Starring alongside the ensemble cast in the hit CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco’s Penny and Johnny Galecki’s Leonard’s relationship remained a central element of the series. The actors also developed an off-screen romance and dated almost for two years before breaking things up.
However, their characters continued to be in a relationship and eventually tied the knot on the show. And filming romantic and intimate scenes, especially after their split, proved challenging for them, as the actors later discussed, claiming that showrunner Chuck Lorre deliberately added more intimate scenes between Penny and Leonard after their split.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki Reflect on Post-Breakup Filming Challenges on The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory stars Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, who dated for almost two years, have remained on good terms since their split. However, there were still some challenges that they faced while working together on the hit sitcom.
In an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, The Flight Attendant star discussed the challenges of filming intimate scenes with Galecki, following their breakup. “We got together and just fell mad for each other for two years, but then we broke up,” she said.
The actress further stated, “When we broke up obviously it was a little sensitive for a minute,” as she noted that soon after their split, their characters were suddenly infatuated with each other, which required them to film numerous intimate scenes.
But I remember those weeks that Chuck had written these episodes where all of a sudden our characters were like sleeping together every other second.
Cuoco speculated that the sudden preference surrounding Leonard and Penny’s relationship was the showrunner Chuck Lorre’s way of messing with them. “Johnny and I talk about it and I think [Chuck] did that on purpose just to f*ck with us,” she said.
The Roseanne actor also shared similar sentiments, saying, “Even though it was organic for the characters, I think he would f*ck with us.” However, they would have to retract their statements after Lorre clarified that there were no such things.
Chuck Lorre Denied The Big Bang Theory Stars’ Claims
In his interview for The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story, Chuck Lorre discussed the claims made by the stars of his hit sitcom. And the TV producer debunked both Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki’s claims, saying that he would never mess with the actors while working on the series.
He said, as per Vanity Fair,
No. Not at all. Making a good show has no room for f***ing with anybody — There’s no, ‘Let’s mess with Kaley and Johnny’. The goal was to make a great show and make every minute of every episode count. And that was the only goal.
The Big Bang Theory creator further said that his sole focus was on making a good show, which has always been his top priority. Lorre also clarified that Penny and Leonard’s relationship and their challenges were essential for the show’s narrative and audience engagement.
Upon learning that Lorre never intended to mess with him or Cuoco, Galecki said, “I guess that was pretty egotistical of us to think that,” admitting that their assumptions were self-centered and that they overanalyzed the situation. He also expressed relief that their interpretation was not accurate all along.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
