Mayim Bialik Thought The Big Bang Theory Was A Game Show Before She Joined The Series

Mayim Bialik got her start in Hollywood in the late 1980s, and it didn't take her long to start racking up strong entries to her filmography. In addition to shows such as "Webster," "Molloy," and "MacGuyver," she famously led "Blossom" as the titular Blossom Russo throughout the 1990s. Heading into the 2000s, she continued to maintain a steady workload on the small screen, but nothing could've prepared her for what the 2010s had in store. In the first year of the decade, she'd score the role of Amy Farrah Fowler on a little show known as "The Big Bang Theory."

Debuting in the Season 3 episode "The Lunar Excitation," Bialik's Amy soon became a staple of the geeky sitcom alongside Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Penny Teller (Kaley Cuoco), and more. In fact, she'd be a big part of the series right up until its conclusion in 2019, becoming a household name in the process. As one could imagine, Bialik couldn't have predicted how successful "The Big Bang Theory" would become throughout its 12 seasons, but that's not where her uncertainty toward the project when she first signed on ends.

Before donning the interesting glasses of Amy Farrah Fowler, Mayim Bialik thought "The Big Bang Theory" was a game show. Here's why.

In a February 2022 interview with Howard Stern, Mayim Bialik spoke about her family, how she got started in the world of entertainment, and more. She also touched on her experience as part of "The Big Bang Theory," revealing that she knew next to nothing about the show heading into it — not even the format. "I had heard about it because they mentioned me, the real person Mayim Bialik, but I thought it was a game show when someone said 'Oh, they mentioned you on "Big Bang Theory,"'" she recalled, noting that she doesn't watch TV, hence why she was so unaware of what the show was.

Despite her lack of knowledge of "The Big Bang Theory," Bialik went ahead and tried out to be on the show. Sure enough, she landed the role of Amy Farrah Fowler after some time away from acting, and the rest is history. During a chat with CBS News, she shared that being on the program changed her life. "I didn't know what it was, and I was literally dipping a toe back into the industry, and it ended up completely changing my life," she explained. Bialik feels her choice to join "The Big Bang Theory" was a defining moment in her life, and she's eager to see what comes next.

Mayim Bialik may be done as Amy Farrah Fowler for the time being, but the role and "The Big Bang Theory" will be a part of her entertainment legacy forever — even though she was a tad unsure of what the series was when she first caught wind of it.