Although most fans of The Big Bang Theory reckon Kaley Cuoco was the perfect person to play Penny, it turns out another actress almost pipped her to the post. The 39-year-old previously revealed that she was initially rejected for the role, which several Hollywood starlets were also vying for, but to be fair, the knockback might have been something of a compliment, depending on which way you look at it.

That's because the smiley Cheesecake Factory server we all know and love was actually conceived as a 'cynical, down-on-her-luck, and off-putting' character at first. She wasn't even called Penny either, as producers had to change her name to Katie because CBS had another pilot airing at the time that featured a character with that moniker.

Still, Cuoco 'loved the role' and was thrilled by the prospect of working with The Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre again, so she was pretty disheartened when she didn't get it.

In Jessica Radloff's 2022 book, which lifted the lid on the behind-the-scenes world of the show, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story, the actor said: "I know Chuck really wanted me for the role of Katie, and I was definitely bummed when I didn’t get it, but I kind of have a way of moving on because you have to." Casting director Ken Miller also confessed he was also disappointed Cuoco didn't get it, according to an excerpt from the book shared by The Hollywood Reporter.