Penn and Teller have their own theater at the Rio in Las Vegas and make millions, so I don’t think his not speaking onstage* has constrained him one bit. He adopted the non-speaking persona to get audiences to pay attention very early on in his career, and it seems to have worked ever since.
That being said, I think it would have been funnier on TBBT if he hadn’t actually spoken. Rather than saying thank you, I think he should have just given a big grin and a thumbs-up.
I seem to recall Teller did speak onstage in a number of instances, just not as “Teller”. He voiced Mofo the Psychic Gorilla, and a few other things in the P&T show over the years.
Something just occurred to me, and I could be totally wrong here, but I seem to recall reading or hearing that actors who don’t speak are paid less than those who do - maybe that’s why he had to have a line…
Kathy Bates looked a LITTLE like Annie O’Donnell if you don’t look too hard, so I suppose she could have lost her red hair and gone gray between the time we saw her on Skype and then at the wedding.
I thought it was a great episode. Now, let’s get Raj settled and we can send our gang off on a high note.
I loved this episode. All I could think of was when Sheldon met Amy at the coffee shop, and when he asked what she might like to drink, she answered, “Tepid water, please.”
They were made for each other, and it was nice to see them tie the knot.
“Fan service” would have been having the final scene being all the men singing Stand By Me to Sheldon and Amy. With the sing along being conducted by Rob Reiner and/or Stephen King (I’d throw Benny King into the scene if he were still alive).
And it would still be better than the Krepkie singing ending.
I have a similar problem when the NPR station lists their sponsors. I can’t tell if it’s the Ann E Casey Foundation or the Annie Casey Foundation. And Googling, I find that it’s actually The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
While searching for anything on super asymmetry, I found that there’s a scene (filmed but then cut) from this episode about Stephen Hawking and super asymmetry:
Association of Neurologic Entomologists of Kansas City?
Amoebic Nano-Electricians of King’s College?
American North-East Kennel Club?
Amish NEbraskan Koala Cuddlers?
I can see why they cut it - the phrase is much too long for the watch. It could so easily have been what was written on the card though, with just “About Time” being on the watch. Silly BBT.
SitCom writer is one of those impossibly difficult jobs that just seem so easy to the armchair observer.
If anyone is interested, back in the day, before Teller had started to speak occasionally in movies and radio appearances, and was always totally silent, members of his family were asked not to reveal whether or not he actually could speak.
I know this, because I used to babysit for the daughter of Teller’s first cousin’s daughter. P&T did a performance in town, and I went, and ran into the family I babysat for in the audience. I asked the cousin if Teller could speak and just didn’t, or if he was covering for something like a bad stutter, or actually couldn’t speak for some reason, and she said “I’m not allowed to say.”
On the plus side, she did take me backstage to meet them, on the promise that I not gush, just shake hands and skedaddle, which I did. She had a backstage pass. They were quite nice, considering they’d just done a show, and were probably exhausted. I said “Thank you; I really enjoyed the show.” Penn said “Thank you for coming,” and I said “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” then said “Privilege to meet you. Hope you enjoy our town. Goodbye,” and high-tailed it. Or something like that.
Teller didn’t say anything, but he smiled and shook hands.
And let’s not forget that Wil Wheaton and Georgie Cooper were childhood friends who once took a camping trip together, where they read Stephen King and sang Ben E. King.
If you go see their show in Vegas (I have a few times), after every performance both of them greet the audience as they are leaving the theater and take pictures, sign autographs and talk. I have spoken to Teller a few times. His stock answer if you say to him “hey, you can speak!” is “hey, so can you!”
