These are all the wildest rules The Big Bang Theory cast had to follow

You’d think life on the set of The Big Bang Theory would be as chaotic and carefree as a night in Sheldon’s apartment; pizza boxes on the table, arguments about Batman vs. Superman, and someone inevitably knocking three times. But behind the scenes, it was more rigid than Sheldon’s roommate agreement.

For a show about brilliant misfits and lovable oddballs, The Big Bang Theory cast had to follow a surprisingly long list of rules. Some were classic Hollywood protocol. Others were just… weird. From forbidden facial hair to blackout-level Marvel bans, it turns out that portraying nerds came with a very specific rulebook, and everyone had to stick to it.

Here are the wildest rules the cast of The Big Bang Theory had to follow.

The food was real… but no one could eat it

via CBS

You’d think filming all those eating scenes would be a treat. Pizza, Thai food, dumplings, the gang were always around a table. But the truth was that none of it was touched. The food was real for realism’s sake, but no one wanted to risk ruining a take by actually chewing. And continuity-wise, it was just too messy. So instead of biting, the cast got really good at poking their meals with a fork and pretending they were mid-conversation over dinner.

Beards were banned

via CBS

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Facial hair might be normal for most grown men. But not if you’re a theoretical physicist on a sitcom, apparently. Jim Parsons aside, the other three leads often wore beards in real life but not on the show. Producers thought facial hair made the characters look too cool. So to preserve their geeky, awkward vibe, everyone had to stay clean-shaven unless the script said otherwise. Nerd = no beard, apparently.

Flash mob or you’re out

Okay, maybe not out. But being part of a cast-wide flash dance was practically a requirement. It all started when Kaley Cuoco surprised the crew with a choreographed routine to “Call Me Maybe”. The crowd went wild. And after that, it became a thing. Whether it was “Uptown Funk” or “Run the World”, the cast and crew would learn dances and surprise the audience before tapings. Totally unnecessary, but it became one of the most beloved backstage traditions.

No improv, no matter how tempting

via CBS

With such snappy dialogue, you’d think there was room for a bit of ad-libbing. But the scripts were sacred. Melissa Rauch once described them as a musical score you didn’t want to mess up. That said, a few iconic moments did slip through. Like Amy’s dramatic reaction to her tiara, or Stuart’s sad little “I love you” to Penny. They weren’t planned, but they were so good, they stayed in. Still, most of the time, it was strictly by the book.

Mayim Bialik had to double as science police

via CBS

Sheldon might’ve just been pretending to be a genius, but Mayim Bialik actually is one. With a real-life PhD in neuroscience, she became the unofficial (and sometimes official) science checker. She helped make sure the equations on the whiteboards weren’t just gibberish. So yes, that blackboard full of quantum theory in the background actually made sense, even if only 0.1 per cent of viewers could tell.

No Marvel allowed, ever

via CBS

The guys loved comics. But if you paid attention, you’d notice something strange. It was always DC. Sheldon might’ve mentioned Spider-Man or the Hulk now and then. But costumes, posters, and merch were purely Batman, Superman, Flash, the DC crew. Well, it wasn’t an oversight. Warner Bros. owns both The Big Bang Theory and DC Comics. And Marvel was the competition. So even if the writers wanted a cheeky Wolverine reference, it would’ve cost them, literally. So instead, the comic book store mysteriously never had any Marvel issues lying around.

The cast had to promote the show constantly

via CBS

Interviews, press junkets, late-night talk shows, The Big Bang Theory cast were always out there talking about the show, which was one of the rules they had to follow. Even if they were promoting something else, The Big Bang Theory was always name-dropped. It wasn’t just goodwill. It was part of the job.

The first pilot wasn’t actually the first one

There was an original pilot before the one we all know and apparently it was bad. So bad, Chuck Lorre basically buried it. The cast were told not to talk about it, and most people didn’t even know it existed for years. The characters were different. The tone was off. Penny didn’t exist, her name was Katie, and she was apparently quite mean. The whole vibe was darker. Eventually, they hit reset, and thank goodness they did.

The show ends when core trio leaves

via CBS

Plenty of sitcoms go on after losing a lead. But The Big Bang Theory wasn’t interested in limping along. Chuck Lorre didn’t want to risk tanking the show without its core trio. So, when Jim Parsons decided to move on after Season 12, that was it. No debate. Instead of dragging it out, they wrapped things up neatly. And let Sheldon have the final word, as always.

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