The Big Bang Theory: Jodi Lyn O’Keefe Recalls Her Heartbreaking Exit
Almost two decades since she was cast as the original female lead in The Big Bang Theory, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe recalls the heartbreaking way that she was fired from the show. Much has already been said about the unaired The Big Bang Theory pilot that CBS asked Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady to redo. In that version of the sitcom opener, Amanda Walsh played Katie — an original version of Penny, which Kaley Cuoco eventually played for 12 seasons in the series.
The unaired pilot had a significantly different cast of characters aside from Leonard and Sheldon. Penny, Raj, and Howard were missing, and in their place are two other female characters. Gilda, played by Iris Bahr, is reminiscent of Sara Gilbert’s Leslie Winkle, and Katie. Parts of the opener are available to watch online. However, a much-lesser known fact about The Big Bang Theory was that it originally cast O’Keefe for the role of Katie before Walsh.
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe’s Experience with The Big Bang Theory
In the new episode of The Official The Big Bang Theory Podcast, O’Keefe sat down with host Jessica Radloff to talk about her history with the nerd-centric sitcom. The actor known for her roles in Prison Break, The Vampire Diaries, and She’s All That, among others, shared how she found out that she was cast in the comedy and how she was eventually let go from it. Read her full quote below:
Comedy and sitcom, for me, is like grabbing the brass ring. The most fun, the schedule’s amazing. the thrill of doing it in front of an audience, the comedic timing, all of the things. I’m basically inside a big dopey face, so if I can fall on my face and make someone laugh, I’m here for it. I had worked with Chuck [Lorre] so many times before, Dharma & Greg, Two and Half Men. You know things like that. I was so excited by this particular role and so beyond, over-the-moon, actually booked it, because it’s one to be excited for a role, it’s another thing to actually hear the words, ‘it’s you.’ And then, a week into rehearsals, we were on our last day, and my manager called me and he said ‘hey kid, what happened?’ And I said, ‘what happened? did someone die?’ And he said, ‘no kid, it’s not working out.’ I said ‘what’s not?’ So I had no idea. Apparently, it was not meant to be, and that was the end of that story.
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe in Two and a Half Men
The Reason Behind Jodi Lyn O’Keefe’s Exit
O’Keefe was let go from The Big Bang Theory not because she was bad in the role. As she said, the part was already awarded to her and they were in the middle of rehearsals to film the pilot. Both Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki had both come out to sing her praises. The problem was that the character of Katie was wrong for what they were aiming for in The Big Bang Theory. Even when it was recast with Walsh, it still didn’t work.
Lorre and Prady had to ultimately scrap the character and replace her with Penny. With Cuoco attached to the role, that was the only time that The Big Bang Theory started to work. Katie was harsh and judgmental, but Penny, despite her differences with the boys, treated them with kindness and even understanding. She functioned as the viewers’ perspective and Cuoco effectively played that role.
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe’s Future with Chuck Lorre
It has been established repeatedly that Lorre is loyal to his co-workers. So many of his former side actors found their way back into his orbit, landing bigger roles in new shows, such as Lance Barber and even Kevin Sussman. O’Keefe knows this, since she returned in The Big Bang Theory season 2 to play a guest part. However, perhaps she can get a more prominent gig from the producer, especially as he expands the franchise with Stuart’s spinoff.
Jodi Lyn O’Keefe in Two and a Half Men
