Despite not being on the air since 2019, The Big Bang Theory continues to grip audiences worldwide through its constant reruns on TV and its immense success on streaming. Fans cannot get enough of Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), and Penny’s (Kaley Cuoco) nerdy journey across the show’s nine seasons. While the above three are easily the most popular characters in the show, creator Chuck Lorre recently admitted that the early seasons failed Penny as a character, and it took him a while to course correct her into the three-dimensional character that fans adore.
While appearing on The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast, Chuck Lorre discussed the creation of Penny, and how she transformed from a stereotype in the early seasons to a fully fleshed-out, complex character. “Even after the second pilot, we had so many episodes to go before we started to understand that there was a brilliance to Penny’s character that we had not explored,” Lorre admitted. Before Cuoco made the role her own, Amanda Walsh was cast as Penny in an unaired pilot. Lorre continued:
“It’s a clichéd character: the dumb blonde, and we missed it. We didn’t have that right away that what she brought to this story, this series, to these other characters was an intelligence that they didn’t have. A kind of intelligence that was alien to them, an intelligence about people and relationships and family.”
In the early seasons, Penny was little more than a romantic interest for Leonard. However, as the show progressed, Penny developed her own struggles and plot arcs, which also had a resounding effect on Leonard and Sheldon as characters. “She brought a humanity to them that they were lacking,” Lorre said. “And that took a while to figure out. Certainly, in the beginning, she was sadly one-dimensional in many ways, but the gift of a TV series that starts working is you get time to learn.”
Kaley Cuocu Would “Absolutely Reprize” Her ‘Big Bang Theory’ Role
The Big Bang Theory franchise continues to expand, thanks to the success of Young Sheldon and the currently airing second spin-off, George & Mandy’s First Marriage. Another spin-off was announced last year, one that will bring the show back to the modern day. Plot details about the new, untitled spin-off remain a mystery, and only a handful of cast members have been announced. The new series will apparently focus on the original show’s supporting characters, with Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Denis (Lauren Lapkus), and Bert (Brian Posehn) all confirmed to star in the series.
None of the original core cast, which also includes Simon Helberg, Mayim Bialik, Kunal Nayyar, and Melissa Rauch, have been confirmed to return. However, Kaley Cuoco said she would love to play Penny again in the new spin-off. “I spent 12 years playing that role, and it really set off my career,” she said. “I owe a lot to that character, to that show, to Chuck Lorre. I would absolutely reprise that role.”
