Highlights

Melissa Rauch's character Bernadette on The Big Bang Theory evolved to become a fan-favorite known for her sarcasm and distinctive voice.Rauch's journey to landing the role of Bernadette was full of struggles and uncertainty, as she faced financial instability and auditioned for multiple short-term jobs before being cast.The role of Bernadette was initially intended to be a guest-starring role, but Rauch's impact on the show led to her becoming a regular cast member, providing her with much-needed stability in her acting career.

It is hard to imagine without aka Bernadette as part of the cast.

While her character was initially slower on the uptake when it came to sarcasm, as the seasons progressed, Bernadette evolved to corner the market when it came to sarcasm on the show. That, in conjunction with her voice starting off slower and cadenced to become quicker and higher pitched, became a character the show relied on to keep storylines progressing and entertaining.

With Rauch bringing so much talent to the character of Bernadette, it is hard to believe that just before she was cast as a regular in 2009, Rauch was contemplating her career as an actor. Not being able to make ends meet with having landed five jobs in five years that were not long-term or starring roles, Rauch faced an uphill journey when it came to having a career in the entertainment industry, as most aspiring actresses do.

Rauch was jobless and broke right before she landed the role of Bernadette during the third season of . But luck proved to be on the talented actress's side as a guest starring role transformed into a starring role, given the impact she made during her time in front of the camera.

Melissa Rauch Getting Cast As Bernadette Was Unexpected

When the role of Bernadette was written, she was supposed to be a quick guest starring role. This had a lot to do with the fact that one of the show's creators, Chuck Lorre, made the decision to not have an endgame to the show.

meaning that not only was Bernadette not supposed to be a part of the show but that . As such, even after Rauch was asked back from episode to episode, she never anticipated being made a regular on

Rauch explained, "I remember being in my dressing room, hearing that the show was interested in making me a series regular, but because it wasn't a full series regular, they didn't want a big announcement. It was almost like it was a trial run, meaning I wouldn't know week to week if I was going to be on. And then at one point, it just became all episodes, which was a huge shift because I had a little more stability.

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She went on to say, "Both Mayim [Bialilk] and I were eased in, so I credit the producers with making the transition seamless in that it wasn't forced down people's throats. As a fan of the show, if they had been like, 'Here's your new cast members!', I think there would have been something very jarring about that. And if I knew then what I know now—in terms of what the job turned into—my nerves would have been off the charts. I would have . It was just supposed to be a one-time job."

"The fact that it was so gradual was such a lesson in life: One step at a time, one day at a time, and don't always look at the endgame, which is something I tend to do so much.

It was such a gift and lesson that's a great reminder even now."

That day-to-day approach was one that was hard for Rauch to wrap her head around at the time given that she was having problems making ends meet right up until she was a regular. But once that happened, Rauch not only had the stability she craved in an acting job but the ability to gain recognition for future jobs as well.

Melissa Rauch Revealed She Was "At The Unemployment Office" Before Landing 'TBBT'

It is not uncommon for actors trying to get their foot in the door to take other jobs to make ends meet. But at the time that Rauch was auditioning for the part of Bernadette, she was financially struggling—so much so that Rauch had no other choice but to

to get her through until the next job came her way.

"I still don't know that I fully process what that was. Right before I got cast as Bernadette, I was literally at the unemployment office the week before that job. I was just supposed to be there for the week, and then they said I was going to do a couple more episodes. The fact that it turned into that, I'm so endlessly grateful."

As a result of being cast as a guest star and then a series regular on , , Rauch got the exposure she needed so badly to not only be considered for other roles but not have to struggle to stand out at auditions any longer.

Not only has Rauch been cast in leading roles since but as a result of her unmistakable voice on , voice-acting roles have come her way as well.

After 'The Big Bang Theory', Melissa Rauch's Career Took Off

While working on , Rauch worked on other projects as well during the off-season. One of the most notable at the beginning of her career was But as a result of Rauch's ability to change her voice, , perhaps not something that Rauch expected but was welcomed both while on and after wrapped.

The first major voice acting role that Rauch was cast for was

. While it was just for one episode, it proved to be "a great introduction to voice acting and it helped open the door to some other great opportunities." Some of those other and more meatier roles include , and more.

Voice acting is not all that Rauch is working on these days, however. Currently, Rauch is starring in which had such a successful first season that it was renewed for a second season, early on. Just when that will premiere though, given the SAG-AFTRA strike is anyone's guess.