The Real Reason Mayim Bialik Doesn't Watch The Big Bang Theory

Now and again, a TV series comes around that is so incredibly popular and universally recognized that it etches out its own place in media history. A cast comes together that pulls of memorable performances, generates catchphrases with household recognition, and cultivates a following unlike any other. All of those descriptors apply perfectly to what is easily the most prolific sitcom of this generation: The Big Bang Theory.

The Big Bang Theory dominated the primetime sitcom scene for over a decade, running on CBS from 2007 to 2019. Over that period it amassed nearly 280 episodes and countless classic moments that will live on in pop culture forever. Even though it concluded over a year ago, it endures and remains a staple of television. At its peak, it seemed like everyone was watching from week to week — surely even the stars of the show were checking out their work regularly, right? Well, not exactly.

While millions around the world laughed, cried, and everything in between alongside some of television's most popular geeks, not everyone tuned in each week. That goes especially for The Big Bang Theory's cast, one particular member of which didn't pay much mind to the final product. Mayim Bialik, who played the neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler, sat down with Metro and revealed the reason why she didn't actively watch The Big Bang Theory.

During the interview, Bialik confessed that her familiarity with The Big Bang Theory in its finished form was hazy at best. She explained that "I've never seen most of the episodes. I don't watch myself on television." Her rationale is completely understandable, and certainly not a rarity among actors. A-list names such as Johnny Depp, Julianne Moore, and Jesse Eisenberg do the same thing, so Mayim Bialik is in good company. Watching yourself play a fictional character on a TV series can be a bit embarrassing to sit through.

Even though she isn't eager to plow through all 12 seasons of the iconic sitcom, she did at least catch a few scenes here and there. "I've seen snippets on stage when they would show them to the audience but no, I don't watch myself." At an event like San Diego Comic-Con, for example, TV show panels often show sneak peeks of upcoming episodes for fans. Gatherings like that were the only real times Bialik would watch The Big Bang Theory, simply because she rarely viewed her own work and because, as she said, "I saw pieces [of the last episode] but I was in it, you know?" It's hard to argue with that logic — why watch your performance when you were present for every single take?