Kunal Nayyar was almost fired from TheBigBangTheory behind Chuck Lorre's back 😱 '[A] CBS executive determined—unilaterally—that Kunal wasn’t right for the role and we would recast that part. Well, I did not respond well. I was furious.'
CBS almost fired a main cast member of The Big Bang Theory. The long-running sitcom had some difficulties getting off the ground, and initially, the original The Big Bang Theory pilot only featured Sheldon and Leonard with an entirely different cast. But, after it was sent back for some re-writes, producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady decided to add Kaley Cuoco as Penny, Simon Helberg as Howard, and Kunal Nayyar as Raj.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY It's difficult to imagine what the nerd-centric sitcom looks like if it had a different ensemble. The producers did have other actors in mind for some characters when they were casting, with Lorre infamously skeptical of Jim Parsons as Sheldon at first. Over time, however, it became clear that they ended up with the right mix of players.
When I landed in New York for the upfronts, I was informed that Kunal wasn’t there. I was like, “What do you mean he isn’t here? Why isn’t he here?” Apparently while I was flying across the country, a CBS executive determined—unilaterally—that Kunal wasn’t right for the role and we would recast that part. Well, I did not respond well. I was furious. They made this decision without consulting me. Plus, if you go back and watch the pilot, we didn’t really give him much of a chance in that episode.
Nayyar Was Perfect As Raj, But Big Bang Theory Wasted Him Eventually, Lorre proved CBS wrong, as Nayyar was great as Raj. Despite being fairly new to acting, only appearing as a guest in a single episode of NCIS before booking The Big Bang Theory, he effortlessly played arguably the most charming member of the Pasadena gang. Unfortunately, despite Lorre getting Nayyar to stay on the sitcom, it ultimately wasted him on the role.
It has been just three years since The Big Bang Theory ended, but there are already calls for a revival to happen. No concrete plan is in place for it, although the majority of the cast and the producers are all interested in doing it. If they ever do it, The Big Bang Theory revival needs to give Raj the send-off that he deserves. For years, he was sidelined and treated like a supporting character when he was supposed to be one of the leads.
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