The beloved sitcom, centered on an endearing gang of geeks, ended its 12-season run in 2019
The Big Bang Theory wasn’t just appealing to science nerds.
From its September 2007 debut to its emotional two-part series finale in May 2019, the sitcom delighted viewers with quirky humor and idiosyncratic characters. It put star power behind future household names Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik and Johnny Galecki, each of whom has become successful in their respective career paths.
The CBS show proved that America’s gang of awkward science geeks could withstand the test of time, scoring 10 Emmy wins along the way. During the final taping in front of a live studio audience, Galecki described filming the past 12 seasons as “a dream come true,” adding, “You’ve been the best fans.”
Though The Big Bang Theory ended, its mark on pop culture has remained forever in the hearts of its loyal viewers, even spawning the spinoff sequel Young Sheldon in 2017 based on Parsons’ character, Sheldon Cooper.
From an unlikely on- and off-screen romance to costar reunions, see what the cast of the hit comedy is up to now.
01. Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper
Parsons starred on The Big Bang Theory as the eccentric, high-IQ Sheldon Cooper. For his performance, Parsons received four Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and the Golden Globe Award for best actor in a television series musical or comedy. However, after 12 seasons, Parsons was ready to move on.
During his run on the series, Parsons kept busy with other projects, starring in The Big Year (2011), The Muppets (2012), Hidden Figures (2016) and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019).
Parsons has stuck around in the Big Bang Theory universe, where he executive produced and narrated Young Sheldon, which concluded after seven seasons in May 2024. The actor has racked up additional producing credits on the Emmy-nominated drama Special and the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, featuring his former costar, Bialik. In 2020, he earned another Emmy nomination for his performance in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood.
Parsons has also enjoyed a decades-long career in theater, notably leading the 2018 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival production of The Boys in the Band, later adapted as a feature film for Netflix in 2020. Additionally, he appeared in Mother Play and Our Town on Broadway in 2024.
In 2012, Parsons came out as gay in a New York Times’ profile story, where he discussed his longtime partnership with his then-boyfriend, art director Todd Spiewak, whom he married in 2017 after 14 years together.
02. Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter
Galecki played experimental physicist and Sheldon’s best friend, Leonard Hofstadter, a role that landed him an Emmy nomination in 2011 and several Screen Actors Guild Award nominations as part of the show’s ensemble.
On the series, Galecki concurrently appeared on Entourage and in films such as 2008’s Hancock alongside Will Smith and 2011’s In Time with Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake. He would later reprise his role as David Healy on the 2018 Roseanne reboot, calling it a “very emotional” experience after first joining the series back in 1992. Since returning for the reboot, Galecki has taken a step back from acting.
From 2008 to 2009, Galecki dated costar and on-screen girlfriend-turned-wife Cuoco, much to their fans’ delight during his run on The Big Bang Theory. They split amicably and remain close friends (and platonic plus-ones at award shows).
Galecki began dating Alaina Meyer in 2018, and the couple welcomed a son, Avery, in 2019; by 2020, the two called it quits. The actor revealed in Architectural Digest’s March 2024 issue that he and his wife, Morgan, quietly married and welcomed a daughter, Oona Evelena.
03. Kaley Cuoco as Penny
On The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco played the extroverted, aspiring actress Penny, who lives next door and eventually dates and marries Leonard. During her time on the show, Cuoco appeared in 2008’s Killer Movie and 2011’s The Penthouse; she also hosted the People’s Choice Awards in 2012 and 2013.
After The Big Bang Theory wrapped, Cuoco joined the DC Universe in 2019, voicing the titular character of the animated Harley Quinn series and serving as an executive producer.
Cuoco’s production experience didn’t begin or end there. In 2017, the actress founded Yes, Norman Productions, a TV production company that launched with an adaptation of Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel The Flight Attendant in 2020. Cuoco starred as Cassie Bowden and served as executive producer until its two-season run ended in 2022.
In 2021, it was announced that Cuoco would star in and executive produce a limited series, Doris Day: Her Own Story. Additionally, Cuoco led and produced films like 2022’s Meet Cute and 2024’s Role Play. Since 2023, she has starred opposite Chris Messina on Peacock’s comedy thriller Based on a True Story.
After her breakup with Galecki, Cuoco announced her engagement in 2011 to Josh “Lazie” Resnik, an addiction specialist. The couple ended their engagement five months later, and she became engaged to professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting shortly after.
Cuoco and Sweeting tied the knot in 2013 after three months of dating but divorced after 21 months of marriage in 2016. Later that year, she began dating professional equestrian Karl Cook. They wed at a horse stable near San Diego in June 2018 but separated in September 2021. Cuoco and Cook finalized their divorce in June 2022.
In May 2022, Cuoco confirmed her relationship with Ozark actor Tom Pelphrey; that October, she announced they were expecting a baby girl. The couple’s first child, daughter Matilda Carmine Richie, was born in March 2023.
04. Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz
Simon Helberg had been a comic actor for years before scoring a part on The Big Bang Theory, notably for his season-long run on MadTV in 2002. On The Big Bang Theory, Helberg played wannabe ladies’ man Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer, ex-astronaut and the only squad member without a Ph.D.
While on The Big Bang Theory, Helberg appeared in the 2009 critically acclaimed Coen brothers’ film A Serious Man and alongside Meryl Streep in 2016’s Florence Foster Jenkins. Since The Big Bang Theory wrapped, Helberg starred opposite Adam Driver in 2021’s Annette and appeared in As They Made Us and Space Oddity in 2022.
In 2007, Helberg married actress Jocelyn Towne, with whom he shares two children: daughter Adeline and son Wilder.
05. Kunal Nayyar as Raj Koothrappali
Kunal Nayyar played the socially anxious Raj Koothrappali, particle astrophysicist and BFF to Leonard.
During his time on the show, Nayyar participated in other projects, including voice work for the 2012 animated feature Ice Age: Continental Drift and the Nickelodeon series Sanjay and Craig. He’s also voiced Guy Diamond in the Trolls film franchise, including 2020’s Trolls World Tour and 2023’s Trolls Band Together.
In 2015, Nayyar published his first book, Yes, My Accent is Real: And Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You, where he provides an account of his upbringing and career through a collection of self-deprecating essays. Nayyar returned to theater in 2015 in an Off-Broadway production of Jesse Eisenberg’s The Spoils.
He has remained a familiar face on the small screen, appearing on Netflix’s Criminal: UK and starring on Apple TV+’s Suspicion alongside Uma Thurman. In 2024, he appeared in Netflix’s Spaceman and the British teen rom-com How to Date Billy Walsh.
Nayyar has been married to actress-model Neha Kapur since 2011.
06. Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski
Melissa Rauch entered the Big Bang Theory universe on season 3 as squeaky-voiced, fiery microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski, who began dating Howard soon after joining the friend group. She boasts many acting credits in addition to her part as Bernadette, including roles on True Blood and The Office and in films like 2009’s I Love You, Man and 2019’s Ode to Joy.
She co-wrote, co-produced and starred in 2015’s The Bronze, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. Rauch went on to provide the voice for Harley Quinn in the 2017 animated film Batman and Harley Quinn. In 2019, the actress published a children’s book, The Tales of Tofu, which she wrote in conjunction with House Foods America, reflecting her passion for healthy eating.
Since 2023, she’s starred on the NBC revival of Night Court, where she plays Judge Abby Stone. In 2024, Rauch and Nayyar reunited on-screen during his season 2 guest appearance on the comedy.
Rauch is married to writer Winston Beigel, with whom she co-wrote The Bronze. The couple share two children: daughter Sadie and son Brooks.
07. Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler
Bialik made her Big Bang Theory debut on season 3 as Amy, a neurobiologist who joined the gang under the pretense of being a potential love match for Sheldon via an online dating site. The two characters eventually wed during the season 11 finale, but not before facing serious ups and downs in their relationship.
Before joining the show, Bialik starred as the titular character on NBC’s Blossom in the ’90s. She also enjoyed a successful career as a voiceover actress, with credits on shows like Kim Possible, Hey Arnold! and Johnny Bravo.
While filming The Big Bang Theory, Bialik worked on other projects, including hosting a season-long reboot of Candid Camera in 2014 and appearing in the 2015 Lifetime holiday flick The Flight Before Christmas. She also directed, wrote and produced the 2022 film As They Made Us, starring her Big Bang Theory costar Helberg.
From 2020 to 2023, Bialik led the cast of Call Me Kat, on which she was also an executive producer alongside Parsons. Bialik first began guest hosting Jeopardy! in 2021; she was promoted to host, a role she shared with Ken Jennings until 2023.
In addition to acting, Bialik is an author and academic. She has written and co-written books, including Beyond the Sling, Girling Up and Boying Up, relating to the science behind parenting and growing up. In 2017, following the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, Bialik penned a New York Times op-ed about being a woman in the entertainment industry. She also founded a website, GrokNation, promoting discussions of contemporary issues and social change.
In 2003, Bialik married Michael Stone, with whom she shares two sons, Miles Roosevelt and Frederick Heschel. After nearly a decade of marriage, Stone and Bialik finalized their divorce in 2013. She has since been dating writer, poet and producer Jonathan Cohen. Together, they co-host the podcast Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.
