Summary
- Jim Parsons surprises fans and the interviewer with his answer about Sheldon's secret affair with Penny.
- The cast of The Big Bang Theory enjoyed poking fun at each other during interviews and saying wild things.
- Showrunners deeply regretted the storyline of Penny's fling with Raj and found a way to undo it in season 5.
Not only was Jim Parsons entertaining as Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, but he was always fantastic off the camera when it came time to give an interview - showcasing his real life self.
Speaking alongside Glamour, Jim Parsons provided fans and media with yet another memorable moment. Parsons revealed the secret affair he wanted for Sheldon, and the answer surprised fans, and that included the interviewer as well.
We're going to take a look back at what Parsons had to say, while also putting the spotlight on how risky hookups on The Big Bang Theory really were behind the scenes for the writers and creators.
Jim Parsons Revealed He'd Want Sheldon To Have A Secret Affair With Penny
It was evident that The Big Bang Theory cast shared great chemistry on-set, but the same held true off of it. During interviews, the cast loved to poke fun at one another, while they weren't afraid to say the wildest things either during interviews.
Celebrating episode 200 of The Big Bang Theory, the cast was interviewed on the red carpet. Glamour had a fun concept 7 years ago, asking question out of a cup with The Big Bang Theory cast. Questions included their most embarrassing moments, which character of Friends would best fit into the show, along with a juicy question about which character they would see themselves secretly hooking up with.
Jim Parsons gave by far the best answer and one that had the interview completely surprised.
He said, "Penny. The after-coitus conversation would be so enjoyable to play."
Kaley Cuoco was asked the same question and answered, Stan Lee. While Sarah Gilbert revealed her character's secret affair would be with Sheldon.
Although the interview answers were great fun, pairing stars together on the show was very risky, and the writers and creators learned all about that along the way.
Penny's Fling With Raj Was A Storyline The Big Bang Theory Showrunners Deeply Regretted
There were multiple storylines that the cast and EPs struggled with. Among them was a season 4 cliffhanger moment that featured Raj and Penny ending up in bed together. Showrunner Steve Molaro felt instant regret with the way the episode ended.
“I really did not like that season finale ending,” Molaro admits. “I spent the entire hiatus being upset about it."
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Prior to the start of season 5, Molaro was already thinking of ways to undo the storyline.
"I went upstairs to [Lorre’s] office right when we got back to work [on Season 5] and said something like, ‘This is really bothering me. I think I have a way that we can… get out of it and preserve the characters as they are.’ He didn’t love it, but he knew it was important to me to the point that he conceded.”
Ultimately, it was Chuck Lorre himself, the show's creator, who came up with the idea to ensure nothing happened between Penny and Raj. In Molaro's view, and in the eyes of lots of fans, it was a disaster averted from the show.
Jim Parsons And Kaley Cuoco Had Some Tension During The Final Season
The chemistry between Sheldon and Penny was truly unmatched in the series. However, things did get bumpy between the two during the final season. There was a rift between Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons. It would appear as though Cuoco was blindsided by Parsons' decision to end the show.
"Kaley could barely make eye contact with Jim during the run-through. At the time, there were a lot of hard feelings between Parsons, and Galecki and Cuoco, who weren’t privy to everything that had unfolded leading up to the decision to end the show with season 12, or unaware why they weren’t brought into the fold sooner. Understandably, the next day at work — which was a Thursday run-through — was fraught with tension.”
It was also said that Kaley Cuoco considered skipping that following day's taping after the announcement was made. Thankfully, she decided to return to work, and things were completely fine between the two once it was time to shoot a scene together.
Ultimately, Cuoco and Johnny Galecki wanted more of a heads-up from their cast member on the way he was feeling. It all felt abrupt for the cast members, though they didn't disagree that it was time to end the series.
