Big Bang Theory’s Original Penny Was Very Different (& Worse)

The original Penny on The Big Bang Theory was a very different character, but never made it past the unaired pilot. Kaley Cuoco played the only main female character in the series in its first three years, acting alongside Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Simon Helberg (Howard), and Kunal Nayyar (Raj). It wasn’t until season 4 that the show brought in Melissa Rauch’s Bernadette and Mayim Bialik’s Amy, which not only expanded The Big Bang Theory’s cast, but also increased the female representation in the sitcom. However, Penny does appear from the very first episode in 2007.

Prior to The Big Bang Theory‘s official premiere, its unaired pilot had a significantly different cast of characters aside from Leonard and Sheldon. Penny, Raj, and Howard are missing, and in their place are two other female characters. Gilda, played by Iris Bahr, is reminiscent of Sara Gilbert’s Leslie Winkle, and Katie, portrayed by Amanda Walsh, is arguably the original incarnation of what would be Cuoco’s character. Creators Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre decided on scrapping Walsh’s part after her character got a negative response from the audience during test screenings.

The Original Penny In The Big Bang Theory Explained

Katie Was Played By Amanda Walsh

The unaired pilot of The Big Bang Theory shares several similarities with the eventual pilot episode of the show, including Leonard and Sheldon at the sperm bank, them meeting a beautiful woman and having her move in, and some initial struggles with communication between them. However, in the unaired pilot, the guys meet Katie as she is crying on the sidewalk, as a breakup means that she now has nowhere to live. She ends up moving in with them, because she needs a free place to stay, and gets drunk and complains about everything in her life.

Penny, on the other hand, is moving in across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard, and has a job to support herself, as well as dreams of being an actress. She has also recently broken up with her boyfriend, but isn’t anywhere near as tragic or helpless a figure as Katie is. She is also much nicer – while both characters are uninterested in ‘nerdy’ pursuits, Penny seems more bemused than mean. It’s also important to note that Penny ends up befriending the guys, despite the fact that she could ignore them, while Katie needs them to avoid being homeless.

The Original “Penny” Was Too Mean

Kaley Cuoco’s Penny Softened Her Interactions With The Other Characters

While Katie and Penny are similar, the viewers thought that the former was too harsh on Leonard and Sheldon. While the issue was not with Amanda Walsh’s performance, the character of Katie was written as being a lot more antagonistic towards the two main characters. Given how quickly Leonard and Sheldon endeared themselves to fans, it is not surprising that Katie’s tendency to pick on them did not go over well. The great thing about Penny and how Cuoco played the part is that, despite her usual nonchalance towards the boys’ academic and nerdy interests, she wasn’t mean to them.

Penny might have cracked the occasional joke at their expense, but when it comes down to it, she’s a dependable friend to all of them. No matter how much Sheldon annoyed her or Howard annoyingly flirted with her, she offered her help when they needed it. Though Katie only appeared in one episode, and she could have changed over the course of The Big Bang Theory had she stayed, it was a bit off-putting seeing how she treated the two male key players in the series.

It’s difficult to tell if The Big Bang Theory’s popularity would still have exploded as it did if CBS moved forward with the show’s original pilot. However, looking back on its 12 years on the air, it’s difficult to imagine any other character filling the role that Penny did as the audience surrogate for the show. Admittedly, though The Big Bang Theory had some problematic treatment of her character, especially in the very early years of the sitcom, no one can deny that Cuoco had great chemistry with Parsons and Galecki, as well as the rest of the cast.

Penny Went On To Have The Best Arc In The Big Bang Theory

Where Penny Ended Up At The End Showed The Most Growth Of Any Other Character

Kaley Cuoco’s career skyrocketed after playing Penny on The Big Bang Theory — and her character arguably had the best arc on the show. It’s necessary for characters to change throughout an overarching narrative, and many of TBBT‘s cast went through steep transitions and major life events. Most of the crew got married, with Howard and Bernadette having their own children, Amy and Sheldon getting wed, and Penny and Leonard starting their life together.

However, Penny’s character is night and day from the beginning of The Big Bang Theory to its finale. She started out as a flaky actress/waitress who truly showed more interest in her dating life than her ambitions. Over the course of the series, she slowly let go of her more intangible hopes and dreams to have a successful career and marriage. All in all, Penny changed the most out of everyone in the group, and it was obviously the right choice to cast her character over Katie in the pilot of The Big Bang Theory.

What Amanda Walsh Went On To Do After The Pilot

Walsh Has Continued To Find Jobs In Front And Behind The Camera

As the original version of Penny in The Big Bang Theory’s pilot, it is easy to look at Amanda Walsh as an actor who lost out on a big opportunity. Indeed, it must be hard to star in a pilot for a show only to be replaced and see that show go on to become one of the biggest shows on television. However, the version of The Big Bang Theory that Walsh was a part of was likely never going to be a hit and Walsh has managed to maintain a solid career since then.

Amanda Walsh’s Notable Roles:

Though she never found the success of something like The Big Bang Theory, Walsh has continued to act ever since. As a sign that there was no bad blood following the reworked pilot for The Big Bang Theory, Walsh guest starred on Chuck Lorre’s other sitcom Two and a Half Men.

Walsh played Elizabeth Helm in the Canadian action series Lost Girl. She also appeared in several episodes of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and continues to have guest-starring roles on high-profile shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and, most recently, Lessons in Chemistry. Walsh is also a writer who was part of the team behind the Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek.

Big Bang Theory Isn’t The Only Show To Change An Actress From The Pilot

Several Iconic Female Characters Were Almost Unbelievably Different

While Amanda Walsh being swapped out for Kaley Cuoco after The Big Bang Theory pilot was a huge change, the story is far from unique. Many TV shows are changed significantly following feedback from unaired soft-pilots, and there are several examples of series that would have been incredibly different with actresses from the original lineup.

For example, Alyson Hannigan was a staple of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Willow, Buffy’s best friend and eventual witch. However, in the original Buffy pilot, Willow was played by Riff Regan. Regan was recast due to a lack of chemistry with Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander. Given how iconic Hannigan ended up being in the role it’s difficult to imagine someone else playing Willow, much like it’s hard to picture The Big Bang Theory without Penny.

Another well-known example of an actress being recast is Meg in Family Guy. Meg was voiced by Rachael MacFarlane, the sister of Seth MacFarlane when Family Guy was first conceived. Eventually, she was replaced by Lacey Chabert (who, in turn, was eventually recast herself, with Mila Kunis stepping up for the role). However, Rachael MacFarlane did go on to star in her brother’s other shows, including voicing Hayley in American Dad.

Interestingly, a key member of the Family Guy cast, Alex Borstein (who voices Lois) also found herself losing a role after an unaired pilot. Melissa McCarthy’s early career was defined by the sitcom Gilmore Girls, in which she played Sookie. Like Penny in The Big Bang Theory, Sookie was integral to the show, and it’s hard to imagine anyone but McCarthy in the role. However, in the unaired Gilmore Girls pilot, Alex Borstein played the character of Sookie. This was likely the right fit for the show given how popular Sookie was, and Borstein still appeared in Gilmore Girls in a much more minor capacity as a guest star.

Ultimately, there are many examples of actresses who were recast after unaired pilots. Amanda Walsh being removed from The Big Bang Theory cast wasn’t an unusual circumstance. What’s more, just like in more-or-less every other similar case, the final decision seemed to have been the right one for the show.

Your changes have been saved

My List

My Favorite TV Shows
My Watchlist

The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.

Cast

Johnny Galecki
, Jim Parsons
, Kaley Cuoco
, Simon Helberg
, Kunal Nayyar
, Melissa Rauch
, Mayim Bialik
, Kevin Sussman
, Carol Ann Susi
, John Ross Bowie
, Laura Spencer
, Wil Wheaton
, Brian George
, Christine Baranski
, Brian Posehn
, Laurie Metcalf
, Joshua Malina
, Ian Scott Rudolph
, Aarti Mann
, Brian Thomas Smith
, Alice Amter
, Pamela Adlon

Release Date

September 24, 2007

Seasons

12

Showrunner

Mark Cendrowski

Expand