Summary
- Jim Parsons admitted to finding his Big Bang Theory co-star Kunal Nayyar "handsome".
- Parsons' initial crush on Nayyar was harmless.
- The cast of The Big Bang Theory, including Parsons and Nayyar, have remained close.
Following Jim Parsons's star-making performance on The Big Bang Theory, the actor has made an absolutely incredible amount of money. While his numerous roles after The Big Bang Theory may not be as beloved, they have certainly expanded his star power.
Because of his presence in Hollywood, Parsons has been given the opportunity to reveal much about himself and his experience filming the acclaimed Chuck Lorre sitcom. And this includes his true feelings about one of his co-stars.
During an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Parsons admitted that he thought Kunal Nayyar, who played Raj, was "handsome" when they first started working together. Because of this, fans wonder if Parsons' physical attraction to his co-star affected the way they worked together. Here's what we know...
Did Jim Parsons Have A Crush On His Big Bang Theory Co-Star Kunal Nayyar?
During an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kunal Nayyar admitted that one of his first thoughts, when he met the cast of their now iconic show, was that everyone was "good looking".
The answer elicited laughter from his co-stars who flanked him on the acclaimed late-night show. But Jim Parsons, who famously played Sheldon Cooper, decided to poke fun at his co-star for his answer. And, in the process, revealed something rather interesting about his true feelings for Nayyar...
"Is that your real answer?" Parsons asked Nayyar.
"Because they asked me in the pre-interview, what was your impressions of people and I told them some things, but the one they were like ‘You gotta say this out loud,’ was like I said, ‘So and so is really funny, so and so I just thought was whatever,’ and I was like, but Kunal I thought was the most handsome man."
Not only did this revelation cause the audience to laugh and cheer but Nayyar was noticeably touched. Or, perhaps, there was a tinge of embarrassment as well. Either way, he handled the reveal like a champ.
"I was just joking," Nayyar said.
"I have a thing for brown hair and brown eyes," Jim Parsons continued as Kaley Cuoco squeezed Nayyar's face. "He really checked off my boxes and then, later on, I thought he was pretty talented too. But it took a while."
There was clearly a level of comfort between Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar for the former to reveal such a thing in front of millions of people. Numerous news outlets picked up the story, painting various pictures of their onset dynamics given the revelation.
But how did this secret crush actually affect Parsons while filming the 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory with Kunal Nayyar?
Jim Parsons And Kunal Nayyar's Relationship While Filming The Big Bang Theory
There is no shortage of Hollywood romances that have been sparked on movie and television sets. The atmosphere can breed sexual tension and romance.
Of course, this famously happened between two of the cast members of The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki. The pair dated in secret for a time before revealing their relationship to both the cast and the crew of the hit sitcom.
"It was such a huge part of my life and no one knew about it," Kaley Cuoco said during an interview with CBS Watch Magazine. "It was a wonderful relationship, but we never spoke a word about it and never went anywhere together."
Cuoco and Galecki remained friendly and respectful with one another when they broke up after two years of dating one another but continued to work together on set.
"I'm so lucky it was a mutual ending and that we don't hate each other. We've seen that happen on other shows," Cuoco said during her interview with CBS Watch Magazine.
According to People, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco actually remained good friends after their break up. The former Roseanne star even attended her 2013 wedding to Ryan Sweeting.
Of course, the friendship between Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco didn't stop rumors about their rekindled relationship. However, the pair never struck up another relationship and remain good friends to this day. The dynamic between Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar, on the other hand, it quite different.
Jim Parsons never revealed his true feelings about Nayyar until well after the show concluded. Therefore, Nayyar had no idea about it while they were filming the show. Additionally, Parsons claimed that it was his 'intial' feeling about Nayyar and not something he felt during the many years of working together. On top of this, it appears as though Parsons had a very harmless crush on Nayyar, who is a straight man.
Between that and there being no evidence of them having a difficult or inappropriate relationship while filming The Big Bang Theory, it seems as though Parsons's job was not affected by his physical attraction to Nayyar.
The cast of The Big Bang Theory, including Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar have remained fairly close after the show ended in 2019. They have been through thick and thin together, including tricky contract negotiations and salary disputes with the CBS network.
However, Nayyar did reveal that he was 'relieved' when Parsons announced his exit from the show, effectively ending its 12-season run.
"I felt a giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I don't mean this in a positive or a negative way. I mean this in an absolute honest way, that something within me was released. At that moment I said goodbye," Nayyar said according to Screen Rant.
Because of the extremely positive experience they all shared together while making The Big Bang Theory, Kunal Nayyar claimed that he and all of his co-stars, including Jim Parsons, will be "family" forever.
It is unknown as to how much time Kunal Nayyar and Jim Parsons spend with one another socially. It appears as though they do count one another as friends.
