It has been said many times how different “The Big Bang Theory” could have been. In the original idea of the series, there was no neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco), just nerds. And of these, only Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) existed in the beginning. Simon Helberg as Howard and Kunal Nayyar as Raj were created later in the script’s development. But one of them was almost thrown out again after filming the pilot episode…
In the book “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story Of The Epic Hit Series” series creator Chuck Lorre told the accompanying story: According to the pilot, an executive at TV station CBS decided to fire Kunal Nayyar and replace him with another actor.
Chuck Lorre prevented Kunal Nayyar from being fired
As Lorre said (via ScreenRant), he himself was not informed of it. When he landed in New York for the traditional upfronts, where the broadcasters presented their new programs and “The Big Bang Theory” was also announced, he discovered at the airport that Kunal Nayyar was not present at the presentation. Because a station manager decided the actor wasn’t the right person for the role.
According to Lorre, he was furious. On the one hand, he was not even consulted, on the other hand, it could not be decided based on the pilot whether Nayyar was suitable for the role. After all, his character has nothing to do in the first episode. He therefore called the station directly and argued against the dismissal. He made it clear that he believed in the occupation and took responsibility for it. In this way he was able to change the minds of those responsible for the station.
Ultimately, Lorre had the right instinct. “The Big Bang TheoryStarring Kunal Nayyar, it became one of the most successful sitcoms of all time and ran from 2007 to 2019.