“I was like crying and hysterical”: Kaley Cuoco Was an Emotional Mess Months Before ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Ended Until Her Survival Instinct Kicked in
- Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki wanted to continue with The Big Bang Theory but not without the other cast members.
- The actress went through a grief period before the sitcom wrapped up.
- She watches the earlier seasons of the sitcom if it's on Television.
Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, The Big Bang Theory followed the lives of characters Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter, Raj Koothrappali, Howard Wolowitz, and Penny. Actors Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, and Kaley Cuoco portrayed these characters, respectively. The sitcom ran for 12 seasons with 279 episodes, making it one of the most loved sitcoms to date.
Upon its release, the first season of the sitcom received mixed reviews, but the following seasons received more favorable reactions from critics and the audience. The stars of the show were highly appreciated for their exceptionally believable performances as science nerds. Kaley Cuoco, who played an aspiring actress on the show, shared her emotional process of accepting the fate of the show after twelve seasons.
Kaley Cuoco shares that she learned The Big Bang Theory was ending from Jim Parsons
Not only do Penny and Sheldon Cooper have a special bond on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, but Kaley Cuoco feels the same way about Jim Parsons in real life too. In her cover story for Variety in 2021, the actress reflected on her special bond with the actor who played Sheldon Cooper on the show. She said,
Jim was 100% the breakout, deservedly—the stuff he did on the show was an out-of-body experience.
The actress added that working on the sitcom was great, noting that she almost thought that she’d be a sitcom girl forever. During the conversation, the actress shared that it was Jim Parsons who told her that their beloved show would be coming to an end after twelve successful seasons.
She shared that in 2018 when they started filming the 12th season, the cast was called in for a meeting. Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, who played Leonard Hofstadter and Penny’s love interest on the show, thought that it was about the 13th season, which they wanted to do, but it was not. The actress continued,
Jim said, ‘I don’t think I can continue’. And I was so shocked that I was like, ‘Continue with what?’ I didn’t even know what he was talking about. I looked at Chuck and said, ‘Wow. I thought we were—I’m so blown away right now.’ Lorre said, ‘We’re all for one, one for all. And we’re not going to do this without the whole team.
Cuoco explained that with that, she understood that it was about to end, and even though she had a difficult time processing it, she admitted that she knew it was the right decision. One of the things the cast had agreed on was that they would come together and leave together. She also shared that her father accompanied her to every taping for 12 seasons.
Kaley Cuoco admits to watching the early season’s episodes of The Big Bang Theory
The actress appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where the host complimented the Cuoco for being a part of the show that she describes as ‘ magical’, adding that the writing was perfect and the chemistry was perfect. Kaley Cuoco, in response, said,
It was super special. I think, as you know, the writing was unbelievable. The cast had great chemistry from the beginning, and it was just a little bit of luck, you know?
When asked if she feels weird not going on set to tape the episode after doing it for so long, the actress shared that she went through a weird process as they knew that the show was going to end. She added that it would have been traumatizing for her if they were told it was over and then they wrapped the season, but knowing the fate of the show beforehand helped them in the process of accepting it. Cucoco added,
So, I went through this very strange grief period, like six months before we wrapped. It was like knowing it was coming. I was like crying, hysterical, and inconsolable. I was like, What is going on?
Kaley Cuoco noted that she knew she was going through a process of it being done. She added that she is one of those people who can close the door, adding that it’s almost like a survival instinct. When she sees a picture of them together, she can admire the good times they had. The actress compared herself to a shark and said she’s a shark, hinting that she’s always going to go forward like them and not swim backward.
During the interview, the actress revealed that before the cast went to their new projects, they checked up on each other to see how they were all doing. Kaley Cuoco added that it’s cool to see everyone on a new path, adding that she sent the polaroids she took over the years to the cast just as a reminder. The actress also added that whenever she is flipping through channels and she finds the show on, she’ll watch it if it’s an older season.
Cuoco noted that she cannot watch the recent seasons, but she does watch the older seasons and then reflects on how much she has changed over the years. But always remember to be a shark!
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on HBO Max.
