Anyone who thinks of the series The Big Bang Theory quickly thinks of Penny and her actress Kaley Cuoco. But she wasn’t the only one who wanted a role in the series. An actress who is now known as a Marvel star also auditioned for the series.
A lot of things changed on The Big Bang Theory before actual production. The group of four nerds and Penny wasn’t as solid as we know them today from the start. Many actors applied for the roles.
Penny as a character has probably undergone the strangest changes. Once she was planned to be a robot, and another time she was even a different character, with a different actress – but the version was hated by test viewers.
After a while, with a series like this, it naturally becomes clear who else has applied for different roles. Particularly interesting is an actress who is now known primarily as a major Marvel heroine.
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An actress who was still unknown at the time wanted to be in the series
Which actress is it about? In 2020, actress Brie Larson spoke in a YouTube video about various auditions she had in the past. She also mentions that she once auditioned for The Big Bang Theory. But she was rejected there because she was too young.
Although she doesn’t mention what role it was about, one can assume the role was Penny. Brie Larson is only 3 years younger than Kaley Cuoco. But as The Hollywood Reporter reports, Cuoco was also initially rejected because she was too young for the role of Katie, who later became Penny.
How do we know Brie Larson today? In the early 2000s, Brie Larson wasn’t yet a big name in Hollywood. She played minor supporting roles in series. Then followed films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the Rest of the World in 2010 and 21 Jump Street in 2012. In 2017 she starred in the big blockbuster Kong: Skull Island.
In 2019 she was seen for the first time as Captain Marvel in the film of the same name. She then embodied the character several times in the MCU. For example in Avengers: Endgame 2019 or in The Marvels 2022.
Although she stars in major franchises, she is also present in smaller films and series and is often praised for her performance as well. In 2016 she even received the Oscar for Best Actress for the film Space.
As The Hollywood Reporter reports, several actresses were interested in the role of Penny. Among them was Marisa Tomei, who even auditioned with Jim Parson. Most people probably know Tomei as Peter Parker’s aunt from the current Spider-Man films.
Tara Reid and Elizabeth Berkley also apparently auditioned. Reid is best known from trash productions like Sharknado, and Berkley played smaller roles in various series, including CSI and Saved by the Bell. But there wasn’t just a lot going on behind the scenes with the character Penny. Raj and especially his actor also had a big problem: The Big Bang Theory: One of the most important actors was fired for no reason – but the creator brought him back