Brie Larson rose to international recognition for her role as a single mother in Room, which won her a Best Actor Oscar. Before that, she had appeared in indie dramas such as The Spectacular Now and Short Term 12, as well as the comedies Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and 21 Jump Street. The actress became a household name when she joined the MCU as Carol Danvers.
Before Larson became Captain Marvel, she was still a struggling actor who tried her hands at different things to make it in Hollywood. In a YouTube vlog, Larson confessed that she had even auditioned for The Big Bang Theory and was rejected. She was also not the only Marvel star to have been considered for the sitcom.
Brie Larson In The Big Bang Theory
Actress Brie Larson started considering a career in acting at the age of six, saying that creative arts always fascinated her. The actress has also tried out various careers in the arts like working as a DJ while trying to support herself as an actress and also releasing a music album and launching her musical career.
Larson made her on-screen debut in a sketch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and went on to appear in guest roles in many TV series. During this run, she auditioned for the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In her vlog, Larson revealed that she had auditioned for the show and that she knew why they rejected her,
“I tested for The Big Bang Theory, I remembered that this morning. They were really sweet, they just said I was too young; it’s true.”
It is not confirmed whether Larson auditioned for the role of the lead character Penny, the attractive neighbor of the protagonists Sheldon and Leonard. Owing to the age of Brie Larson, she might have been considered for the role but in the end, it was played by the slightly older Kaley Cuoco, who lasted all twelve seasons.
Marisa Tomei Read For The Part Of Penny
Brie Larson was not the only Marvel actor to have auditioned for the beloved sitcom. MCU’s Aunt May Marisa Tomei had actually screen-tested for the role of Penny with Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper in the sitcom. Tomei mentioned to Insider that she liked the concept of the show and that she really liked the script, but it just did not work out. She said,
“I thought it was a great script, and that’s why we went so far as to check it out. And it’s such an iconic kind of setup, all those archetypes, the scientists, and then the kind of little hottie and the whole thing…I certainly didn’t know it was going to go on that long.”
Tomei ended up not playing the part but she did reveal that she shared an iconic trait with the character, saying that she could be as disorganized as Penny. Marisa Tomei went on to play Aunt May in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy.
Actors Who Auditioned For The Big Bang Theory
While nobody knew the pop cultural impact and recognition The Big Bang Theory ended up getting, many actors were interested in the sitcom due to the involvement of the creator and the ‘King of Sitcoms’ Chuck Lorre. The creator had a great track record as he was the man behind iconic shows such as Two and a Half Men, Gilmore Girls, and Dharma & Greg. Hence, actors testing for the show knew that it was going to get greenlit.
While some of the actors who auditioned for the role ended up getting cast for other characters in the show, some like Brie Larson, did not make it. John Ross Bowie, who played the iconic Kripkey on the show actually auditioned for Leonard. While the role eventually went to Johnny Galecki, the creators loved Bowie enough to bring him back for the show. Speaking of Galecki, the actor was first looked at for the role of Sheldon and the actor himself chose to portray Leonard as he did not want to play another role where he had no romantic future.
Home Alone actor Macaulay Kulkin was reportedly approached multiple times by the producers to feature in the sitcom but the actor refused. It was not revealed which part he was being considered for. Actor Kevin Sussman originally auditioned for the role of Sheldon but lost out to Jim Parsons, who is synonymous with the role. However, the makers brought back Sussman as the beloved comic book store owner Stuart.
Source: Brie Larson
