There are many reasons why “The Big Bang Theory” has been hailed by the masses as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Not only does it show that there’s more to nerd culture than just comic books and Star Wars, it also features some of television’s most hilariously iconic moments. Over the course of the show’s impressive 12-season run, the stars formed lasting friendships (and even one romantic relationship), which brought about a strong feeling of camaraderie.
However, while the set of the show was a very fun place to be for the most part, the stars also had a job to do, and so did co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. Therefore, things couldn’t always be carefree and light-hearted. In fact, there were certain rules that the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” had to follow to ensure a smooth filming experience, their physical safety (both on and off the set), and more.
They had to refrain from risky leisure activities
With another hit show on his hands, Chuck Lorre (the man behind “Two and a Half Men”) felt the pressure of maintaining its success, he revealed in “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.” Therefore, when cast members of “The Big Bang Theory” partook in risky leisure activities that could’ve upended everything, Lorre set ground rules for the sake of their wellbeing and the fate of the show.
In September 2010, there were major concerns that Kaley Cuoco would need her leg amputated. Despite being a practiced horse competitor, the one that she was riding at a ranch north of Los Angeles got scared, causing Cuoco to fall to the ground. All was well until the horse then attempted to jump over her, but instead landed on her leg. “That was the darkest, most frightening time in all 12 years. Kaley could have lost her leg. It was a series of miracles that allowed us to get through that and for her to come out on the other end of that healthy,” said Lorre.
Afterward, Lorre unveiled a set of rules, which were featured on the vanity card following Season 4, Episode 7 (“The Apology Insufficiency”), to ensure a similar incident didn’t happen. The card states: “Following Kaley Cuoco’s horseback riding injury, I’ve instituted new rules governing acceptable leisure activities for the cast of ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ 1. No friggin’ horses. This includes those found on merry-go-rounds and in front of supermarkets.” He went on to ban riding motorcycles and boating, among other more tongue-in-cheek things.
They had to sport their characters’ iconic looks
Though their styles somewhat evolve over the course of the show’s 12 seasons (like when Bernadette ditches her form-fitting cardigans in favor of looser button-down shirts after becoming a mother), the characters of “The Big Bang Theory” ultimately maintain their respective aesthetics, many of which aren’t the most comfortable. This means that, for over a decade, certain cast members were forced to don restrictive clothing for the sake of their craft.
In “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series,” Simon Helberg recalled needing assistance — and some butter on his legs — in order to pull up Howard Wolowitz’s ultra-tight jeans. But the pants weren’t the only aspect of Howard’s look that caused Helberg discomfort: “And then to get all those sharp belt buckles so close to so many vulnerable parts, plus the tight pants, and the pin on my turtleneck that would jam into my neck… I was always trying to get used to being smothered by my own wardrobe.”
Another cast member who suffered through a bothersome wardrobe was Mayim Bialik as Amy, known for her bulky, buttoned-up layers, knee-length skirts, and tights. She told author Jessica Radloff in her deep-dive book: “I was always sweating because Amy had so many layers on and didn’t really have a sense of different seasons. It was always sweater weather for her, even when everybody else was in short sleeves or tank tops.”
They couldn’t make drastic changes to their appearance
Many of the actors who starred in “The Big Bang Theory” rock beards in real life, though their characters were clean-shaven. Therefore, if they grew one between seasons, it was shaved upon returning to set to maintain continuity. The only exception came when preparing to shoot Season 3, Episode 1 (“The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation”), in which the guys return from a three-month-long expedition at the North Pole with massive beards. They were actually asked to grow out their facial hair over the break, but fake beards ended up being used.
It was also preferred that they didn’t do anything crazy to their hair, with the styles established in Season 1 becoming synonymous with the characters. Audiences came to know and love Howard’s Beatles-esque ‘do and Penny’s long, blonde locks, for example. However, before they started shooting Season 8, Cuoco did the unthinkable — she chopped her hair into a pixie cut without telling anyone. In “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series,” Cuoco said, “Something needed to shake up. I was bored and sick of the hair.”
Chuck Lorre was shocked when he saw Cuoco’s new hairstyle. For him, Penny’s long hair was part of who she was. “The audience had become infatuated with the character, and not just the character’s behavior and flaws and strengths, but in how the character looked,” he said in the book. “They became iconic, and to disregard that audience attachment was a mistake. And I witnessed it first-hand. It would have been the same thing if Johnny [Galecki] had come to the wrap party and had shaved his head.”
Practical jokes on set were banned
Just as Chuck Lorre forbade the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” from partaking in leisure activities that could lead to injury, he also banned them from pulling pranks on set after one that was attempted by Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco went horribly wrong. While filming a dinner scene for Season 6, Episode 16 (“The Tangible Affection Proof”), the two planned to pull a prank that involved Galecki fake-punching Cuoco and her falling off her chair. However, when she got up from the floor, Cuoco was met with horrified looks rather than the laughter she anticipated.
Cuoco recalled the incident in “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series,” telling Jessica Radloff: “I came up from the table saying, ‘How fun was that?,’ only to realize I had blood coming down my face as if I was in a boxing match.” Turns out, Cuoco accidentally got hit in the head by the chair, which certainly wasn’t part of the prank, and she had to visit a plastic surgeon to receive stitches. “The next day on set, there were all these signs saying things like, ‘No more jokes! No more rough-housing!’ I mean, we thought it was so funny, but no one else did.” Director Mark Cendrowski had to strategically film Cuoco from a certain angle so that her injury wasn’t visible on-camera.
They couldn’t improvise lines
While the actors of some sitcoms like “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” were encouraged to ad-lib lines and discover what worked best, this wasn’t the case with “The Big Bang Theory.” Melissa Rauch, the actor behind Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, told HuffPost Live, “‘Big Bang’ is very tightly scripted. Because we shoot in front of a live audience, it’s basically like doing a filmed piece of theater, really.” Plus, she and her castmates didn’t often feel the need to put their own spin on things, as they believed the scripts was already top-notch: “I love it so much, but you don’t want to mess with what they write because it’s almost like this beautiful concerto that you don’t want to mess up one note of.”
Because “The Big Bang Theory” was tightly scripted, and because he had the most scientifically dense monologues to memorize, Jim Parsons wrote down every single line on index cards, which he always had with him. “There wasn’t a set piece that didn’t have my scripts or note cards in it,” the actor said in “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.” It was only on a few rare occasions that dialogue was changed by writers during a taping. One such instance came while shooting a scene between Bob Newhart (who played Arthur Jeffries/Professor Proton) and Kaley Cuoco. When one of Newhart’s lines wasn’t landing with the studio audience, he suggested Cuoco say it instead. It was a move that proved successful.
