Mayim Bialik had apparently never watched The Big Bang Theory before auditioning for the show. She had to do research before going in and wasn’t exactly sure what the show was about.
Mayim Bialik told The Hallmark Channel that she had never seen TBBT before she auditioned for the show. When she got the breakdown for Amy’s character it said, “A female Jim Parsons,” and Mayim said, “who’s that?” She had never seen the show and had no idea who Jim Parsons’ iconic character was.
Mayim also admitted she didn’t put much effort into her preparation for the audition at all. She said, “So I googled Jim Parsons and watched about 30 seconds, and basically did my best imitation…and I like to joke I have a very easy job I imitate him every week.”
Mayim describes Amy Farrah Fowler as “a very reserved, kind of socially awkward, female version of him, and then it obviously developed over the years.” These days Amy is very different from Sheldon, often seeing emotional situations differently, and supporting him in his own anxieties.
Mayim also said she enjoys playing Amy because the character is very consistent with the stereotype of a female scientist. Amy doesn’t dress well, never had friends growing up, and has no idea how to put on makeup. She likes the fact that the writers of TBBT didn’t try to bring in a sexy scientist to change Sheldon, but instead brought in someone to match his quirks.
Mayim Bialik’s Break From Acting
When Mayim first auditioned for the role of Amy, she hadn’t been acting for 12 years. Mayim starred in the 90s show Blossom, but then took a break from Hollywood to pursue academia. She received a Ph.D. in neuroscience and was teaching in the field.
It seems Mayim Bialik was perfect for the role from the start. She didn’t even need much preparation, and she was already a shoo-in for Amy Farrah Fowler. Can you believe Mayim had never seen Big Bang Theory before she auditioned?
