The Big Bang Theory's Penny moved to Pasadena, California from Omaha, Nebraska to fulfill her dream of becoming a star. While moving into her apartment, she met her neighbors, Sheldon and Leonard, who would soon become her best friend and future husband.
Throughout the years, Penny tried her hardest to become an actress but nothing ever panned out. She has casually name-dropped a few of her roles in the past and today we're taking a look at her acting resume for exactly what it is before she gave up acting entirely.
Mimi In A One Night Showcase Of Rent
Rent is the iconic musical created by Jonathan Larson that revolves around a group of struggling artists trying to make ends meet in New York City. The play lasted on Broadway for 12 years and won both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer.
In "The Loobenfeld Decay," Penny tells Sheldon and Leonard that she was chosen to play Mimi after the original actress dropped out. It was a one-night showcase and she asked the boys to be there for her. Sadly, Leonard lied to her and said they were busy. Penny eventually found out the truth after Sheldon came forward.
A Role In The Diary Of Anne Frank
Penny has mentioned a few times over the years that she was once in the production of The Diary of Anne Frank. While anything revolving around Anne Frank is noteworthy and worth knowing, Penny said it was held over a bowling alley, which made it lose its appeal.
It's not known what role Penny had in The Diary of Anne Frank but it sounds like a monumental play. Something tells us Sheldon didn't attend that one either though. He would probably be against historical inaccuracies.
A Gal With A Problem In A Hemorrhoid Commercial
As close as Penny and the guys are, they've had plenty of ups and downs that made them question their friendship with each other. When Leonard was moving on with Priya and all the other couples were thriving both individually and as a pair, Penny thought it was a good idea to move back home to Nebraska.
But as soon as she told Leonard and Sheldon, she got a call from her agent saying that she landed the part for a hemorrhoid commercial. That small role was enough to give Penny hope and keep her in California.
The Lead Role In A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire is a play by Tennessee Williams. The play dates back to the '40s and is about a woman named Blanche DuBois who gives up her privileged lifestyle in the South for a shared apartment with her sister and brother-in-law.
In TBBT, Penny won the starring role of Blanche DuBois and invited everyone to see her on opening night. Amy watched on with envy in her eyes as everyone was captivated by Penny's performance. Sheldon thought she was brilliant but was confused about how she could all those lines but not their orders at the Cheesecake Factory.
An Extra In NCIS
In the seventh season, Penny is delighted when she nails the role of a customer in a diner in NCIS. Penny was banking on this short role to take her places and told everyone to watch her scene in "The Hesitation Ramification."
On the night of the episode, Penny's family gathered around the TV in Nebraska as Penny sat with her friends and waited for her part. But by the end of the scene, Penny realized they cut her scene. She stormed away crying and embarrassed as Leonard chased after her. The two had a hard heart-to-heart about her future and if she had what it took to be an actress.
Serial Ape-ist
In what has to be one of her most popular roles was Serial Ape-ist; a low-budget scary movie that required her to be topless in a shower scene. In the movie, a "genetically engineered and sex-crazed murder|killer gorilla on a rampage" chases Penny and eventually kills her.
Penny was embarrassed by the film because it was so bad but it had a small cult-following that led to a sequel. Once the boys found out about Serial Ape-ist, they ran to their computers to catch a glimpse of Penny topless, of course. Regardless, it was one of Penny's worse roles yet.
Serial Ape-ist 2: Monkey See, Monkey Kill
In the seventh season, Penny tells the guys that Serial Ape-ist was coming back with a sequel and the director wanted her back for the role. This time around, Penny would be the "genetically cloned half gorilla with giant ape hands and feet."
She turned it down at first but after talking to Leonard and Wil Wheaton, she decided to give it a second chance. Viewers were finally able to see Penny's acting capabilities at work. Sadly, they were as bad as the movie itself. After Penny demanded some respect for her role as a woman-ape, she was fired on set.
A Cat Food Commercial Gone Wrong
Before Penny gave up acting for good, she regularly went on casting calls while working as a waitress. It became a long-running gag that whenever Penny came home from an audition her friends would automatically say "Ah, maybe next time, Penny!" without asking if she was given the part.
In one scene, Penny proves just how hard it can be for an actress to find work when she answered an ad for a cat food commercial but it ended up being porn. Amy seemed disturbed by the notion but Sheldon was genuinely curious if she took the role or not.