The Big Bang Theory never fails to deliver hilarious and jaw-dropping moments on television. The cast members’ chemistry was undeniably brilliant, but one scene in particular stands out for its comedic brilliance. As viewers of The Big Bang Theory, we are all familiar with the classic episode in which Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper gets entangled in an unusual form of punishment with Amy Farrah Fowler, played by Mayim Bialik. To the surprise and amusement of the audience, Parsons was supposed to spank Bialik in this scene.
In case you missed it, Sheldon gets upset with Amy for lying about being sick in Season 6, Episode 10 (The Fish Guts Displacement). Amy must be punished for duping him for a longer period of time than necessary. Sheldon then lays Amy across his lap and spanks her behind, much to the latter’s delight.
Jim Parsons Found the Spanking Scene in The Big Bang Theory ‘Hardest’
For Sheldon Cooper, this was a very serious issue on screen. But Jim Parsons was laughing uncontrollably in between takes. In an interview with The Paley Center for Media, the actor said of the scene:
“It was, I would say, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because I found it tremendously amusing.”
The Hidden Figures actor, 50, went on to explain in a different interview on Conan:
“We kept having to do take after take because I kept laughing, which was kind of rare for me.”
Parsons has to carry out his fair share of embarrassing scenes on The Big Bang Theory, like when Sheldon dresses up as a French maid or gives an inebriated acceptance speech while wearing only his underwear. What, then, was it about the spanking scene that particularly tickled him?
Although the table-read version of The Fish Guts Displacement included a spanking scene between Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), the scene was originally intended to happen off-camera, with viewers only hearing the sounds. However, it was later decided that the spanking would take place on camera just before the episode was scheduled to be filmed. Parsons explained on Conan:
“Which I’m fine with, I don’t mind spanking somebody. But I can’t tell you how hard it was to, when you’re concentrated on making a noise all week, it’s like doing a radio play. Once the camera was on me and I realized I haven’t worked at all on what my face or the rest of my — I don’t know how to handle myself during this.”
The actor described how he found himself caught in a never-ending loop of laughing and then feeling angry with himself for it. Fortunately, his co-star handled the scene flawlessly during the multiple takes that were required to finish it.
Mayim Bialik And Jim Parsons Recalled Their Less-Than-Romantic First Kiss
The first kiss between Amy Farrah Fowler and Sheldon Cooper, which startled fans despite the latter’s long-standing dislike of physical touch, marked a turning point in Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons’ relationship timeline. Though they jokingly disagree about the moment’s real-world context, Bialik and Parsons both have positive memories of it. The actress once stated this in The Spec interview.
“[He] had the flu.”
The two also discussed Bialik’s “annoying” traits at Comic-Con 2011, with the Blossom actress revealing that Parsons referred to her as “truly the nerdiest person on our cast”. Also, she was meant to portray a “female Sheldon Cooper” in The Big Bang Theory when she started her role. To do this, she studied the character of Jim Parsons and followed him in real life. As stated in an Entertainment Weekly interview with Bialik:
“Big Bang Theory was a finely oiled machine when I got there, which was fantastic because there was less pressure on me. They all already knew what they were doing. Essentially, I imitated Jim Parsons for the first couple of years, and that seemed to work.”
The Big Bang Theory treated us to so many memorable moments throughout its twelve-season run. Bialik and Parsons’ scenes and chemistry together will always hold a special place in our hearts and remind us of the laughter it brought into our lives.
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