In the TV world, it's a relatively rare feat for actors to work together for a dozen or more years, but that's just the kind of success that was shared by The Big Bang Theory stars Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons. (Among others, of course.) While fans might have expected that duo would go off on their separate ways after Big Bang ended, they actually went down a new creative path together with Fox's new comedy Call Me Kat. And it stands to reason that nobody was more shocked by that turn of events than Bialik herself.
Jim Parsons is one of the executive producers who incited development on Call Me Kat, which is a remake of the popular UK comedy Miranda, and it sounds like he was pretty quick in reaching out to Mayim Bialik about taking on the lead role. While promoting the new sitcom during a podcast interview with US Weekly, Bialik talked about how surprised she was to witness her former co-star's eagerness to work with her again. In her words:
When Jim brought it to me, I thought he was just asking my opinion because we were friends and we have a lot of similar tastes. I was like, ‘That sounds great. I totally think that’s a great idea!’ He was like, ‘No, Mayim. I’m telling you about this because I want you to play her.’ So I was totally shocked that Jim Parsons wanted to still work with me. I think I’m very annoying, but he apparently thinks I’m not as annoying as I think I am, because he wanted to work with me.
That must have been a fun twist of a conversation for Mayim Bialik to go through. It's one thing to listen to a cool idea that a friend has, and something completely different to realize that cool idea might be your next big job for the near future. Of course, Call Me Kat's main character does share a lot in common with the actress, so it might have been kind of easy to infer, but those similarities were probably developed further over time rather than all being there from the jump. In any case, that conversation eventually led to the greatest job Bialik has ever had, by her own account.
At this point, Jim Parsons is still just an EP behind the scenes on Call Me Kat, so Big Bang Theory fans aren't able to see him and Mayim Bialik sharing any scenes together. But that might change at some point. Parsons revealed at the sitcom's TCA panel that while no cameo plans were in the books at that point, he didn't want to say that it was completely out of the question. The actor has definitely altered his career journey post-Big Bang, having starred in Netflix's dark drama Hollywood as a real scumbag, and he also starred in the Netflix film adaptation of the Broadway play The Boys in the Band, which he also starred in.
For what it's worth, Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons have worked together on another show even beyond Big Bang Theory and Call Me Kat. The actress made a voiceover cameo on Young Sheldon for its Season 4 premiere for a flash-forward reprisal of her beloved character Amy. Maybe 2021 will usher in a fourth project for the two to work on together. Like a Blossom revival. Or, you know, whatever.
Fans can catch Mayim Bialik getting her café-owning on when new episodes of Call Me Kat hit Fox every Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what other new and returning shows are on the way, head to our Winter and Spring 2021 TV premiere schedule.
