As all gigs do, it all started with an audition for Kaley Cuoco on The Big Bang Theory. However, as we’ll come to realize, it wasn’t love at first sight, at least when it came to the character they had in mind for Cuoco, which initially was not Penny.

Nonetheless, the sitcom star has fond memories pertaining to the experience, she recalls sitting in the audition room and spotting none other than Jim Parsons, patiently trying to work his new phone. Cuoco recalls the encounter with EW;

“At the audition I saw Jim sitting there by himself, and we were the only two there. He was very quiet and had a BlackBerry in his hand, playing with it. He looks at me and said, “You don’t know how to work this thing, do you? I just got it.” He was very cute how he said it. I thought he could totally play Sheldon. Charming and innocent.”

They both thrived in their roles and truly, the chemistry was something else between the two, especially on-screen.

However, it all came very close to not taking place at all. Let’s examine how Cuoco ultimately landed the role of Penny.

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She Almost Chose A Charmed Spin-Off Instead

Soon after the ending of 8 Simple Rules, Cuoco joined the cast of Charmed, completely changing roles and genres. She was known as Billie Jenkins on the show, and the producers were loving the impact she brought forward;

“Kaley’s character keeps the show young and fresh by challenging the existing stars with a new perspective and new powers,” co-executive producer Brad Kern said in an e-mailed response. “Kaley has such a strong screen presence that, along with her uncanny sense of comedic timing, complements Alyssa, Holly, and Rose perfectly.”

Turns out, they were so into the role that they considered Cuoco’s character for its own spinoff show. The only issue, Big Bang Theory came calling at the same time, which nixed the plans.

Cuoco chose the sitcom instead and as they say, the rest is history. Oh, how different things could have turned out – had the Big Bang rejection stuck, she might’ve played the Billie Jenkins role for a little longer. Fans of the sitcom can safely agree, she made the right decision!

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Her Original Audition Didn’t Go Over So Well

Kaley was supposed to play Katie, a character that was the complete opposite of Penny, one that was labeled as mean and kind of dark. Cuoco admitted that the audition just didn’t work;

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"I had actually auditioned for the original pilot, and I did not get cast. I was too young, which I love saying because I don't get to say that I'm too young anymore," she said.

Thankfully, the executives on the show decided that the Katie character was not a good fit in general;

"In the first pilot, the character of [Katie] was not as appealing as that proverbial girl next door," president and chief content officer at Warner Bros. Television Group Peter Roth said. "It was not the actress [Amanda Walsh] but rather the conceit of the character."

Johnny Galecki would also admit that the show made a lot more sense once the role of Penny got the green light, with the backing of Cuoco;

"It felt very natural, almost musical, [to reshoot] the pilot when Kaley was on board with Simon [Helberg] and Kunal [Nayyar]," he said. "It felt like a band you'd been playing with for years. And everything that everyone did complemented what someone else had to do. It was just fantastic. There's no recipe for that kind of chemistry."

It all worked out for the best but it took some serious adjustments, in fact, Cuoco’s Penny character was designed especially for her.

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Cuoco’s Penny Role Was Made Especially For Her

Ultimately, Kaley got a second read, which would lead to the role of Penny. The show directors had her in mind specifically for the new part. She elaborated on the game-changing moment with Insider;

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"Chuck called a year later and said, 'It’s a new character, we want you to come in.' "I read for it and it just felt so much better than it did the year before. I guess it was just meant to be."

Fast forward to now, and after the show finally came to an end, we can safely say it was the right call. Cuoco grew more than devoted the show, she was brought to tears once it was announced that it was coming to an end;

"I went through like kind of some weird, a lot of ups and downs — almost like someone had died, in a weird way," Cuoco said Friday on an episode of CBS' "The Talk." "I was just devastated, I couldn't stop crying for days, and then I was really angry."

Fingers crossed for a reunion of sorts in the future!

NEXT –The Struggle Melissa Rauch Has Dealt Since ‘Big Bang Theory’ Ended

Sources – EW, Gainesville, The Sun & Insider