Summary
- Sandra Bullock was approached to appear on The Big Bang Theory but had to decline due to a scheduling conflict.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar took Bullock's place and had a great time filming her cameo on the show.
- Jim Parsons was genuinely surprised and confused when he saw Gellar during his Nobel speech and made a funny reference to her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr.
Throughout its run, The Big Bang Theory had memorable guest stars of the A-list variety. However, as we'll reveal in the following, there were certain stars that turned down the opportunity to appear on the show. One of those stars was none other than Sandra Bullock.
In the following, we'll take a look back on what was planned for Bullock, who was set to appear alongside Kunal Nayyar during the finale. It wasn't meant to be, but Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped in and put on a memorable cameo.
We'll take a closer look at Gellar's time on the show, and what the reaction was from the cast behind the scenes.
Sandra Bullock Wasn't Available For The Big Bang Theory Due To A Scheduling Conflict
Sarah Michelle Gellar did a stellar job during her cameo on The Big Bang Theory finale as Raj's date. However, things almost went in a very different direction. Given Raj's love for Sandra Bullock, she was approached about appearing in the finale as Raj's date.
Executive Producer Steve Holland said, "Sandra Bullock was actually our first go-to because of Koothrappali's long love of her."
However, given Bullock's filming schedule at that time, a cameo wasn't possible.
Holland revealed, "We were really excited about it, but we got a polite decline because she was shooting a movie and wasn't available. But we were very excited Sarah was available to come on."
Among the other major names that turned down the show included Ringo Starr, who was approached to play the role of Howard's father on the show. However, it was another no for Chuck Lorre and company.
"It was a fun conversation based on Simon's haircut and physical appearance," Lorre said. "You could buy the genetic link to Richard Starkey…. We pursued it to the point where we got a solid no."
Sarah Michelle Gellar ended up doing a fine job, and had a blast with the cameo.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Took Sandra Bullock's Place Alongside Raj During The Finale
Sarah Michelle Gellar was ‘honored’ and ‘excited’ to guest star in The Big Bang Theory finale, according to Metro. Executive Producer Steve Molaro spoke about the casting process for the role of Raj's date.
"Chuck [Lorre] was like, “This seems like an opportunity for him to be sitting next to somebody fun. Maybe there’s a celebrity that we can incorporate into this."
"Rather than going for whoever is the hot “right now” celeb, it seemed like a really cool, nerd-pull for these characters who have been fans of Buffy forever too. And it was our way to get to meet her before the end."
The actress was honored to be on the show. “I got the phone call and, they said, ‘You’ve been such a recurring gag on the show, would you like to help us end it?’ and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness,'” Gellar recalls. “I love that cast and we had a great time. I was honored to be a part of it and be part of the legacy of such an incredible show.”
Steve Holland would go on to reveal that Gellar's family were also big fans of the show.
"Well, Chuck spoke to her, but it’s always a good sign when the first thing people say is, "Our family are huge fans of this show!" That was how it went with Sean Astin too. We reached out and he’s like, "Our family are gigantic fans, we watch every week!" So then it’s like you’re pretty safe and then it was just a matter of working out scheduling with Sarah."
It all worked out, and it turns out, that certain cast members were stunned by the cameo.
Jim Parsons Was Genuinely Surprised By Sarah Michelle Gellar's Cameo
Jim Parsons was genuinely stunned and confused when he saw Sarah Michelle Gellar during his emotional TBBT speech.
Steve Molaro discussed Jim Parsons' reaction to Sarah Michelle Gellar. "That was a genuinely stunned and confused look on his face as he said, “Is that Buffy the vampire slayer?” in the middle of his Nobel speech. It was so great."
The show also made it a point to include a reference to Freddie Prinze Jr. during the episode.
"It seemed funny. We know in real life she’s married to Freddie Prinze Jr. and, obviously, it’s a TV show, but it was just a funny way to cover our bases and get a joke in and give her a good laugh along the way."
It all worked out in the end, and it made for one of the better final episodes of all time.
