Leonard and Penny’s relationship on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ was a key highlight of the successful comedy show. But Kaley, who played Penny, revealed something lately that would surprise the sitcom’s fans.
Acting is a profession which requires the actors to stay in each other’s company for an extended period of time, especially when it comes to long-running sitcoms. And when people work together in a closed environment, its quite common that sparks of attractions blossom between them. The same thing happened on the sets of the hit sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Two of the key characters on the show, Penny and Leonard, ended up sharing a romantic relationship on the show, and beyond. Stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco began dating during the shoots for the first season of the show and dated for a couple of years.
However, the relationship did not last beyond the first two years and they broke up. But they kept working together on the show and it led Kaley to sense something going on in the creator Chuck Lorre’s head. What was it?
Highlights —
- Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki intimate scenes on TBBT
- Leonard and Penny dating off-camera
Now, as Kaley and Johnny were stars on the show, they had to keep working together, despite breaking up. And neither of them wanted to end their association with the sitcom as it was hugely successful. Hence, they had no other option but to tolerate each other on-sets. They decided to remain friends. But as it happened, when their characters’ romantic relationship on the sitcom took some turns and they ended up having sex more than ever. Now, it was something that both the actors were comfortable with. But as per Kaley, something mischievous was cooking up in creator Chuck Lorre’s head.

Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki dated during ‘The Big Bang Theory’
‘The Big Bang Theory’ premiered on Showtime in 2007 and became an immediate success. It talked about a group of geeks living in Pasadena, California. Johnny played an experimental physicist with a high IQ. He is a geek who’s socially awkward and falls in love with his next door neighbour Penny, who happens to be an aspiring actress. Johnny and Kaley played Leonard and Penny and had quite a lot of make-out scenes during the first season of the sitcom when they begin dating. However, they broke up before the third season of TBBT went on-air.
The third season had more steamy scenes between them than they had expected. While it was awkward at first given their relationship-history, they did not have a major issue filming those intimate scenes. In the subsequent few seasons, as Leonard and Penny go through their lives, they end up having sex more than ever. Leonard and Penny end up getting married in the 12th and final season of the series. As the show met its season finale in May 2019, the cast had quite a lot of anecdotes from the sets to share with their fans.
Kaley Cuoco, in a podcast interview in November 2020 claimed that the series creator and writer Chuck Lorre had purposely wrote those steamy scenes between her and Johnny’s character. She also added that she had a huge crush on Johnny when she first met him on the sets of the show. But he had a girlfriend at that time and when he broke up, Kaley and Johnny began dating. She also added that there was no bad-blood between her and Johnny after their breakup and they remained good friends even after their split.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki intimate scenes
However, when she noticed that their characters were getting more intimate than ever, she doubted Chuck’s intentions. He knew what had happened between Kaley and Johnny and just to mess with them, he added those scenes. Kaley discussed that with Johnny and he also agreed that Chuck could have been doing it on purpose.
Well, that is some interesting ‘behind the scenes’ action from one of our favourite shows. But what’s more heart-warming is that most of the cast-members, including Johnny and Kaley, have remained good friends even after the show has ended. Currently, they both are content with their respective relationships.
What, according to you, was the best part about Leonard and Penny’s relationship on the show? Also tells us your views on whether they made a good couple?
