Mayim Bialik Was Given One Direction Before Her Big Bang Theory Audition

Mayim Bialik's Amy Farrah Fowler was a late addition to "The Big Bang Theory," but that didn't stop fans from quickly embracing the character. Introduced in the season 3 finale, "The Lunar Excitation," Amy went on to become the unexpected love interest of Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon's pronounced social awkwardness and aversion to relationships meant the introduction of Amy as his girlfriend came as a huge shock to fans, shaking up the series by establishing a relationship for the one character who seemed committed to remaining outside the show's other romantic storylines.

Predictably, of course, Sheldon and Amy's relationship was anything but typical. The methodical, scientific mindset the two characters shared informed their approach to their interactions, which often struck their friends as strange and bewildering. To the credit of the writers of "The Big Bang Theory," though, their relationship wasn't simply played for laughs. Rather, the two had their ups and downs, separating in seasons 8 and 9 before getting back together and eventually getting married in season 11. Their journey throughout the series, from their first meeting to their wedding day and beyond, saw Sheldon learning to not only better understand Amy's feelings but also those of his friends and loved ones (as well as his own).

Over the course of "The Big Bang Theory," Amy also blossomed as a character in her own right and became defined by more than just her relationship with Sheldon. At first, however, it seems she was meant to be purely a mirror image of her significant other, as Bialik has previously attested.

Mayim Bialik has discussed her audition for "The Big Bang Theory" in the past, including what the sitcom's creators were looking for when initially casting Amy Farrah Fowler. Speaking at a live recording of the "StarTalk" podcast in 2019, Bialik recalled auditioning for the comedy series and revealed she was "asked to do a female Jim Parsons impression."

Talking about the audition process and her own inspirations for Amy, Bialik revealed:

"I had never seen 'Big Bang Theory,' and I was told they were looking for a female Jim Parsons. I said, 'That's great! Who's Jim Parsons?' And I googled Jim the night before and I saw about 10 seconds of him doing his Sheldon bit and I thought, 'I can do that [...] I know tons of people like that' [...] So, I didn't have to present as a scientist, per se, that way, but Amy is based on a few female professors in particular and a few male professors as well."

As she mentioned, Bialik knew plenty of real-life professors from whom she was able to draw inspiration. Indeed, outside of her acting, Bialik is a qualified and well-established neuroscientist, which informed the decision to portray Amy as a neurobiologist on "The Big Bang Theory." Her experience in this field meant she was also able to bring an informed reality to her performance as Amy, whom she based on her real-life academic colleagues — something that helped Amy grow beyond simply being a "female Jim Parsons."

"The Big Bang Theory" is currently streaming on HBO Max.