Melissa Rauch, best known as Bernadette Rostenkowski, the charismatic but convincing waitress turned scientist on the long-running CBS hit series, The Big Bang Theory, is embracing a whole new persona as a has-been champion, Hope Ann Greggory, in the new comedy, The Bronze.
Written by Rauch and her husband, Winston, the film tells the story of a gymnast who basked in hometown glory after reaching the medal stand, only to find her star fading into obscurity. When a young, new gymnast Maggie, played by Haley Lu Richardson, is on the cusp of surpassing Hope’s fame (and achievement-standing), the former athlete is tasked with coaching her to victory.
The movie itself harkens back to Billy Bob Thornton’s brand of ’00 comedies mixed with some of Bring It On’s spunky vibe — and it’s definitely not family fare. The R-rated comedy will surprise the purist of Big Bang fans with its mix of raunchy humor and Rauch’s “Gives Zero F**ks” on-screen attitude.
“The Big Bang Theory audience can’t necessarily bring their children to this one,” Rauch tells ETonline about the film, which came out of wanting to write an opportunity to challenge herself as an actress. And it’s certainly a far cry from what normally gets past censors on CBS. The Bronze opens with Hope masturbating to a VHS recording of her victorious comeback to help win the U.S. team the bronze medal.
“When we were screening it in Sundance, there was a family that brought in their children. I stopped them at the door and warned them, and they were like, ‘No, no, it’s fine. These kids watch everything,'” the actress reveals. “I just feel bad that these children have a very unrealistic view of what sex looks like, if that was their first exposure to a sex scene. I hope they don’t injure themselves when the time comes, when they’re older.”
The sex scene Rauch is referring to — easily The Bronze’s funniest and most shocking moment — comes in the third act, when Hope finds herself submitting to her inhibitions and attraction to Lance, played by Sebastian Stan, a former champion and rival gymnastics coach. Seemingly inspired by their past floor routines, the two rivals end up back in a hotel room, vaulting, cartwheeling and hanging from rings as they engage in the most insane (and athletic) sex scene ever.