Lauren Lapkus Details Her 'Interesting' Run on 'The Big Bang Theory' (Exclusive)

04/07/2022 12:30 pm EDT

Lauren Lapkus is known by fans as Vivan in Jurrasic World or Susan in Orange Is The New Black. But one of her most memorable roles came four years ago when she landed the role of Denise in The Big Bang Theory. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Lapkus talked about her experience on one of the most successful television shows in history. 

"It was really interesting," Lapkus exclusively told PopCulture. "I mean, it was really cool to come into something where it was so established, of course, and had been on for so long, and they all knew each other so well and had been working together for so long that to come into that was really great because they were excited about guests coming in and shaking up the energy, having different people there. And one thing I really just appreciated was that we shot with a live audience, and the audiences were so excited to be there because this was a show that they'd been watching for so long."

Lapkus first appeared on The Big Bang Theory when Season 11 aired in 2018. Her character was the assistant manager at Stuart's (Kevin Sussman) comic book store. Lapkus appears in two episodes in Season 11, including the season finale. She then appears in six episodes in Season 12 as Denise and Stuart began a relationship and eventually move in together. Lapkus does not appear in the series finale, but her name is mentioned. 

"It's rare to be on something that has been on TV for over 10 years," Lapkus said. "It doesn't really happen that often. So the audiences were so excited, and a lot of them shared personal stories about how the show had helped through a hard time, and I thought that was really cool. So it felt really special to be a part of that. And to be there while it was ending was really, really exciting. It was a special time. I think for all of them, it was an end of an era, and for me, I was just kind of popping in and being a little fly on the wall, which was really cool." 

The Big Bang Theory ran on CBS from 2007 to 2019. During its run, The Big Bang Theory won seven Emmy Awards, five Critics' Choice Award and a Golden Globe Award. 

Disclosure: PopCulture. is owned by Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.