The Big Bang Theory was a major success, airing 279 episodes. However, despite the longevity, reviews towards the show weren't always great, especially early on.
As we'll reveal in the following, Simon Helberg discussed that fans would come up to him for all the wrong reasons, telling how much they disliked the show.
Getting a guest-star was easier around the halfway mark, given what a success the show had become. However, early on, not every guest-star wanted to appear on the show. We'll reveal why William Shatner initially turned down an offer - Jennifer Aniston was another big name that wouldn't appear either, despite the interest.
In the following, we'll take a look at the one guest star that bashed the show. According to the said actor, he believes the show was a hit given that it played after Anger Management. Let's take a look at what else he had to say.
Getting Guest Stars On The Big Bang Theory Was A Struggle For The Show Early On
Getting a guest star on The Big Bang Theory wasn't as easy early on. The show was unproven, especially during the first few seasons. Among big names to turn down the show early on, included William Shatner, who The Big Bang Theory really wanted.
Shatner revealed that he turned down the role because of what it entailed. He claims the instruction were vague, given that he was asked to play himself.
"I've had several conversations with the creators, and what they wanted me to do, didn't seem to be exactly right, so I said 'find something that's better'. They may have taken umbrage at that, I'm not sure... They wanted me to play myself a little obliquely, and they said it would work out, but I needed more assurance on that."
Big Bang Theory fans are well aware that Shatner would guest on the show in the later seasons. So what changed. Well, apparently a commercial with Kaley Cuoco put the show on his good side.
Showrunner Steve Holland discussed the negotiations.
“So we reached out to him again,” he says. “I got on the phone and chatted with him about what we were thinking about for the episode — at that point we didn’t have a script — but I think he felt like he wanted to be a part of this before it came to an end."
“I think what changed going into the final season is that he knows [series co-star] Kaley [Cuoco] from doing [Priceline] commercials together and they’re friendly. When I got on the phone, one of the things he asked was, ‘Will I get to play a scene with Kaley?"
Unfortunately, not all guest stars were as eager, and that includes Charlie Sheen.
Charlie Sheen Didn't Enjoy His Brief Cameo On The Big Bang Theory, And He Bashed The Show
Charlie Sheen didn't mix his words when discussing The Big Bang Theory. His cameo was extremely brief, but it seems like Sheen didn't care for the sitcom, and he even bashed the context of the series. According to Sheen, had it not been for Anger Management playing before the show, Big Bang would not have succeeded.
He said, "I'm sorry, but Big Bang Theory is a piece of s*** – it's a stupid show and it's just lame, about lame people."
Sheen would also reveal that he enjoyed the cast of actors, but revealed that the guidance behind the scenes was going to keep the show from succeeding (Chuck Lorre).
"I like the kids in it, but that show without us as a lead-in is… goodbye. And I'm rooting for those kids, because I know who they're dealing with. The fact that they're still sane is crazy. You know? He's a bad man. And I've backed off from him for a while."
Sheen might've been harsh in his assessment given that the series lasted 12 seasons. However, he wasn't the only person to speak ill about the series.
Simon Helberg Recalled Fans Constantly Telling Him How Much They Hated The Show
Simon Helberg witnessed the hate for the show on a loop. According to the man behind Howard, people would constantly start conversations by telling him how much they hated the show.
Helberg revealed, "Famously, the introduction that people tend to make to me, particularly when the show was on, they would come up and they would say, ‘Listen, I hate your show, but…’ That’s the way they would start talking to me. Like, I mean everyday."
Even when Helberg got a raise on the show, fans would ask him to buy their coffee, while still revealing their dislike for the series.
Helberg added, "I read about your negotiations. You wanna buy me a cup of coffee?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah. You know, you had me at I hate your show. Would you like a bagel to go with that, too?’"
Clearly, the cast faced a bunch of heat during their stint on the series. Nonetheless, the show was a major success and one that could've gone further than its 12 seasons.
