Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki open up about their off-screen romance like they by no means have earlier than in a brand new oral historical past about The Large Bang Idea. The actors, who dated from 2006 to 2008, element how they fell in love, who made the primary transfer and why they finally broke up within the forthcoming e-book The Large Bang Idea: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Collection.
“I had a really huge crush on Johnny early on. I used to be so not even hiding it. He has such swagger. We have been each relationship folks on the time, however I solely had eyes for Johnny. Then, once I discovered he had eyes for me too, I used to be like, Uh‑oh, that is going to be bother,” Cuoco shares in an excerpt obtained by Self-importance Truthful. Galecki says he “had zero concept of any kind of crush earlier than Kaley and I started relationship.”
Cuoco and Galecki’s characters, Penny and Leonard, kiss for the primary time in episode 6 of the present’s first season. It was the primary time the actors locked lips, too.
“All of the scenes up till we truly obtained collectively in actual life, it was apparent there was at all times one thing there. There was chemistry and we have been crushing on one another. That was the entire first season till we truly obtained collectively for actual,” Cuoco recollects, admitting she was “very nervous” once they kissed for the Halloween episode.
“I imply, I used to be kissing him as Penny earlier than we ever dated, and it is bizarre when you have got a crush on somebody and you are kissing them as actors,” she explains. Whereas it took months for the 2 to finally kiss off digicam, it quickly grew to become obvious — even to Galecki — they’d a connection.
Whereas filming “The Nerdvana Annihilation” episode later in Season 1, Cuoco and Galecki needed to movie a dream sequence that Leonard saves Penny within the elevator shaft.
“It was not an pleasurable expertise for me,” Cuoco says.
“We needed to be in one another’s arms — and for fairly a while, as a result of it was a little bit of a stunt that we have been doing,” Galecki recollects. “That was actually one of many moments that I feel—”
“I feel we fell slightly in love in that elevator shaft,” Cuoco interjects.
“We felt one thing, yeah. I feel that was an enormous turning level [in our relationship]. At that time, each she and I knew that one thing mutual was felt, and that it was going to be extra of a distraction from the work to strive and proceed to disregard it than to truly acknowledge it and give up to it,” Galecki confirms.
Cuoco finally cut up from her boyfriend, and hours after they broke up, she joined Galecki and the remainder of the forged on a visit to Montecito, Calif. All of them had separate cabins, however the actress tried to get Galecki over to hers by calling and asking him to come back kill a bug.
“Now, nonetheless to today, I don’t know if this story is bullshit or not, and if she was flirting with me as a result of she had simply damaged up together with her boyfriend, however I didn’t go over to her cabin,” Galecki declares.
“There was positively a bug in my room and I used to be flirting with him! So each have been true! I used to be like, Ooh, this may very well be a great way to get him in there! However that did not work,” Cuoco laughs. “I could not imagine he turned me down. I nonetheless suppose he turned me down as a result of he knew what I used to be doing. I used the bug as an excuse, and he nonetheless didn’t come over.”
Galecki ended up making the primary transfer not too lengthy after that journey when he invited Cuoco to satisfy for a glass of wine.
“We began kissing within the bar space, and then we have been kissing within the parking zone. Johnny can get actually in his head and wish to disguise, whereas I am the direct reverse. I might have informed all people the subsequent day on the desk learn. I might have introduced it and mentioned, We’re collectively! However he was like, ‘We will not inform anybody!’ So we saved it quiet,” Cuoco recollects. “And remember, it was totally different then. Social media was nowhere what it’s now, so it was simpler to maintain it hidden. You did not know as a lot about folks as you do now. It’s a distinct world.”
The actors informed the forged and crew finally and nobody was that shocked. Galecki and Cuoco’s relationship was severe — “Kaley and I did take into account marrying,” he says at one level — however his want for privateness finally contributed to the pair’s break up.
“We’re from very totally different worlds, however we additionally appear to soften into one another’s worlds in sure methods. It was loads of enjoyable to show each other various things, however then once I got here to wanting various things, that made issues extra difficult,” Galecki explains.
“I feel one of many issues that created a chasm between us was my strict insurance policies of privateness, and Kaley being very, very open about her life. I used to be very uncomfortable with being public about it, and I feel that harm Kaley’s emotions slightly bit, and I can perceive that,” he continues. “It actually wasn’t as a result of I used to be embarrassed of her or our relationship, however I needed to be protecting of the viewers’s acceptance of Penny and Leonard, and with out distraction from the tabloids.”
Galecki continues, “I am non-public normally, but it surely made me particularly uneasy as a result of we have been working collectively, and the present was type of snowballing on the time so far as viewership. And at a sure level it felt like we have been residing this lie as a result of we have been going to award exhibits and capabilities and pretending like we’re not a pair, when the truth is we have been a really loving couple.”
Whereas Galecki says they “had very totally different pursuits in what I feel we needed from our expertise of life,” that did not cease them from changing into shut mates after the cut up.
“I am keen on the buddies that we’re. I feel I would worth my relationship together with her greater than every other earlier relationship or relationship afterwards,” he shares.
Cuoco did not appear to dispute his tackle the break up, however added extra context.
“Johnny and I additionally ran out of issues to speak about, as a result of we might be at work all day, and then we might return to one in every of our locations collectively, and say, ‘So how was your day? Simon was humorous in the present day, proper?’ And we might chuckle as a result of we had no thriller,” she remembers.
“However we have been collectively for a very long time. We actually adored one another, and we have been fortunate as a result of as our breakup was taking place, there was no foul play, there was nothing unhealthy about our relationship… it simply ended,” Cuoco continues. “Sure, there was some harm there for a bit, but it surely did not take us that lengthy to return to what we have been earlier than we have been relationship and be mates. He was entrance row at each of my weddings, and we have been so supportive of one another ever since. We like one another.”
Galecki nonetheless retains his non-public life below wraps. The actor cut up from mannequin Alaina Meyer in 2020. They share one son. As for Cuoco, she is relationship Ozark actor Tom Pelphrey. They walked the purple carpet collectively on the 2022 Emmy Awards, so it appears they do not disagree on being open about their relationship.