Summary

• Kaley Cuoco's off-set horse riding accident on The Big Bang Theory almost left her with a life-altering disability.
• The accident prompted producers to implement new off-set safety rules.
• The incident led to a deeper appreciation of how actions affect others, prompting changes in personal lives off the set.

From not tampering with their appearances to strictly following the script, The Big Bang Theory cast had to adhere to some pretty stringent rules throughout their tenure on the show. Beyond the studio confines, however, the cast enjoyed a degree of freedom, with few regulations governing their off-set behavior.

Things took a drastic turn when Kaley Cuoco got into a horrendous off-set accident, placing the show’s future in serious jeopardy. Fearful of getting into a similar predicament with another cast member, The Big Bang Theory producers enforced a new wave of off-set safety rules. In this article, we’ll take a look at Cuoco’s gruesome off-set accident, the safety rules it inspired, and their ripple effects on the cast’s off-set lives.

Kaley Cuoco Got Into A Horrendous Accident While Filming The Big Bang Theory’s Fourth Season

After over a decade of working in proximity, The Big Bang Theory cast undoubtedly share a wealth of wonderful memories. However, that doesn't mean their time on the show was completely devoid of tragedy.

Their worst and most devastating tragedies occurred just weeks into the show’s fourth season and involved one of the show’s biggest stars; Kaley Cuoco. According to Jessica Radloff’s ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’, Cuoco was horse riding on ranch just north of Los Angeles in September 2010, when her horse spooked, causing her to fall off. Things turned tragic just seconds later, when the horse tried to leap over her, but ended up trampling on her left leg.

Cuoco recounted the accident during her appearance on Apple’s ‘Smartless’ podcast:

“I remember clear as day, because it takes a second when something is that bad. I was like, ‘Did I just fall on a whole thing of leaves?’ Because I heard all the cracking. … It took me like five or 10 seconds to actually realize it wasn’t just 400 leaves, it was my bones.”

The incident, which Chuck Lorre later described as "the darkest, most frightening time" in the show's history, nearly left Cuoco with a life-altering disability. In her interview for ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’, The Flight Attendant shared the grim prognosis she received before she went into surgery.

“Before I went into surgery, they made me sign something that said, “We don’t know until we get in there and see this leg, and it could come out that you don’t have it anymore.”

Thanks to the well-timed surgery, Cuoco was back on her feet after a couple of weeks, only missing two episodes of the show. Although her recovery extended far beyond two weeks, the production team exhibited great ingenuity in navigating around her injury, adjusting scenes and storylines as needed to accommodate her recovery.

“We made her a bartender at The Cheesecake Factory to hide her injury,” The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre shared in ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’. “And she was a terrible bartender! We just wanted to keep her off her feet as much as possible.”

The Big Bang Theory Cast Had To Follow All-New Off-Set Safety Rules After Kaley Cuoco’s Horrific Accident

Even after avoiding the potential production disaster that could’ve followed Kaley Cuoco’s horrific accident, The Big Bang Theory producers were still fearful of a repeat involving another cast member. To avert a similar crisis, Chuck Lorre imposed an all-new set of off-set safety rules, a lighthearted rendition of which he shared on his vanity card for the show's 70th episode.

For one, the cast was barred from riding horses of any kind, including “those found on merry-go-rounds and in front of supermarkets.” Lorre also banned motorcycle riding, boating activities at Comic-Con, and mandated that all cast members’ motor vehicles “adhere to U.S. Army guidelines for attacking Kandahar.”

The cast also had to follow some strict safety rules when it came to partying outdoors.

“Alcohol should only be ingested at home, and while seated in a big comfy chair,” Lorre stated in his vanity card. “Wild and carefree dancing that celebrates your incredible and well-deserved success is only allowed on New Year’s Eve, and only with a sober celebrity parasitic flunky to lean on.”

The Big Bang Theory Cast Had To Alter Their Personal Lives After Kaley Cuoco’s Gruesome Accident

Thanks to surgery, Kaley Cuoco managed to evade a life-altering disability following her injury. However, the incident did leave a lasting and profound impression on The Big Bang Theory cast.

“Seeing Kaley’s accident—as much as she was an absolute fucking trooper—it taught the entire cast, myself included, a lesson of how these things affect two hundred people,” Johnny Galecki shared in ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’.

“That really put in perspective how many people’s livelihoods our actions affected. Before then, we just saw ourselves as a weirdo, ragtag bunch of scrappy actors who didn’t think enough of ourselves to understand we were of value to many people we cared about deeply.”

With the new safety rules in place, the cast had to make substantial changes to their off-set lives to prevent horrific safety mishaps that could not only endanger their lives but also jeopardize the future of the show.

“I sent all my motorcycles up north,” Galecki shared in ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’. “And Kaley and I had a talk with Kunal, like, “You can’t do that shit in Las Vegas.” We all represent one another.”

Johnny Galecki also had to impose certain restrictions on the use of his Tesla Roadster, a vehicle Chuck Lorre humorously described as "essentially a hundred-thousand-dollar go-kart" in his vanity card for the show's 70th episode.

“Chuck said I’m only allowed to drive my Tesla Roadster up and down my driveway and to retrieve mail. There were all-new rules.”