HBO Max’s Stuart Fails To Save The Universe is taking the titular comic book store owner from The Big Bang Theory and thrusting him into the spotlight (as well as several different parallel universes).
Longtime fans of the long-running sitcom will know Stuart Bloom (played by Kevin Sussman) as a well-meaning but often down-on-his-luck character, whose flailing attempts at romance saw him become one-time love rivals to customers, friends and Big Bang Theory lead characters Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) throughout the series run.
But in an exclusive interview with Radio Times, Sussman reveals that his character was never meant to be as big as he became – especially not one that, one day, would have a TV series of his own.
“I think originally, in the first episode that Stuart appears, he was more of like a straight [man], like a normal guy that was supposed to be a threat to Leonard, really. He had a business, and he was kind of charming, asks Penny out on a date…,” he explained.
“[But] then over the years, the character sort of devolved and his world unravels, and as the other characters – the main characters from Big Bang Theory – evolved in their careers and their relationships, Stuart’s sort of a counterbalance to that as his world continues to deteriorate,” he laughs.
“The store is going out of business, which actually matches the reality of comic book stores during that period. Because of all of the digital comic books and stuff like that, it's been harder for comic book stores to thrive.
“Actually, I used to work at a comic book store in real life before the show, and so I know all about the challenges of operating a comic book store these days…”
Even the finale of the series seemed suitably fitting, with Sussman adding: “He finally gets in a good relationship with Denise, and it was super exciting, and then the show [...] just stopped, which is really the most Stuart thing. It so totally tracks with Stuart.”
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The Big Bang Theory spin-off show bosses reveal why some of the episodes are so shortThe Big Bang Theory veteran confirmed to join cast of its much-anticipated new spin-off seriesThankfully, fans will now find out what happened to Stuart and Denise (played by Lauren Lapkus) in Stuart Fails to Save The Universe – though his financially draining comic book store is the least of his troubles.
After an accident involving a quantum machine created by Leonard and Sheldon, Stuart’s now the only person that can save the universe. But he’s more concerned with making sure he stays connected to Denise, something Sussman notes is a “real, genuine relationship” for the lonely store owner.
“[The show is] shot more like a film, and because it centres around Stuart and Denise, actually their relationship develops in ways that it wouldn't have been able to on the original series,” he said. “So in a way, for the development of their relationship, it's exciting, this new version of him.”
Stuart Fails… marks a major career point for Sussman. A recognisable face thanks to roles in beloved shows including Ugly Betty, Lessons in Chemistry, My Name Is Earl and Weeds, this is the first time he’s taking the leading role – and he admits he didn’t think it would ever happen.
In fact, he had to keep the whole project secret for two years before it was finally announced.
“I actually just the other day went through my emails and checked because I was like, ‘no, it can't have been 2022’ [when I found out],” he explained. “But that's when [show creator] Chuck Lorre, during the pandemic, summoned me to his office, and I had no idea.
“I could not think what the reason would be other than maybe he wanted me to guest star on Young Sheldon, but that didn't quite make sense because it doesn't take place at the same time as Big Bang, and I was actually thinking maybe he wants me to play a different character than Stuart. I didn't know what was going on.
“I went to his office, and he pitched the idea of this wild spinoff that takes place in different parallel universes, starring Stuart. I mean, everything about it was surreal. Chuck pitching me a show, wanting to see if I would be interested in it, was weird. The idea was weird, and I just accepted that this was happening, I was not imagining any of this.
“I said, ‘yes okay yes I would like that’ and he said ‘okay don't tell anyone, because it's so early on in development that you know… Big Bang Theory was such a big deal that if word gets out we're working on a spinoff this early too much scrutiny this early on can't be good for the project’. So I said, ‘okay, I won't tell anyone’.”
“I didn't tell my agent or my manager or anyone. Then months passed, and I didn't hear from him,” he continues. “I actually at a certain point, when I hadn't heard from him for months, went back through my emails just to make sure that that wasn't some weird COVID dream that I actually did meet with him.
“Then in 2023 when they announced there was going to be a spin-off, I hadn't even heard anything. The night before they made that announcement, Chuck sent me a message saying HBO Max is going to make an announcement.”
Even after that announcement, it wasn’t until October 2024 when the team officially confirmed the spin-off would focus on Stuart – with fellow recurring Big Bang characters Bert (Brian Posehn), Kripke (John Ross Bowie) and Denise (Lauren Lapkus) as his co-stars.
But in another evolution of the character, Sussman notes that the Stuart we spend time with is not quite who viewers will remember him being, thanks to the ever-baffling world of parallel universes.
“Technically it's not the same Stuart,” he notes. “It's Stuart, so it really is a technicality because it's Stuart but it's sort of Stuart has shifted a little, in a way, his character.
“Technically, there's all these different multiverses, but the one Stuart throughout all of them we discover in the apocalypse world. So technically, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is about not the Stuart from Big Bang Theory, but Stuart from a parallel universe. Although he gets visited by the Stuart from the Big Bang Theory.”
“So in a way, it's like if that Stuart survived an apocalypse, so he's just slightly more badass,” he says, appreciating the confusion. “He's a reluctant hero, but he's definitely pushed into a leadership position, which is something that never happened to Stuart of yesteryear.
“That Stuart was always just happy to be invited to a party or something, and now this Stuart is sort of leading the show. So that was a completely new dynamic for Stuart, and very interesting to sort of discover that side of the character.”
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe premieres on HBO Max on Friday 24 July 2026.
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