“The Big Bang Theory,” which ran for twelve seasons and nearly 300 episodes, kicked things off by asking an age-old question: can nerds talk to girls? The answer was “kind of, or sometimes, and depending on the nerd in question.” In the pilot, roommates and best friends Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) are fascinated when their new neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), turns out to be… pretty, and they immediately try and get into her good graces. (Well, Leonard does. Sheldon has no interest.)
Alongside their other friends Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Raj Koothrappalli (Kunal Nayyar), Sheldon and Leonard eventually befriend Penny, who hangs out at their place pretty much all the time from that point forward — and that exact dynamic is the foundation upon which “The Big Bang Theory” stands. Penny might not have a PhD or be an astrophysicist, but she has social awareness and understands a completely different world than any of the guys. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj all form bonds with Penny in varying ways, from a romantic relationship to a close friendship to being really creepy towards her in the early seasons (that last one is Howard). So why is Penny so vital to the show, and what’s Kaley Cuoco doing now?
Penny provides much-needed levity on The Big Bang Theory
It’s safe to say that, without Penny, “The Big Bang Theory” would be a total slog. Penny is the voice of reason whenever the four guys want to do something completely boneheaded, but she also reminds them that there’s a big world outside of their insular CalTech workplace and their research projects. Moreover, she’s important to Leonard and Sheldon in very different ways
Leonard and Penny eventually do get together, but it’s not without strife; Penny overlooks Leonard for a pretty long time, and Leonard does his fair share of boneheaded things to get in his own way (kissing another woman while away on a remote research project comes to mind). The two ultimately get married, though, and close out the series as its longest-running couple, expecting a baby together. Perhaps more important, though, is Penny’s bond with Sheldon. Even though the two are polar opposites, she understands Sheldon’s strangeness in a way few others do; she and Leonard often act like his surrogate parents, and in one memorable moment between the two, Penny is able to comfort Sheldon in a moment of panic when nobody else can help him. Penny is essential to “The Big Bang Theory,” and it’s thanks to Cuoco’s central performance that this character is so beloved.
Kaley Cuoco stars in and produces The Flight Attendant
After “The Big Bang Theory” ended, Cuoco had her pick of projects — so she decided to create her own. Under the umbrella of her production company Yes, Norman — named for her dog — Cuoco partnered with HBO to create the Max original “The Flight Attendant,” which kicked off in 2020. Cuoco stars in the surreal dramatic series as Cassie, the titular flight attendant, who’s the life of the party… to her own detriment, in that she has a pretty serious drinking problem. This comes to a head when she spends a night with a first-class passenger in Bangkok, only to wake up and find him dead the next morning.
The series is split between the real world and Cassie’s mental “dream palace,” which features the dead passenger Alex (Michiel Huisman) in Season 1 and various versions of Cassie in Season 2, at which point she’s attending Alcoholics Anonymous and seeking help for her addiction. It’s a trippy, darkly funny, entirely gripping series — which also features brilliant actors like Rosie Perez and Zosia Mamet in supporting roles — and it’s clear that, thanks to the clout and money she earned from “The Big Bang Theory,” Cuoco is able to pursue more challenging and difficult projects by helping to create them herself.
