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 Principle. The actors, who dated from 2006 to 2008, element how they fell in love, who made the primary transfer and why they in the end broke up within the forthcoming guide The Large Bang Principle: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Sequence.
“I had a really massive crush on Johnny early on. I used to be so not even hiding it. He has such swagger. We had been each courting folks on the time, however I solely had eyes for Johnny. Then, after I came upon 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 Vainness Honest. Galecki says he “had zero concept of any form of crush earlier than Kaley and I started courting.”
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 really obtained collectively in actual life, it was apparent there was all the time one thing there. There was chemistry and we had been crushing on one another. That was the entire first season till we really obtained collectively for actual,” Cuoco remembers, 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’ve a crush on somebody and also you’re kissing them as actors,” she explains. Whereas it took months for the 2 to ultimately 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 pleasant 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 had been doing,” Galecki remembers. “That was actually one of many moments that I believe—”
“I believe we fell slightly in love in that elevator shaft,” Cuoco interjects.
“We felt one thing, yeah. I believe 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 attempt to proceed to disregard it than to truly acknowledge it and give up to it,” Galecki confirms.
Cuoco ultimately break 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 this present day, 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 undoubtedly a bug in my room and I used to be flirting with him! So each had been true! I used to be like, Ooh, this could possibly 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 assume 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 fulfill for a glass of wine.
“We began kissing within the bar space, after which we had been kissing within the parking zone. Johnny can get actually in his head and wish to cover, whereas I am the direct reverse. I’d have informed everyone the subsequent day on the desk learn. I’d have introduced it and mentioned, We’re collectively! However he was like, ‘We will not inform anybody!’ So we saved it quiet,” Cuoco remembers. “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 unique world.”
The actors informed the forged and crew ultimately 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 in the end 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 a variety of enjoyable to show each other various things, however then after I got here to wanting various things, that made issues extra sophisticated,” Galecki explains.
“I believe 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 believe that damage 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 generally, nevertheless it made me particularly uneasy as a result of we had 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 had been dwelling this lie as a result of we had been going to award reveals and features and pretending like we’re not a pair, when the truth is we had been a really loving couple.”
Whereas Galecki says they “had very totally different pursuits in what I believe we needed from our expertise of life,” that did not cease them from turning into shut pals after the break up.
“I am keen on the chums that we’re. I believe I’d worth my relationship together with her greater than some 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, after which we might return to one among our locations collectively, and say, ‘So how was your day? Simon was humorous at the moment, proper?’ And we might snort as a result of we had no thriller,” she remembers.
“However we had been collectively for a very long time. We actually adored one another, and we had been fortunate as a result of as our breakup was taking place, there was no foul play, there was nothing dangerous about our relationship… it simply ended,” Cuoco continues. “Sure, there was some damage there for a bit, nevertheless it did not take us that lengthy to return to what we had been earlier than we had been courting and be pals. He was entrance row at each of my weddings, and we have been so supportive of one another ever since. We love one another.”
Galecki nonetheless retains his non-public life below wraps. The actor break up from mannequin Alaina Meyer in 2020. They share one son. As for Cuoco, she is courting Ozark actor Tom Pelphrey. They walked the crimson carpet collectively on the 2022 Emmy Awards, so it appears they do not disagree on being open about their relationship.
