What Emily Sweeney Actor Laura Spencer Wanted For Her Character On The Big Bang Theory

One of the biggest cast additions to "The Big Bang Theory," midway through the series, was Laura Spencer. Added in Season 7, she played Emily Sweeney, a love interest for Raj (Kunal Nayyar, who brings a lot of his own personality to the show). She became a series regular in Season 9, and then abruptly left the cast the following year. All told, she appeared in 17 episodes. Before she was written out of the series, she had plenty of ideas about where she wanted Emily's story to go.

"I would like to see Penny and Emily end up friends," Spencer told The Wrap in 2014, not long after she debuted on the series. "I feel like that could be a really interesting relationship there. I feel like sometimes friendships could develop like that, you hate each other first, and then you end up loving each other. Obviously, I would love to keep Emily in the living room eating take-out with everybody." Of course, the series went a different direction than Sweeney hoped, ultimately turning the character into a toxic partner who eventually became a toxic ex-girlfriend. But before she left, Spencer did get the pleasure of being welcomed onto Sheldon's couch — a rare honor for characters on the show.

"That felt good when I got to do it; I'll never forget it, my first scene on my first episode back, when I got to walk on set with the live audience and hear the applause of everybody seeing my character in the living room. Because that's such a moment when characters get to be there. It just means something. It's like, 'Wow, you made it onto Sheldon's couch.'

Before Emily Sweeney became Raj's toxic ex-girlfriend, she seemed to be a great match for him. But audiences at the time probably had questions about both her and their relationship, given the wicked aspects to Emily's personality (like her love of cutting people). Nevertheless, actress Laura Spencer believed that her character was the perfect match for Raj and hoped they'd end up happily ever after.

"I'm rooting for Raj and Emily is that I think Emily gets Raj, and I think she celebrates his quirkiness and loves his nerdiness," Spencer told TV Watchtower in 2014." She doesn't ever criticize him and she just seems to be very open with whatever he is in to. And it seems like he does the same with her." While on paper, that does indeed seem to be a good combination and a good place to begin a long-lasting relationship, even Spencer acknowledged that things could go wrong, given her character's darker side. "She clearly has these weird dark interests," Spencer admitted. "Let's hope she's not secretly really awful." 

As fate would have it, though, Spencer's hopes turned out to be a mixed bag — as Emily did indeed turn out to be pretty awful, depending on the day. But don't worry about Spencer. She's had plenty to do since leaving "The Big Bang Theory."

Along with Laura Spencer, there are surely many fans who wanted to see Emily stick around on "The Big Bang Theory" longer than she did. In reality, she wound up having a much bigger part than anyone expected, and Spencer revealed (in that 2014 interview with TV Watchtower) she only thought she'd get one episode as Emily Sweeney.

"The biggest surprise has just been getting the role and how it has grown," Spencer said. "When I auditioned for it, I only knew that I would be on for one episode." Ultimately, Spencer got five episodes in her first season with the show, and a dozen more in the following years. "It was cool to work on the show once, and then to get to come back and to learn more about more character and to work with everyone on the cast, by now has just been a dream come true." Spencer says her favorite aspect of working on "The Big Bang Theory" is working with a live audience, and of course, having a big, passionate base of fans. "They are so loving and supportive through the whole taping. That's just been a real joy to see and experience."

Even though Spencer only wound up with 17 episodes — a small percentage of the show's whopping 279 installments — she'll forever be a part of the "Big Bang Theory" family, even as one of the few actors to join — and leave — the main cast. If only her story hadn't left many fans hating her character by the end of the series. Certainly that was no fault of Spencer's.