Jim Parsons Admits He Was Angry During A Scene He Didn’t Think Was Going To Filmed For TBBT

Highlights

• Jim Parsons struggled with behind-the-scenes laughs during a scene with Mayim Bialik, impacting his performance on camera.
• Parsons found it difficult to control his laughter during a spanking scene that was supposed to be off-camera but ended up being shown.
• Despite his illness, Parsons praised Bialik for her professionalism during a challenging kissing scene that required multiple takes.

Looking back at The Big Bang Theory, it is truly incredible to see how well Jim Parsons was able to portray Sheldon for all 12 seasons. However, the actor did have some struggles behind the scenes. One of them took place during an iconic episode alongside Mayim Bialik.

In the following, we’re going to take a look back at the episode, and why Jim Parsons was completely flustered. According to the actor, a lot of the scenes were not supposed to be shot, and instead, the camera would either go black, or pan elsewhere. However, that wasn’t the case, and it caused Jim Parsons to completely rethink things. We’ll reveal what took place, and how Parsons reacted to the scene in question.

Let’s take a closer look.

Jim Parsons Was Told His Rubbing Medication Scene With Mayim Bialik Wouldn’t Be Filmed

During a Q&A with Golden Derby a decade ago, Jim Parsons opened up about his experience on The Big Bang Theory at the time. Jim was asked if there was ever a scene that he just couldn’t conquer because of the laughs and, surprisingly, the actor admitted there was one alongside Mayim Bialik that he really struggled with.

It was the infamous scene in which Parsons spanks Bialik. According to the actor, the scene was supposed to look a lot different, with several of the moments not shown on TV.

“That episode was very difficult not to laugh. The spanking scene in particular, it was supposed to happen off camera. Like the rubbing of the Vapor Rub, the camera was supposed to pan towards the monkeys.”

Parsons continued on, stating that the day of the shoot things got even more difficult as he just wasn’t prepared for the spanking scenes. “The spanking was always on camera until tape night. I have rarely been so angry and laughing at the same time. That scene in particular, I couldn’t control myself because suddenly we were on camera and I realized part of my brain wasn’t prepared for it.”

Parsons went on to reveal that he laughed during every take, likely because he just didn’t mentally prepare for the scene. The actor, however, has plenty of praise for Mayim Bialik, who kept her cool throughout the scene.

Jim discussed the moment at the 7:20 mark.

The sacrifice was all worth it in the end, as the scene became one of the most iconic in Big Bang Theory history.

Jim Parsons Also Struggled During His Kissing Scene With Mayim Bialik Given That He Was Ill During The Shoot

Jim Parsons had his struggles behind the scenes prior to certain scenes, and that continued while sharing his first kiss with Mayim Bialik on the show. The hype was very real for the episode. However, Jim Parsons was feeling ill on the day of the shoot.

“I was sick with something, like a bad respiratory cold. And it was ironic because I always took care of myself, and here I am sick during one of the very rare times I have to kiss her. And kiss her several times because I knew we’d have to do several takes. I was like, This is unbelievable! I felt bad about it, I really did.”

Once again, Parsons had nothing but praise for Mayim and how she handled the scene.

“Mayim is always very game and never one to worry about those things too much, although she did have some sort of thing that she was gargling every time we did a take.”

Wisely, Bialik took precautions between scenes, gargling peroxide to ensure she wouldn’t get sick.

“The man was visibly sweating and feverish, so I rinsed with peroxide in between every kiss, every scene, every take, so that I wouldn’t get sick. It’s such a great scene, and it turned out so great, but it was a really hard night.”

“To think of all the work that went into it, I’m so glad it was so sweet. I really loved it. Oh, and I did not get sick.”

A memorable scene, but one that was a nightmare for Jim Parsons.

Jim Parsons Wasn’t As Bothered By A Scene That Was Eventually Banned On TBBT

The opening scene during the pilot was banned by Chuck Lorre during reruns, specifically because the sperm bank scene just didn’t match what Sheldon and Leonard would become on the show. However, Jim Parsons in particular wasn’t bothered by the scene, but he understood why Lorre got rid of it.

“At the time, the sperm bank scene didn’t bother me. Looking back, it was out of place, but there was no way for the producers to know…”

He continues, “Nobody knew who Sheldon was yet, so the live audience accepted it for what it was. But it is confusing information now, and I get why Chuck took it out of syndication because the episode is much stronger and more special without it,” he explained.

It was one of the rare instances in which a scene that aired was later removed.