The Big Bang Theory's Melissa Rauch Had An Awkward Moment With Leonard Nimoy On Set

Every major sitcom has its fair share of guest or cameo appearances, some larger than others. In the case of "The Big Bang Theory," the comedy frequently requested the help of big stars to accentuate the series. And how could it not? The Emmy-winning series was a juggernaut in the ratings department (via Statista), making "The Big Bang Theory" a viable platform for guest stars to boost their presence. Over the course of 12 seasons and nearly 300 episodes, the CBS staple brought in dozens of high-profile guest stars to mingle with Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his friends, leading to hilarious results.

Appearances were largely focused on doubling down on the geek-like interests that made the show popular in the first place. Scientists like Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson are some of the most memorable personalities to pop up on the show, appearing as fictionalized versions of themselves. While a majority of the main characters on "The Big Bang Theory" were accomplished scientists, they were also bona fide nerds, who relished the thought of superheroes, sci-fi spectacles, and fantasy adventures. To compensate for the love the characters head for pop culture and geekdom in general, the writers frequently crafted situations where the leads would cross paths with some of the most iconic nerdy contributors like Marvel co-founder Stan Lee, or "Star Trek" star Wil Wheaton.

With such a medley of pop icons on set, it's hard not to imagine interesting (and awkward) moments manifesting between run-ins, such as this one involving Melissa Rauch, who played Bernadette on the show, and Leonard Nimoy, who we still remember best as the original Spock from "Star Trek."

One fandom that the main "The Big Bang Theory" crew subscribed to was that of "Star Trek," the groundbreaking sci-fi franchise that still continues to this day. At the heart of the original series were William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who played Captain James T. Kirk and Spock, respectively. Both men made guest appearances on "TBBT," and it would seem Nimoy's time on the set of the show is particularly notable for the interactions he had with Melissa Rauch.

Rauch, who portrayed Howard Wolowitz's (Simon Helberg) love interest and eventual wife Bernadette, first joined the series as a guest in Season 3, before being bumped up to the main roster in Season 4 alongside Mayim Bialik, who played Amy Farrah Fowler. As Rauch slowly started to grow accustomed to the life of a series regular, she had an awkward run-in with Nimoy, who was on set to voice a Spock action figure in Season 5, Episode 20, "The Transporter Malfunction." While Nimoy only guested on the show once and was never seen physically, his presence was felt throughout the entire series, especially during the iconic episode where he signed a napkin for Sheldon. 

"When Mayim and I first became regulars, we didn't have bathrooms in our dressing rooms, so all the guest stars would share one," Rauch revealed in Jessica Radloff's "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series." "Eventually they built us our own, but in the interim, Leonard Nimoy was one of those guest stars that shared with us. I remember knocking on the door and hearing, "One moment, please!" and thinking, OK, that's not Mayim, that's Leonard Nimoy!" Rauch realized that she didn't want to share an awkward moment with Nimoy once he got out of the bathroom, opting to bolt instead, saying that "Playing it cool with these people was not my strong suit."