From “Bazinga!” to the iconic couch, “The Big Bang Theory” was a pop-culture phenomenon — one that Melissa Rauch couldn’t believe she had the good luck to join. But there was one particular moment on set that really let her know that she had become an indispensable part of the cast.
“I remember the first time that I got to sit on the couch eating Chinese food with the cast,” she said. “I had started as a guest star on the show, and it was supposed to be just one episode. Once they started bringing me back more, I didn’t know how long I was going to be there. Then, I very vividly remember the first time that it was in the script and I was going to eat Chinese food with the cast.”
To be part of that scene thrilled Rauch, who saw it as a sign that she would be sticking around indefinitely.
“My parents were fans of the show for the years leading up to it, and I remember calling them and saying, ‘I’m going to get to sit on the couch with everyone!'” she said. “That moment was very exciting. It was meta in the sense that I was getting to sit with my new workplace family, and then also on the show, it felt like I was being more integrated and it was the start of what was to come.”
You can currently watch Rauch on the “Night Court” revival, which airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
