MCU Star Missed Out on TBBT Role, Had No Clue The Show Would Become Iconic
Marisa Tomei could play The Big Bang Theory's hot girl next door, says "it wasn't the right fit" for her at the time.
The book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff revealed many interesting facts about the beloved CBS show. It turned out among other facts that Kaley Cuoco was not the only actress auditioning for the role of Penny, the lovable neighbor of two nerdy scientists, Sheldon and Leonard.
Three other actresses considered for the role were Tara Reid, Elizabeth Berkley, and Marisa Tomei. The latter told Insider that she did not expect the show to become that successful when she first came to read lines with Jim Parsons for her audition.
"I certainly didn't know it was going to go on that long," the Spider-Man star added.
Indeed, the show went on for 12 years from 2007 to 2019, having broadcast 279 episodes over 12 seasons. Though Tomei confessed that the role of Penny was "not a right fit" for her, the actress said that she thought the concept of the show was fascinating, the script great, and the setup iconic, that's why she decided to audition.
The Big Bang Theory viewers agreed with Tomei and the show has become one of the most successful comedies in television history. Kaley Cuoco who eventually got the role Tomei was auditioning for is now among the richest celebrities with a net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. By the end of the show, her salary was $1 million per episode.
Though Marisa Tomei says she shares some personality traits like lack of organization with Penny, The Big Bang Theory fans think that it was a good thing Tomei didn't end up in the series because it would have completely changed the show. While she is a brilliant actress, it is hard to imagine Marisa Tomei as the pretty girl next door Leonard falls in love with. The creators of the show nailed it on the dot with Kaley Cuoco, fans think.
"Hard to imagine what that would've been like. Marisa Tomei is more than 20 years older than Kaley Cuoco, so the whole dynamic of the show (including the Penny/Leonard romance) would have been very different," one fan suggested.