Although Mayim Bialik was not among the core cast of The Big Bang Theory from day one, she quickly became a fan favorite. The Big Bang Theory's writers also loved Mayim's character.
However, this didn't mean that the talented actress was always comfortable with the choices made for and the direction of her character, Amy. In fact, Mayim often found it difficult to film certain scenes because of her anxiety.
Nevertheless, Chuck Lorre, who always wants to get the most out of his stars, pushed Mayim out of her comfort zone multiple times, including during one scene, which she still considers the most embarrassing moment she had on the show.
Mayim revealed her most embarrassing moment on the set to Larry King. It was a scene that she had been told was going to happen off-camera. Instead, without any rehearsals or prior preparation, Chuck Lorre made the actress do it in front of the camera.
When the question is asked, Mayim actually rolls her eyes because she's had so many scenes that have embarrassed her that it was hard to pick just one.
"Oh my gosh," she says. "There's so many..."
Then she described what happened.
"We had an episode where Sheldon was supposed to spank Amy off camera. It was supposed to be audio only," she explained.
"And in front of the audience, Chuck Lorre decided he would like that to be done on camera. And Jim and I had not at all rehearsed people seeing him spanking me," Mayim continued.
"What was it like?" the host asked Mayim.
"It was embarrassing," Mayim answered, giving an awkward chuckle.
The clip ended with the actual scene, in which an uncomfortable-looking Jim Parsons and Mayim can be seen getting in position for her spanking. He then lightly taps her backside, making her laugh.
"Excuse me, you're not supposed to be enjoying this," he tells her in character.
Without missing a beat she answers, "Then maybe you should spank me harder."
As the audience laughs, he reflects for a moment and then says that maybe he will.
Despite Mayim's embarrassment, it appears that Chuck Lorre made the right choice when he decided to have the scene on camera.
In the comments to the YouTube videos, fans were almost universally praising how the scene played out, as well as Mayim's acting, especially since the scene had not been rehearsed.
Many commenters said the scene was maybe the funniest of the entire show, which is high praise when it comes to a show universally thought to be one of the funniest on television.
Mayim's acting also received a lot of attention, with fans saying that not only she looks gorgeous, but she's also an incredible actress and this scene is proof of it for anyone who may not already know it.
One fan summed up how the audience feels about the improvised scene and Chuck Lorre's decision while acknowledging Mayim's own feelings.
"Embarrassing, perhaps, but absolutely the right call. That awkwardness is part of the joke!" they wrote.
It was not the first or last time Chuck Lorre's quick thinking during filming turned a scene from awkward to iconic.
While Mayim's feelings may have been hurt when the scene was filmed, in the long run, her acting and improvisation talent only received wider recognition.
For the most part, Mayim Bialik loved The Big Bang Theory, and it was hard for her to accept it when the show came to an end. Mayim supported her co-stars, including Kaley Cuoco, behind the scenes through the unavoidable grieving process they experienced during the last season of the show.
Nevertheless, she didn't always enjoy her time on the set. Mayim and her co-star Jim Parsons had a hard time filming alongside less-than-professional guest stars.
Because she's not a trained actress, Mayim also felt a bit out of place when she had to work with her co-stars. Mayim also didn't receive the warmest welcome when she originally joined The Big Bang Theory, something another cast member, Melissa Rauch, also experienced.
These moments didn't ruin Mayim's experience on the show, however. Eventually, she felt like she belonged with her co-stars and made the best of the show, although Mayim won't watch The Big Bang Theory or any other show she's ever been on.
"I've never seen most of the episodes," she said about the show. "I don't watch myself on television. I've never sat and watched an episode of our show, ever."
"I've seen snippets on stage when they would show them to the audience but no, I don't watch myself," she explained.
