CELEBRATIONSKaley Cuoco (36) and Johnny Galecki (47) Weren’t Alone in ‘The BigBang Theory’ lovers , but also in real life the two had a relationship. Inan interview with ‘Vanity Fair’, the actors candidly talk about their timetogether. “I was so nervous before our first kiss,” Cuoco said.
“I had a crush on Johnny from the start,” Cuoco admits. “At that time we wereboth in a relationship, but I was only interested in him. When I realized itwas mutual, I thought, ‘Uh-oh, this is going to cause trouble.’” But Galeckiwas initially unaware of Cuoco’s feelings. “I have a healthy ego, but when youflirt with me you have to make it abundantly clear. Otherwise I don’t realizeit,” he says. “And that was the case with Kaley. I had no idea she was in lovewith me until we started dating.”
The attraction between their characters Penny and Leonard was undeniable, evenbefore the two coupled up in real life. “When filming the scenes, it quicklybecame clear that there was chemistry between us. We were in love with eachother during the first season, and that was before we were even in arelationship.” Galecki and Cuoco were very nervous about their first kiss,both on screen and off. “I was very nervous for both. I mean, I was kissinghim like Penny before we were dating. It’s weird when you’re in love withsomeone and you have to kiss that person as an actor,” Cuoco said.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki in 2015. © Getty Images
secret relationship
It was not until the fourteenth episode of the first season that the actorsfinally dared to admit their feelings for each other. During the scene whereLeonard rescues Penny in an elevator, the spark flew. “It all started withthat. At that point, we both knew we had feelings for each other. We couldn’tignore it any longer. That would be an even bigger distraction from our work,”says Galecki. After the scene, he asked her out on a date and their first datewas an instant hit. “We had a glass of wine in a cafe. And then we kissed.Cuoco recalls. “The next day I wanted to let everyone know about ‘The Big BangTheory.’ But Johnny said, ‘We can’t tell anyone!’ So we kept our relationshipquiet.”
Or so they thought, because it wasn’t long before the two were caught. “Oneday we were caught by ‘The Big Bang Theory’ creator Chuck Lorre. After thefilming, Kaley and I were in the parking lot. When we saw Chuck, weimmediately hid behind a car. But Chuck saw us through. Fortunately, hehandled it well and did not pass it on. We just didn’t want anyone to worryabout us.” The couple kept it professional on set. “We never even had sex inour lodges,” Cuoco laughs.
Their romance lasted for two years, from 2008 to 2010. But the breakup didn’tstop them from maintaining a great working relationship. The actors are veryhappy with how their real-life dynamics positively influenced their on-screenappeal. “I think Leonard and Penny worked so well because of my relationshipwith Johnny in real life,” Cuoco explains. “They always had a laugh with eachother. Johnny and I have a similar relationship – which makes sense afteryears of working together. We’ve always supported each other, and that’s whatmade Leonard and Penny’s relationship so funny and endearing.”