A different The Big Bang Theory actress almost played the part of Amy Farrah Fowler portrayed by Mayim Bialik. Like Melissa Rauch, the one-time child star joined the CBS show halfway through the series’ run. After her debut at the end of the season 3 finale as a potential romantic interest for Sheldon (Jim Parsons), she was immediately promoted to a series regular the next year, eventually becoming a significant member of the Pasadena gang. Had things pan out differently, however, Bialik may have not landed the part.
Boasting a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience, Bialik is the only member of The Big Bang Theory cast who has a real-life academic background that reflects her character’s profession. That said, she’s also not new in the world of sitcoms. Years before playing the research-obsessed scientist, the actress already made a name for herself by playing the titular character in NBC’s Blossom from 1991 to 1995. Despite her impressive credentials, Bialik wasn’t a sure cast by co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
The Big Bang Theory held auditions to play the part of Amy, and one of those who tried for the part is Kate Micucci. The actress, singer, and comedian is known for her appearance in other shows playing Stephanie Gooch in Scrubs and Shelley in Raising Hope. On the big screen, she brought Clayface in The LEGO Batman Movie and Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo films to life. While she didn’t land the role of Sheldon’s love interest, Micucci still made it into The Big Bang Theory in season 6, debuting as Lucy, Raj’s (Kunal Nayyar) socially-anxious girlfriend. The character was introduced in the episode “The Tangible Affection Proof” as one of the comic book customers for that year’s singles-only Valentine’s Day event. Lucy appeared for a total of 8 episodes spread throughout three seasons. She ultimately broke it up with Raj after she felt uncomfortable that he kept on insisting on introducing her to his friends.
Micucci played the jittery Lucy quite perfectly, and she effectively portrayed her other roles too, so it’s interesting to speculate what Amy would’ve been like if Micucci had landed the part. Her impeccable comedic timing would have help her as a Big Bang Theory regular cast member — not to mention her musical talent, considering Sheldon’s penchant for the “Soft Kitty” song. That said, since Micucci has yet to share the screen with Parsons, it’s difficult to say what her dynamic with the actor would have been like. This is particularly important to the casting process because the chemistry between Amy and Sheldon ultimately determined how The Big Bang Theory moved forward with their romance.
In the end, The Big Bang Theory made the right casting choice, picking Bialik to play Amy. Over the years, the character incrementally developed to cater to Sheldon’s barely changing ways without looking like she’s being railroaded which the actress portrayed effectively. The viewers’ continued investment in the couple’s final arc as they worked to win a Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on Super Asymmetry in the final season also backs this idea up.