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Big Bang Theory's Epic Fail: Macaulay Culkin Roasts the Worst Casting Attempt

Big Bang Theory's Epic Fail: Macaulay Culkin Roasts the Worst Casting Attempt
Image credit: CBS, Legion-Media

Everything worked out for the best.

Summary:

  • To this day, The Big Bang Theory remains one of CBS' most successful sitcoms.
  • The show has already been expanded with 2017's prequel, Young Sheldon, and the yet-to-be-titled spinoff in production at Max.
  • Macaulay Culkin was initially invited to play a role in the show, but turned down the opportunity, instead throwing some shade in its direction.

One of the things that fans of The Big Bang Theory have loved most about the show, aside from the regular cast, has been the amazing guest stars. From Stan Lee and Bill Nye to Stephen Hawking himself, the team behind the nerdy sitcom has outdone themselves when it comes to getting the most famous people to make cameo appearances.

Macaulay Culkin seems to be a star right in Big Bang Theory's wheelhouse. However, the actor's relationship with the show is far more complicated than you might think. To put it bluntly, Culkin is not the show's biggest fan due to the way he was approached by the team back in the day.

Who Was Macaulay Culkin Supposed to Play in The Big Bang Theory?

Big Bang Theory's Epic Fail: Macaulay Culkin Roasts the Worst Casting Attempt - image 1

Speaking to Joe Rogan during his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2018, Culkin revealed that he had already been approached to star in the iconic sitcom. In fact, the show’s casting directors didn't want to take his ‘no’ for an answer, which caused some tension:

“They pursued me for The Big Bang Theory. And I said no. It was kind of like, the way the pitch was, ‘Alright, these two astrophysicist nerds and a pretty girl lives with them. Yoinks!’ That was the pitch. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m cool, thanks.’ And then they came back at me again, and I said, ‘No, no, no. Again, flattered, but no,” he said.

Although the actor never mentions which role he was invited to play on the show, the Internet is inclined to believe that he was originally supposed to be Sheldon Cooper. But right now, knowing how perfectly Jim Parsons has handled the role for 17 years, it's a blessing to know that the actor turned it down.

However, for being so determined to get the comedian in the cast, The Big Bang Theory forever entered Culkin's personal blacklist. In fact, he mentioned on the same podcast that he would "bang his head against the wall" if he decided to give in to peer pressure and sign the contract.

Big Bang Theory's Epic Fail: Macaulay Culkin Roasts the Worst Casting Attempt - image 2

Luckily, things have worked out for both Macaulay Culkin, who was recently awarded with his own star on the Walk of Fame, and The Big Bang Theory, which shows no signs of slowing down with all the spinoffs and prequels the team behind the show is working on.

Who knows, maybe one day this feud will be over and Culkin will make a cameo on one of the shows as a sign of peace? Until then, you can binge-watch the original The Big Bang Theory on Max, or catch the final season of its prequel, Young Sheldon, every Thursday on CBS.

Source: The Joe Rogan Experience