![]() Then there’s Kaley Cuoco, who has one of the best memories of anyone I’ve ever met (a true asset when you’re doing an oral history). Johnny’s candor opened the door to some really powerful conversations, and for that I am extremely grateful. In fact, as I am in the middle of writing this piece, he’s texting me with additional photos for the book, which I can’t wait to eventually share with you all. For someone who was probably the most apprehensive about opening up, he would later admit it was one of the greatest gifts. Then there was Johnny Galecki, who spent four hours with me on Zoom just for our first interview. Even then, I had to wrap up our sessions-not because I wanted to, but because my deadline was approaching and I had no more room in the book. When all was said and done, Parsons and I did more 20 hours of new interviews (not including a 90-minute Zoom I did with his lovely mom, Judy). I wouldn’t have to rush through my questions I wouldn’t have to leave things out. “However many we’re going to do.” For the first time in days, I felt like I could take a deep breath. Because if it’s worth looking into, it’s worth getting new and interesting facts out there.” ![]() It’s one of the reasons I was so glad to say we should do these conversations, however many we’re going to do. He said, “I’m reading Mike Nichols’s biography right now, and you just love to go back and hear the stories about how it was made, because you felt something for the work. But I’ll never forget what Jim said to me in that first of our many sessions, as we called them. (I should mention here the more than 200 pages of notes I took rewatching all 280 episodes, including the first, unaired pilot). The first time I got on the phone with Jim Parsons, I’d been panicking for days wondering how I was going to get through 12 pages of questions in the 90-minute time frame we were scheduled to speak. ![]() Of course, I didn’t know this at the beginning. No question was off the table, no topic too difficult, no request went unanswered. But here’s the thing about the cast of The Big Bang Theory: They love and respect the show so much that not only did they all agree to participate, but they also gave me unlimited time and access. I wouldn’t have blamed them if they’d said they needed more time. Perhaps they felt they were still too identified as their characters and needed more space? (After all, look how long it took the Friends cast to reunite). I had great relationships with them all through the years and knew how much they loved the show, but I was also aware they might think it was too soon to revisit something so monumental to their lives. I’d like to say I had no doubt they would, but again, I get anxious about everything. And then, one by one, so did the cast and rest of the producing and writing team. But I wasn’t even two minutes into my “inquiry” when he said, “Yes!” Steve then talked to Chuck, who graciously said yes. If this project was to go forward, I knew it would be the start of something new, and also one that required a lot of thought and contemplation. I mention the holiday because it’s the start of the Jewish new year and a period of intense reflection. I will never forget that first phone call with Steve Molaro on Rosh Hashanah 2020.
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