Kaley Cuoco Only Used A Stunt Double Once For The Big Bang Theory
When discussing Hollywood stunt doubles, more than likely you think about big, action-packed productions in which something explodes every few minutes or so. You're not wrong, because unless you got Tom Cruise doing it all himself, this type of on-screen entertainment surely has a team of daredevils worked into the budget. Over the years, as the quality of TV series increased, so did the need for those brave look-a-likes. However, one place you'd think never needed the services of a stunt double would surely be a half-hour network sitcom, like "The Big Bang Theory."
In the book "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," by Jessica Radloff, it was revealed that the person in need of a one-time stunt double was Kaley Cuoco, who played Penny on the hit CBS show. For those who don't know, Penny is an aspiring actress who lives across the hall from physicists Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). Penny brings to the show a non-scientific perspective, often calling out the social awkwardness of her neighbors.
It didn't take too long for fans to realize how vital Cuoco's Penny was to the series. In addition to the hilarious collision of contrasting characters, she also connected to viewers, saying out loud what many were thinking at home. However, that perfect dynamic, along with the series itself, almost went all away one fateful day when a terrifying accident occurred, sending Cuoco to the hospital. And although it's obvious now that things could've been worse, the incident necessitated another person to briefly wear Penny's shoes.
Kaley Cuoco almost needed her leg amputated
By the time season 4 of "The Big Bang Theory" was rolling out, the series was in its prime, steadily gaining more popularity and fans. It was also around this time in 2010, when Kaley Cuoco experienced a terrifying horse-riding accident. On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Cuoco reflected back at the incident, in which she describes being bucked off a spooked horse, who then proceeded to trample over her leg. "I'm not feeling anything, and then I looked. And I'm like, 'Wow, my foot is facing me. That's not normal,'" she recalled.
Jessica Radloff's book reveals more details of the terrifying accident. After the necessary treatments that almost resulted in Cuoco's leg being amputated, she finally made it back to set wearing a cast. "We made her a bartender instead of a waitress, so she was behind the bar. She stood behind couches, or she was seated, and we made it as easy as possible," said creator Chuck Lorre. But, there was one part of a scene that Cuoco surely couldn't achieve, requiring an actual stunt double.
The book details how there was a scene in which Penny needed to run back into her room, something Cuoco simply couldn't physically do. "It's the one time she had a stunt double," author Radloff said. "Kaley talks about it [in the book]. She's like, 'You can kind of tell but that is not me running back into my room because I wasn't able to do it.' A fun little Easter egg." And although this double wasn't diving away from an explosion or jumping off the roof of a building, it was still a necessary tactic used to make sure the show went on.