While Mayim Bialik has had a continuously busy career since starring on CBS’ hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory, her life wasn’t always like that. The Jeopardy! host left the industry at one point after starring in the popular ‘90s sitcom Blossom in the titular role, and the actress was able to be as normal as ever. Then she came back into the spotlight to star in the hit CBS comedy, and now the actress and host is reflecting on her journey with fame.
Appearing on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Mayim Bialik discussed what her life was like after Blossom, and it was actually pretty normal. She was able to go to school and have a job like any typical college student would, and even with her ‘90s stardom she was able to live a normal life, explaining all the odd-jobs she had during school:
I left the industry for 12 years. I went to college, I went to grad school. I had two kids, I was out of the industry. And then I came back to the industry, and I was in The Big Bang Theory, but before, I would do the things that people would do when they’re in college and in grad school. I tutored, I tutored Hebrew, I tutored piano. And one of the things I did was I tutored high school biology, and that meant I taught sex ed to a group of high school students. I was their teacher, and it was the birds and the bees, all of the things.
It’s not uncommon for celebrities to want to break away from the industry and live a normal life. The fact that Mayim Bialik was able to do so for so long and even have a normal job is impressive. However, of course, she was still recognized from time to time, but it was mostly from the parents of students she taught. The actress said:
Actually, I taught in the homeschool community, there’s a Jewish homeschool community that meets in Los Angeles, and so many of these kids were raised religious, and they had never had really any kind of sex ed. So I was the one, and they were too young to know me from television. Their parents were like, 'Blossom is teaching our kids!' but they didn’t know. I was just their teacher.
Imagine having the Blossom teaching your kids. That sounds like a pretty cool thing, and it seems like even though Mayim Bialik was out of the spotlight, she didn’t mind having the parents recognize her. Although, it must have been nice to mostly be able to do her job without getting all of the attention since the kids wouldn’t really know who she was. So it was a win-win for her.
Now that Bialik has been back in the spotlight for a while now, she truly seems to be enjoying her work on screen. She’s been pulling double duty on Fox’s Call Me Kat, and as the host of Jeopardy!, but if she ever does choose to leave the industry again, it sounds like she knows how to navigate it. Though hopefully, she doesn’t make that decision any time soon, because we love seeing her in all these different shows.
As of now, Mayim Bialik is staying in the industry as she continues to host Jeopardy! along with Ken Jennings, although her Fox comedy has yet to be renewed. It will probably come down to the wire, and following the passing of her co-star Leslie Jordan, it’s been a tough year on the set of Call Me Kat. Although, we hope it gets renewed, because ever since Bialik returned to the screen in The Big Bang Theory it's been a blast to see her back in action.
