TBBT's Melissa Rauch Was Living Off The Unemployment Checks At The Time Of Her Audition
That’s what a life-changing role truly means.
Because viewers are often interested in the backstories of the actors on their favorite TV shows, many are shocked to find out that not all of them rose to fame quickly. While Hollywood favors younger people, which is why Los Angeles is full of young adults trying to make their way in the industry, sometimes it's years before the talent is noticed.
For Melissa Rauch, her audition for The Big Bang Theory was the real turning point. Not only did it go very well, which must have given her an instant confidence boost, but it also gave her a chance to get out of a very troubling life situation.
The actress opened up about her struggles before landing the role on the popular sitcom in a piece for The Hollywood Reporter, which asked the cast to share their memories of auditioning for The Big Bang Theory:
“I was a fan of the show when I got the audition. That week, I had been at the unemployment office to get my unemployment check. I had to go to this seminar about how to get a job. It was awful. It was a dark week!” Rauch recalled.
The seminars must have worked in unexpected ways, because the actress was later invited back for a second round of auditions. There, the slightly Canadian pronunciation and high-pitched voice Rauch came up with for Bernadette helped her secure the contract.
What's interesting is that Melissa Rauch isn't the only cast member of The Big Bang Theory who was pushed into the audition by the bureaucratic machine. Mayim Bialik, who played Amy Fowler on the show, then found a small TV role to become a SAG-AFTRA member and get health insurance for herself and her family.
Fortunately, for both actresses, this job became much more than a step toward a greater ambition, as both Bernadette and Amy remained in the cast through the show's finale and became key characters in Howard and Sheldon's stories.
If you need to indulge your nostalgia, you can stream The Big Bang Theory from the very first season on Netflix or MAX.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter