Kaley Cuoco recently revealed in an interview how her iconic character of Penny from ‘The Big Bang Theory’ was sexualised. She also revealed how she took a stand against it and decided how the character was going to be portrayed.
It’s been years since the series finale of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ aired. However, the craze among the fans of the series has refused to die down. Kaley Cuoco is one of the stars from the show who was catapulted into worldwide fame following her portrayal of Penny, the cutesy girl next door. She recently gave an interview to the W Magazine wherein she talked in detail about her role in the nerdy sitcom and how she felt about it. However, there was one big chunk from the interview, which baffled the fans. She said that her character was sexualised deliberately on the show in the earlier seasons. She, however, was proud to admit that Penny was less and less sexualized as the seasons went on. Basically, she set her own ground rules when it comes to the portrayal of one of the key characters from the brilliant show.
Highlights —
- Kaley Cuoco on how Penny was sexualised
- Kaley Cuoco protected Penny from sexism
The actress was signed to play Penny on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ in the first season and she became a series regular. She starred opposite Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons in the sitcom, which has now become a cult classic. Penny had a romantic track with Johnny Galecki’s character on the series, which had its own separate fan-base, owing to the difference in their outlooks towards life. Penny eventually became the life of the sitcom as the series went on.
KALEY CUOCO ON HOW PENNY WAS SEXUALISED
However, one problem Kaley had with her portrayal was that it was overly sexualized. In the interview, she remarked about how she was only 21-years-old when she began starring in the series. She admitted that she was the cute girl next door, but her character was all about booty shorts and couture zip-ups. However, she realized the problem with that portrayal and pushed the writers to make a gradual shift to her character. As Penny grew up, Kaley grew up as well, and hence, her character saw a slow but evident character development. It was also reflected in her costumes, which became more and more sophisticated as the seasons went on.
KALEY CUOCO PROTECTED PENNY FROM SEXISM
She was also quick to admit that she initially had no problem showing off her highly attractive physique. About that she said that she was 21 and she was hot! Hence, it was no self-image issue for her to show off her good looks like that.
But as the series ran for 12 hit seasons, every character had their own journey, which was masterfully weaved into the main plot. Initially, when Penny appeared, Sheldon and Leonard judged her personality to provide some laughs. But as the characters developed and became closer to each other, their approach changed. Leonard and Penny ended up getting married and went on to have a good life ahead. During the 12 season run of the series, Penny remained a constant and appeared in almost every episode since. But it was brave of her to stand up for the stereotypical objectification that her character was being subjected to.
Currently, Kaley is having a ball with her acting career. She currently stars in the dark comedy-drama series titled ‘The Flight Attendant’ and is among the highest-paid TV actresses. Fortune favours the brave, as they say!
Tell us in the comments what you thought of Penny when you first saw her in ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Also, tell us your take on Penny and Leonard’s relationship on the show. Did it feel forced?
