The Big Bang Theory’s Harmless On-Set Prank Ended in Blood and Stitches

One of the best things that makes the chemistry between the characters on screen almost palpable is the great relationships between all the cast members in real life. When everyone clicks, the positive energy pours into the characters and viewers can really see the difference.

This chemistry was one of the reasons for The Big Bang Theory 's popularity with viewers. But as the cast became more friendly and playful, it also created more headaches for showrunner Chuck Lorre, who had to make sure the actors stayed not only focused on their job, but also physically safe.

Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco 's The Big Bang Theory Prank

Like any fun and healthy workplace, the set of The Big Bang Theory was almost always full of laughter. To get through the long hours of filming, the cast came up with their own ways to shake things up, including harmless pranks. One time, however, such a prank went horribly wrong.

As told by the pranksters themselves, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco, for Jessica Radloff's study of the show, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, it all started as a simple idea to shock the co-stars and give them a funny scene for the bloopers reel.

In one of the takes, Galecki would pretend to punch his co-star in the face, causing her to fall out of her chair. While the first part went off without a hitch, the fall resulted in a rather serious injury for the actress.

“I came up from the table saying, 'How fun was that?,' only to realize I had blood coming down my face as if I was in a boxing match. <...> The next day on set, there were all these signs saying things like, 'No more jokes! No more rough-housing!' I mean, we thought it was so funny, but no one else did,” Cuoco recalled.

Not only did the duo jeopardize Cuoco's health and create extra work for director Mark Cendrowski, who had to strategically position her in the frame to hide the injury, but it also prompted showrunner Chuck Lorre to ban all on-set pranks. For the actors' own good, of course.

If you are feeling nostalgic and want to dive back into The Big Bang Theory, you can stream all 12 seasons of the iconic sitcom on Max.

Source: The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff