The Big Bang Theory scene that Jim Parsons found difficult to film

Although “The Big Bang Theory” is relatively gentle and family-friendly, at least compared to contemporaries like “How I Met Your Mother” or “Modern Family,” it still regularly delves into sexual humor. Howard always has some annoying jokes to tell, and they do exist There is no shortage of jokes about Penny’s sex life. With Sheldon (Jim Parsons), the show was bordering on G-rated; The character seemed to have no interest in sex at all for the first few seasons, and even by the end of the show, evidence of his sexual desire was minimal. the Introduction to Amy (Mayim Bialik) in the season 3 finale It helped make it clear that he was heterosexual, though that label for Sheldon’s sexuality would always have a giant asterisk next to it.

Sheldon’s lack of interest in or awareness of sex is what helped make one of Season 6’s risque jokes, “The Fish Guts Displacement,” work so well. His story involves Amy pretending to be sick to trick him into becoming more intimate with her. He eventually discovered the trick, and Amy convinced him that some punishment was needed. Thus became the famous scene where Sheldon slaps Amy, oblivious to the fact that Amy does not consider it a punishment at all.

It’s a scene that could have been creepy, but it works given how genderless Sheldon (and to a slightly lesser extent, Amy) is throughout the entire show. It was difficult for the actors, partly because they couldn’t stop laughing the whole time.

“I would say it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because I found it so entertaining,” Parsons said he said in a 2013 panel. The scene was originally supposed to be shot off-camera, shot Amy’s monkey’s reaction to the sight It was a recap of the scene, so a last-minute change complicated things a bit.

“I was angry, because I thought, ‘Well, damn, I would have been practicing how to control myself if I’d known all week, but all week I was turning away from the camera,'” Parsons said. Of Bialik sitting next to him, he added: “You have no idea About how well she played.”

In the same session, Bialik joked that “there was some redness” after filming the scene, due to the multiple takes. Parsons joked that the beating had to be real “to get the sound we want,” adding, “It’s all in the name of art.”

in Another interview For Jessica Radloff’s book 2022 “The Big Bang Theory: The Final Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series” Parsons spoke about the experience a little more, explaining how the last-minute change in scenery made him feel: “I was spitting my fingernails, and I was so angry at these people for putting me on camera… and I couldn’t stop it.” Laughing, which was making me crazier because suddenly I couldn’t do my job.”

The scene ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the entire series, as it was frequently referenced by fans. And there must have been something in the air around Hollywood at the time, because the animated sitcom “American Dad” featured a very similar scene in the spring 2013 episode “The Missing Kink,” which aired just a few months later. That episode features housewife Francine (voiced by Wendy Schaal) tricking her husband Stan (Seth MacFarlane) into hitting her, with the stern, no-nonsense Stan not quite understanding the situation.

Of course, the version of the story we got in “The Big Bang Theory” was the more memorable of the two, since its live format meant the actors had to put a lot more on the line. It was a risky scene for Bialik and Parsons — perhaps not nearly as risky BDSM scene episode “The Big Bang Theory” was banned in the UKbut still – as far as “TBBT” fans are concerned, the gamble paid off.