For many fans, it's tough to imagine a time before The Big Bang Theory’s cast took on their roles in the smash-hit series, which ended last year. Well, long before Mayim Bialik took on the part of Amy Farrah Fowler, she could have been Full House’s D.J. Tanner. Who knew, right? Well, Bialik for one, and she recently explained why she lost out on the part.
Mayim Bialik auditioning to play D.J. Tanner is one of the many fascinating facts about The Big Bang Theory star. The role ultimately went to Candace Cameron Bure, who later reprised it in the Netflix sequel spinoff. So what changed Full House as we know it and kept Bialik from taking on the role of Donna Jo "D.J." Tanner? Bialik told Wired:
My first audition was to play D.J. on a little show called Full House, and the note that the casting agent gave to my manager was, ‘She talks too fast.’ It’s true.
As an avid Full House fan, I can attest to finding it hard to imagine anyone else playing, D.J. Tanner. That said, I can also picture Mayim Bialik in the role. In the end, it was not meant to be because, according to Bialik, the casting director thought she spoke too fast.
I would think that this is an issue that could have been settled in time, especially since D.J. had scenes on Full House in which she would get excited and talk fast. Now, we'll never know. Thankfully, Mayim Bialik did more than well for herself in the aftermath. In 1991, she began starring as the titular character in NBC's Blossom, which ran for five seasons. And years later, she joined The Big Bang Theory as a series regular starting in Season 4, and the rest is history.
Mayim Bialik is not the first famous actress to not get a highly-coveted role at the outset of their career. For instance, Saved by the Bell’s Tiffani Thiessen was tapped to play Rachel on Friends though, of course, Jennifer Aniston ended up getting it. While Bialik missed the chance to play D.J. on Full House due to talking “too fast,” Thiessen was deemed a “little too young” to play Rachel.
When it came time for The Big Bang Theory to cast Sheldon’s true love, Amy Fowler, Mayim Bialik more than hit the mark -- despite having never watched an episode of the show before being cast. She even earned a few Primetime Emmy nominations for her stellar work.
Since The Big Bang Theory ended, Bialik has still been busy, as she's teamed up with Jim Parsons for a new show, Call Me Kat. Jim Parsons will be behind-the-scenes as an executive producer, while Mayim Bialik will also produce and star in the show as well. Interestingly, Bialik and Candace Cameron Bure’s runs as their beloved characters ended in the same year. Bialik wrapped The Big Bang Theory in May of 2019, while Bure ended her run as D.J. in Fuller House at the end of that year.
It is strange how things can sometimes dovetail into each other in the television world. Nevertheless, Mayim Bialik seems to have no hard feelings about not getting cast on Full House. She's had plenty of success since then, which just proves that you can't keep a talented actor down.
While you wait for Mayim Bialik to return to television with Call Me Kat after this fall’s premieres, you can also check her out as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory by streaming episodes of the show on HBO Max.
