The Big Bang Theory's Most Harmless-Looking Stunts Were Also The Riskiest

"The Big Bang Theory" enjoyed 12 successful seasons on the air, but it wasn't always smooth sailing for the show's cast and crew. For example, playing the eccentrically dressed Raj Koothrappali ruined actor Kunal Nayyar's interest in fashion, as he hated wearing his character's clothes. The good news, though, is that the series' stunt experts prevented its stars from putting their lives on the line, as they were forced to use doubles to film sequences that were otherwise risky — even if they looked simple on paper.

Speaking to Metro in 2021, "The Big Bang Theory" chief stunt coordinator Eddie Braun revealed that the sitcom contains several scenes that could have been potentially hazardous if the actors performed the stunts by themselves. That said, he was always around to make sure no one made any ill-advised decisions. As he explained to the outlet:

"If they were on a scooter, if they were out on the road, or if it was something that was taxing physically, or if there was a chance of an element of getting a little hurt, I would double them. The writers would say, 'This is a nothing thing,' and I'd say, 'They're all nothing things until they become something.'"

Despite Braun's best efforts to protect the stars, injuries can still happen for a variety of reasons, and the "Big Bang Theory" gang experienced their fair share on the set. However, they typically happened outside of filming on the series.

While the show doesn't make a big deal out of her absence, Kaley Cuoco is missing from two episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" season 4, and it's all because she was involved in an off-set horse riding accident — one that resulted in her almost losing a leg. Fortunately for Cuoco, her limb wasn't amputated, but the injury she sustained led to the creative decision to have her character, Penny, start working at the Cheesecake Factory, mainly so the series' creatives could hide Cuoco behind a set that covered up her injury.

Elsewhere, Mayim Bialik, who played Amy Farrah Fowler on the CBS sitcom, injured her hand in a car accident back in 2012. What's more, it almost led to her finger being severed, forcing the show's creators to come up with inventive ways of hiding her hand until it healed. Both Cuoco and Bialik's situations prove that everyday situations can lead to unexpected moments of horror, and when one keeps that in mind, it's easy to understand why Eddie Braun was reluctant to let the sitcom's cast members perform their own stunts.

"The Big Bang Theory" (stunts and all) is currently streaming on HBO Max.