The Big Bang Theory hoax that landed Kaley Cuoco in the hospital

The hilarious incident on the set of The Big Bang Theory that led lead actress Kaley Cuoco to an unexpected stay in the hospital.

When fiction and reality collide on the set of “The Big Bang Theory”

Sometimes, the vagaries of real life disrupt the well-oiled cogs of a television production. This is precisely what happened on the set of “The Big Bang Theory,” when actors Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki decided to orchestrate a joke that turned into drama.

A joke gone wrong

As Jessica Radloff explains in her book “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series”, the two actors had planned a “fake fight” during a scene in the season 6 episode “The Tangible Affection Proof.” Their plan: Galecki was to pretend to hit Cuoco, who then had to fall from his chair off-screen. However, the ploy turned into a nightmare when Cuoco got up with blood on her head, the result of an unfortunate fall under the table.

Consequences of a filming accident

The blood was unfortunately not not at all fake. Cuoco had to be taken to a plastic surgeon to receive stitches. The next day, posters prohibiting jokes and rough games were posted on the set. Filming had to be adapted to hide the actress' injury, including changing Cuoco's position during scenes and using her hair to cover the sutures.

The shadow of a wound on the screen

But that wasn't enough. Director Mark Cendrowski emphasizes that it was necessary to avoid filming Cuoco from the front, due to the obvious swelling of her face. The production even used special effects in post-production to reduce the marks of the injury. A far from ideal situation, which made the creation of this episode particularly complex.

So, even if “The Big Bang Theory” is fiction, the Kaley Cuoco incident reminds us that filming a television series is not free of risks and unforeseen situations. A reality sometimes stranger than fiction.