Macaulay Culkin Was Offered a Major TBBT Role, Threw Shade At It Instead
The iconic actor wasn't impressed by the show’s concept.
CBS's The Big Bang Theory is undoubtedly one of the most popular sitcoms of the 21st century. Every actor associated with it continues to earn impressive sums from the show's syndication and streaming deals(apparently, the residuals from the latter have been rather disappointing lately). However, it seems that there is at least one actor who doesn't envy the success of Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, and Kaley Cuoco, even though this main trio amassed millions for their roles on the sitcom.
The thing is that when Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady were first pitching the show to CBS, they envisioned different actors for some of the roles, and as it turns out, they even offered one iconic actor a choice between playing either Sheldon or Leonard.
Macaulay Culkin of Home Alone fame is largely remembered for his expansive acting career as a child and his fair share of controversies as an adult. Everyone in the industry knows that the former child star currently has little interest in revitalising his once-thriving Hollywood career. Instead, he seems content living comfortably off the earnings from his earlier successes and his commercial endorsements.
However, it would appear that at one point, Lorre and Prady wanted to cast Culkin in The Big Bang Theory, approaching him several times. The co-creators loved the idea of such a major star returning to the spotlight in a high-profile sitcom. But to their surprise, Culkin, despite not being active in the industry, repeatedly declined their offer and even expressed his reservations about the show.
'They pursued me for The Big Bang Theory. And I said no. It was kind of like, the way the pitch was, "Alright, these two astrophysicist nerds and a pretty girl live with them. Yoinks!" That was the pitch. And I was like, "Yeah, I'm cool, thanks." I'd have hundreds of millions of dollars right now if I did that gig. At the same time, I'd be bashing my head against the wall,' Culkin said.
Clearly, the actor doesn't regret missing out on the opportunity, emphasising that he couldn't commit to a project that didn't resonate with him. And with a reported net worth of $18 million, it's understandable why he isn't too bothered about passing on what ended up being such a big and lucrative project.
Source: Joe Rogan Experience.