The Big Bang Theory Cast | Roles Before They Got Famous

Pre-Fame Appearances of “The Big Bang Theory”

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at what the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” was up to before “it all started with a Big Bang (Bang!)”

#7: Melissa Rauch

Melissa Rauch is best known for her “sweet, high-pitched purr” as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, but she was hustling in Hollywood long before that. Her screen career began with the 2006 comedy “Delirious,” and you might've spotted her in “I Love You, Man,” “Kath & Kim,” or “True Blood.” She's been pretty honest about how challenging it was breaking into the biz, even missing out on a commercial because of her hands. But she didn't let that stop her! Her performance in “The Miss Education of Jenna Bush,” which she co-wrote with her husband, helped her land an agent. She was literally at the unemployment office when she got her “TBBT” audition. What began as a one-episode gig in season three turned into nine seasons as a fan favorite!

#6: Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik joined “TBBT” in the season three finale, first as a recurring character before becoming a main cast member in season four. But she’d been in showbiz since childhood, debuting in the 1988 horror flick “Pumpkinhead” and landing small roles in “Webster” and “MacGyver.” Her big break was playing young C.C. Bloom in the 1988 dramedy “Beaches.” By 1991, she was headlining “Blossom,” inspiring kids everywhere to rock colorful hats and dance. Fun fact: one of her future co-stars appeared in an episode. She later took on smaller roles and did voice work for series like “Kim Possible,” “Hey Arnold! “and “Recess”! After a break to earn a PhD in neuroscience, she returned to acting. Fitting, considering she played a neuroscientist on the show.

#5: Kunal Nayyar

Before landing the role of Rajesh Koothrappali, Nayyar emigrated to the U.S. to earn a Bachelor’s in Finance. But along the way, he caught the acting bug! He started performing in theater, eventually earning a Master’s in Acting. He kept acting on stage and even landed a one-time role on “NCIS.” Now, as the story goes, “The Big Bang Theory” was Nayyar’s first-ever pilot audition—and we’d say it worked out pretty well. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. While Chuck Lorre personally backed him for the role, CBS wasn’t convinced. They weren’t even sure about the character and actually fired him before the show took off! Lorre fought to get him rehired, and honestly, we can’t imagine Raj—or the show—without him.

#4: Simon Helberg

Before becoming Howard Wolowitz, Helberg was popping up all over TV and movies—you just might not have realized it! He had spots in “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” “Van Wilder,” and “A Cinderella Story.” Oh, and get this—he played a Caltech engineer in “Joey,” the “Friends” spin-off. Talk about foreshadowing! Helberg also had a foot in the sketch comedy world, teaming up with Derek Waters to form the duo “Derek & Simon.” In 2007, they even had their own web series, “Derek and Simon: The Show,” with Bob Odenkirk helping create it. Comedy legends popped up in their other short films, too. He was also a regular on “MADtv” for a season in 2002 and had a small role in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”

#3: Kaley Cuoco

Kaley Cuoco has been on our screens since she was a child, making her debut in the 1995 action thriller “Virtuosity.” She also appeared in “Growing Up Brady, “Ellen,” and the Disney Channel movie “Alley Cats Strike.” But most of us first saw her comedy chops in “8 Simple Rules,” where she played the popular yet ditzy Bridget. She kept landing roles in TV and film, even voicing Brandy in Disney Channel’s “Brandy & Mr. Whiskers.” Her next big gig was playing Billie Jenkins in “Charmed,” which allowed audiences to see her dramatic side. There were even talks of her returning for a spin-off series! Honestly, we’re kinda glad that never happened—because if it had, she might not have been free to play Penny!

#2: Johnny Galecki

Another child actor in “The Big Bang” gang, Galecki made his screen debut in the 1987 miniseries “Murder Ordained,” acting alongside John Goodman—who he’d later reunite with on “Roseanne!” There, he played David Healy, romantic interest to Darlene, played by Sara Gilbert, who—fun twist—would later play his love interest Leslie Winkle on “TBBT.” You may have also spotted him in the short-lived ’90s sitcom “Billy” or “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” He also appears in “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Hope & Faith”. Despite his “Roseanne” success, Galecki admitted his career hit a bump in the road after he took a short acting hiatus. In fact, not long before landing Leonard Hofstadter, he had actually enrolled to study plumbing in Wisconsin!

#1: Jim Parsons

Jim Parsons played Sheldon Cooper so perfectly that it’s hard to believe there was ever a time he wasn’t! He dedicated much of his early years to stage acting, from co-founding the Texas-based “Infernal Bridegroom Productions” to becoming a regular at the Stages Repertory Theatre. Still, you might’ve caught him in a few minor screen roles, commercials, or even “Garden State.” Parsons once shared he auditioned for 15 to 30 pilots a season, facing rejection or seeing the shows never take off. Among the roles he reportedly could’ve had were Barney Stinson in “How I Met Your Mother” and an undisclosed part in the U.S. remake of “The Office.” If anything proves the right opportunity will come knocking, it’s this. No one else could possibly fill Sheldon’s spot.


Where do you first recall watching “TBBT” cast? Let us know in the comments