Summary
- Kathy Bates replaced Annie O'Donnell as Amy's mom due to Amy's rise on TBBT. She fit perfectly alongside the cast, especially during Sheldon's wedding.
- Mayim Bialik's role on TBBT faced uncertainty, but Jim Parsons fought to keep her long-term. He felt strongly about her importance to the show.
- Bialik's audition was pivotal. It cemented her place as Amy. Scoring the role over Kate Micucci, it marked a defining moment in her career.
Along the way, The Big Bang Theory made some subtle changes. One of them included changing Amy's mom on the show. Kathy Bates stepped in, but it seemed like there was a different plan in place at the start.
We'll take a closer look at exactly what went down, and how Mayim Bialik factored in with the change. In addition, we're going to reveal the role Jim Parsons played in keeping Amy on the show long-term. We'll also take a closer look back on how Bialik was cast for the role, and which TBBT star came close to snatching it from her.
Let's get started.
Annie O'Donnell Was Replaced By Kathy Bates On The Big Bang Theory After CBS And Chuck Lorre Wanted A Recurring Actress For The Role
It seems like behind the scenes, there were several reasons for The Big Bang Theory replacing Annie O'Donnell as Amy's mom. Some fans have asked, "what happened to Amy's mom?" Among the reasons included Mayim Bialik's rise on the show. It is said when Annie O'Donnell appeared on the show, those behind the scenes, including the writers, were still unsure of Amy's full-time status on the show.
Once it was clear she was becoming a regular, Chuck Lorre and CBS decided to switch paths, wanting to bring a recurring actress to the role and a more common name. Given Lorre's relationship in the past with Kathy Bates, she turned out to be the perfect fit on the show as Amy's mom.
Bringing Bates in proved to be a positive move as the actress put on a memorable performance during Sheldon and Amy's wedding. In addition, the cast was delighted to have her on board. Kaley Cuoco discussed her appreciation for the actress and was even nervous asking Kathy for an autograph behind the scenes.
It was a move diehard fans noticed, and it all took place to begin with because of Bialik's rise on the show.
Jim Parsons Made Sure Mayim Bialik Was Staying Long Term On TBBT
Mayim Bialik enjoyed huge success on The Big Bang Theory. However, the actress admitted there were several times on the show that she was unsure about her status. That makes a lot of sense, especially given that she was appearing on a one episode basis constantly. So Bialik was never really given safety by the show. Even showrunner Steve Molaro admitted there were moments where the writers were unsure as to how to keep Amy going.
It seems like Jim Parsons played a huge role in her longevity. The actor was ready to fight to keep Bialik on Big Bang Theory. Parsons revealed,
"At some point in season four—I don't know if something caused it or not—I remember saying to Todd, "I will not let this character go without a fight." That was notable for me, only in that I almost never disagreed with the writers. But at some point I felt a certain way about working with Mayim that I was like, If for whatever reason we seemed to be weaning her off of this show as a character, I would go and talk to them."
Parsons continues, "I said this years ago, but I believe it even more now that one of the smartest things that the writers room ever did was introduce Bernadette and Amy at a point where, as far as interests and storylines go, we did not need them yet. The writers did not let the well run dry before they were like, Oh God, should we adopt a kid? Should we bring in a monkey? You know what I mean? They plugged these people in to see what was going to work and how it would work, and I thought it was genius."
Although it all worked out in the end, Bialik was left in the dark. She thought the day of her full time extension was going to be her final week on the show... That worked out nicely for Bialik.
Mayim Bialik Competed With Kate Micucci For The Role Of Amy
What gave Mayim Bialik the edge over the others in the audition room was the fact that she was actually a neuroscientist. Kate Micucci also auditioned for the role. Although she didn't get it, the audition put her on the map and she would later appear as Lucy.
As for Bialik, she claims the audition was tough, and didn't feature many lines.
"I auditioned with five other actresses — none of whom were neuroscientists — who were really talented and many of whom I knew of. There wasn't a lot of lines; it was five lines in that season three finale. They told us all to wait after we went in. They called two of us back in. We went home and found out that afternoon."
That audition changed Bialik's life.
