple cameras going at once. The characters had to be seen eating, and stopping production each time an actor would have needed to spit out fake food wouldn’t have been practical.
Some of the actors really did eat the food on set. “People always ask if we eat the food (during scenes).” Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny, told CNN. “I must be the only one who really eats the food. I save my appetite until we do those scenes – I want to look real, man!” However, not all the show’s actors are eating as authentically as the food is prepared. Some have had to master techniques for fake eating, like Kunal Nayyar, who taught talk show host Conan O’Brien that food can easily be snuck back into the box.
The Food Is Essential to the Friendship
While it seems like a misstep on the writers’ part to have the characters so focused on food during a live taping, it actually works quite well. The characters are almost always eating, talking about food, or going to restaurants in The Big Bang Theory. Every friend group needs something to bond over, and for The Big Bang Theory friend group, it’s food.
Some of the most hilarious moments in the series have also had to do with food. It’s hard to forget the Season 2 episode where Leonard tells Sheldon that the Chinese restaurant where they’d been ordering closed two years ago, and Leonard stockpiled 4,000 containers from the restaurant so that he could pass off food from other restaurants as Sheldon’s favorite.
The love for food even bled into The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff series. Most episodes of Young Sheldon and Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage have some sort of scene set at a dining table. In one episode of Young Sheldon, George Sr. even becomes infatuated with a recipe for Meemaw’s brisket. There’s still one more spinoff in the works for The Big Bang Theory, focusing on the comic-book store seen in The Big Bang Theory, which could lead to some of the same restaurant sets getting reused.
