Penny and Sheldon

Beauty and the geeks by Paige Albiniak

NY post

As initially conceived, there was no Penny, the lovable girl-next-door on CBS’ top-rated comedy, ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ There was just a super-sarcastic neighbor named Katie who was mercilessly mean to her super-geek neighbors, Leonard and Sheldon.

But test audiences despised that character, and the show’s producers went back to the drawing board.

After the rewrite, producers brought back in Kaley Cuoco to read for the role of Penny. Cuoco, who, at the time, was best-known for her role as the eldest daughter on ABC’s ’8 Simple Rules,’ had auditioned to play Katie, but that part wasn’t right for her, she says.

“The second-time around, the producers and the network were so on it with me. They told me that Penny had to be wonderful, loving and sweet and the audience had to adore her,” says Cuoco, 24.

Cuoco nailed it, getting through the audition process in two days, and today Penny is the glue that holds “The Big Bang Theory” together.

“Penny has always been the audience’s point of view and the ambassador into the world of our guys,” says Bill Prady, one the series’ executive producers.

Penny, an aspiring actress who’s waitressing at The Cheesecake Factory, lives next door to two brilliant but socially inept physicists, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). While most women would ignore guys like this, Penny is “completely wonderful to them from day one,” says Cuoco.

In fact, one episode finds Penny applying menthol rub to a sick Sheldon’s chest while he begs her to sing “Soft Kitty” to him as his mother once did. She rolls her eyes several times, but she does it.

“Penny handles Sheldon like no one else,” says Cuoco. “She’s wonderful and sweet, but she also has a backbone. She says what’s on her mind.”

This season, Penny and Leonard — the less geeky of the two roommates — became a couple. While the pairing seems unlikely, Cuoco says the fans seem to like it.

“I love the Penny-Leonard hook-up. And I love that they didn’t wait eight seasons to get them together,” she says. “But I have a feeling it won’t last. If I were writing the show, I would say that it wouldn’t last long.”

Conversely, ‘Bang’ fans want Penny and the socially-oblivious, germ-phobic Sheldon to get together. “It’s a very strange idea,” says Cuoco.

Asked if a woman exists out there for Sheldon, Cuoco says, “No. Unless it’s like a robot that Sheldon builds and can control.”

Over the course of her three-season run on ‘Big Bang,’ Cuoco has become a favorite of geeks who wish someone just like her would move in next door.

“They are a little obsessed with Penny, really,” she says. “I have definitely not known any men like this in my own life — these guys are on another dimension. They are full-on brilliant, genius boys.”

The California native has been acting and modeling since she was six years old. Her big break came with ’8 Simple Rules,’ when she had just turned 16. A modest hit on ABC in 2002, the show struggled after star John Ritter died of an aortic dissection just two episodes into its second season.

The show went on for two more seasons without him. “Doing that show for one season with John Ritter is an experience I’ll never forget,” Cuoco says.

After ’8 Simple Rules,’ Cuoco played Billie in the eighth season of ‘Charmed,’ a role she enjoyed, but working on a one-hour drama reminded her why she prefers sitcoms.

“Dramas require 18-hour days where you want to kill yourself,” says Cuoco, who is single. “You can have a life while you work on a sitcom, and I’m selfish. I love my life, and I like to do other things besides work.”

With “Big Bang Theory” attracting nearly 16 million viewers each week, Cuoco can expect a long-run playing the girl next door. Asked why she thinks the show is a hit, she says, “The characters are really lovable, and the writing is brilliant. The guys couldn’t be more innocent, but there’s also a little bit of sass to it.”

A chat with Jim Parsons by Will Harris

Bullz eye

We’re going to go on record right now and say that Jim Parsons got the shaft at this year’s Emmy Awards. Not that Alec Baldwin isn’t great as Jack Donaghy on ’30 Rock,’ but in the end, he’s just another guy in a suit. As Dr. Sheldon Cooper, however, Parsons has taken a character that could’ve been just another comic book nerd and transformed him into a comedic force to be reckoned with, and he and his co-stars – Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar – have made ‘The Big Bang Theory’ one of the funniest shows on television. Bullz-Eye’s Will Harris chatted with Parsons back in 2008, then crossed paths with him again this summer during the Television Critics Association Awards and floated the idea of doing a phoner once Season Three of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ had kicked off in earnest, which Parsons assured him would be no problem whatsoever. Still, when the time came to set up the interview, Will decided to refresh Parsons’ memory of the evening by sending him a picture from that night. Fortunately, it worked like a charm.

Hi, Will!

Hey, Jim, how’s it going?

Very well. How are you doing? Good to talk to you again — and that was a nice picture you sent over! It would’ve been better without me in it [laughs] but it was still nice.

• Well, it pleases my wife to no end that she’s got a photo of you and her.*

Awwwwwww. Say hello to her.

I certainly will. So it sounds like you’ve been working hard on the set.

Yes, it’s a good time, but it does produce sweat, I’ll say that.

So what episode are you guys working on now?

We are — number-wise, we’re on number 12, and if I understand correctly, we’re going to do 24, so I guess that means we’re literally at the halfway point. Christine Baranski will be in this week’s episode, which is wonderful. Although she isn’t here right now, I think because she’s moonlighting with us. She’s having to finish out her day job, which I guess is ‘The Good Wife’ right now, so we’ll see her a little bit later. But I think she can handle a slightly abbreviated rehearsal schedule. She knows her way around the block. [Laughs]

Well, I’m actually glad that I’m getting to talk to you this week, as opposed to when we were originally supposed to speak, because now Sheldon has officially gotten to second base with Penny.

Oh, my God! You’re absolutely right!

And congratulations on that, by the way.

Oh, thank you, thank you. You know, unwittingly, without actually looking at it, Sheldon grabbed Penny’s boob. You’re right: second base. Wasn’t that a wonderful moment they thought of? I just thought it was absolutely fantastic. I mean, of all the way you can get a man hand’s on a woman’s flesh — that man’s hand on a woman’s flesh — they just never cease to amaze me, the writers, with the way they twist and turn him. [Laughs]

And the look on your face was classic.

[Laughs] With the eyes closed and all?

My wife and I also particularly enjoyed the episode because of the joke about the check engine light in Penny’s car, because ours has been on for about six months now.

You’re kidding me!

I am not.

You know, my car — the power locks have all quit working, so I can manually get in with a key, but only my door. So I can’t open any other door, and I’ve had to take a couple of friends a couple of places, and they’ve all had to crawl over the console. So I’m no better than Penny when it comes to that, though I guess it’s less unsafe, as long as I’m not driving over bridges.

You know, I didn’t want to be the one to have to tell to tell you this, but — you’re kind of a big time TV star. You can probably afford to hire someone to get that fixed.

I know, I probably could. It really is a time issue. And probably an intelligence issue. I’ll bet there’s a way I could get it taken care of. Like, I bet someone would pick it up. I’ll bet that, in this ideal world, I could probably even get a loaner car for that process. But I simply haven’t executed any of that.

Well, I’m sorry that you didn’t pick up the Emmy, but I do understand that you’re up for a People’s Choice Award.

I am! That’s very exciting.

Given that everyone I’ve talked to was excited that I was talking to you, I’m hoping that bodes well for you.

Oh, thank you! Yeah, well, I hope so. I voted myself, and I voted for myself, but I only voted once. I know that you can do it repeated times, but it kind of felt like bad karma to vote for myself more than once. But by the same token, I wasn’t going to vote for Alec Baldwin, so, y’know (trails off)

That’s admirable restraint on your part.

[Laughs] Thank you.

So I always enjoy the episodes where you team up with Penny, and I understand that, in addition to this week’s, there’s another one coming up where you teach her physics, or try to, anyway.

[Sighs] Yes. Oh, my God. What a valiant effort. That being said, I completely agree with you, as far as I have as much fun as humanly possible, I think, on this show when they have a heavy Penny and Sheldon episode. And that one — I think I enjoyed the teaching her science more than the hospital one that just aired, actually, although I enjoyed them both. But it was so fun to get to (pauses) Sheldon’s not a great teacher, as you can imagine. He doesn’t have the patience of Job, and he takes on the airs of being a teacher, but it just doesn’t come naturally, I don’t think, even though the information does. And to couple with that, as you can imagine, she’s just not a good student. She comes unprepared, she can’t stay on track, it flies over her head within the first two sentences. But it was so fun, in an “Educating Rita” kind of way.

I understand Kaley Cuoco refers to those episodes as being full of “Shenny moments.”

Yes, she does. She’s a quack. [Laughs]

I think my favorite episode this season was the one with Wil Wheaton.

Oh! How great was it to have him? That was so fun.

Many of my friends have taken to screaming “Wheaton!” at the top of their lungs, in an attempt to emulate you.

No! [Laughs] He seemed to be completely okay with the fact that his entire name became a mantra of vengeful hate. That didn’t seem to bother him. He was so fun to have on the set, and he was such a good guy, just in general, but what a wonderful foil for Sheldon. And it makes such sense, because as a person and as an actor — he was playing himself, though slightly different, obviously — of course Sheldon’s the angriest at this human who is so _un_hurtful. There’s nothing wrong with Wil Wheaton!

I can only hope that they signed him up for a sequel episode the second the reactions started coming in for that one.

I hope so, too, although they wouldn’t tell me if they did.

Yes, I’ve read that you always feel that you’re the last to know anything on the set.

We are the last to know! The entire cast! I mean, honest to God, if you didn’t have other actor friends telling you, “I went in to audition for somebody on your show,” it’d be a matter of waiting for a script and saying, “Oh, look who’s in this episode!”

So who’s been your favorite guest star to work with? Not to belittle any of them, of course.

Oh, no, I know, I know. I’m not afraid to answer the question as much as it really is hard. I mean, we have so many talented people, and it’s just (hesitates) Immediately, for me, I do — oh, God, they’re all so good, but this is a somewhat easier call: the grouping of three previous sitcom women who knew just the ropes so well, Sara Rue, Christine Baranski and Laurie Metcalf. They just took to it, and obviously they would. But they’re just so funny, too, and they’re just such good actors. They’re just so real, and they listen and they respond. But I guess I’ll have to be biased, and I’m going to go ahead and have to say Laurie, because she played my mother. I would never want — hopefully, Christine and Sara will never read your article.

I will do my best to keep it under wraps.

Yes, please do. Maybe you could set it up so that you have to enter a secret code to hear my answer. [Laughs] But, no, it really is hard, and I only give her that favoritism because she literally is playing my mother, so I guess that wins. I’ve said it before, though: the class of guest star we get on this show at times is so — it’s such a rewarding thing, you know? It just makes life so fun. It’s fun to inject new life into this show, anyway, but when you’re able to get someone who is so talented as an actor in general, it’s not only a coup for the show and the audience members, but for you as an actor, to get to work with them. It’s always a different dance when strong actors come in like that, because they bring their own thing, and you’re, like, “Wooooooo!” There’s nothing more fun than getting to respond to that, especially with a character that you’ve gotten to know more and more and more that you’re playing. You go, “Oh, this changes things.” Sheldon’s feelings for Christine Baranski’s character, I just love! He loves her! He thinks that is the best mother in the world, you know, that untouching, unfeeling, clinical — oh, my God, he is just tickled by her. And that’s so fun, because so few people do I get to respond that way to through him. He’s normally — maybe he’s been in amazement, like with George Smoot and people like that were on, but for the most part, he considers himself pretty much — I don’t want to say above other people, because I don’t think he’s a snooty man in that way, but he doesn’t have time for most people. So to have somebody like that character come on that he feels compels to engage with, that he can’t resist but to engage with, is very fun.

I’m still rooting for Leonard Nimoy to turn up on the show someday.

You and me both! I couldn’t agree more.

Your reaction when Penny gave Sheldon that Nimoy-autographed napkin…

What a wonderful thing they wrote. It was just unbelievable.

I think it’s still one of my favorite moments of all time. In fact, on a Spock-related note, I couldn’t help but notice that the goatee that you were sporting during the season premiere…

(cheerily) There you go.

…looked suspiciously like the one worn by Spock’s counterpart in “Mirror, Mirror.”

Yes, suspicious, indeed! [Laughs] No, you nailed it on the head: that’s exactly what it was.

I know that the other guys had some of their own facial hair working when they came back from the between-season hiatus, but you did not. Are you not a fan of the facial hair?

I’ll be honest: no, I’m not. Not for myself, I should say. It doesn’t bother me at all on other people. But I will say this: if I had a very dark, heavier beard that came in and could get some sort of five-o’clock shadow type thing, I’d actually be pro-facial hair for me, just because it’d be something new and different. But I don’t really get that. I just kind of look dirty. There’s no definitive “oh, look at that nice five-o’clock shadow.” It’s more “oh, he forgot to shave.” It just makes me look lazy. There’s nothing debonair about it. Did you watch the baseball playoffs at all?

Here and there.

Speaking of five-o’clock shadows, Andy Pettitte has the most sculpted five-o’clock shadow. I didn’t even think about it until I was talking to Simon (Helberg) when one of the games was on, but I said, “Andy Pettitte has the most definitive line on his five-o’clock shadow.” He said, “Yeah, I think that’s sculpted.”

Yeah, even baseball players need stylists.

I mean, of course they do, but it’s just so stupid. It’s amazing the level of things that come across my TV that don’t occur to me. Like, I still buy into commercials. I know realistically that they’re actors, but for some reason, as opposed to a movie or a TV show, where I go, “Whatever,” and I can kind of separate myself from them, commercials just suck me in so hard. I’ll be, like, “I’ll bet you’re right: I’ll bet that cereal is wonderful!”

Yeah, but they’re just not as sentimental as they used to be. In the ’70s, you’d be watching a commercial, and you’d be, like, “Aw, look at that: his grandma is so happy that he called her!”

You’re right. I remember they used to have — well, Kodak had some very tear-jerking commercials.

I think I asked you this question before, but it’s been a season since then: what’s your favorite of Sheldon’s quirks?

Hmmm. I don’t remember what I said before — which is good. (long pause) Oh, God, I guess — I like his cleanliness. It just came up again in a recent episode — well, it hasn’t aired yet, but I mention disinfecting the kitchen and bathroom in a very casual way, like, “That’s what I did then,” and just whatever. And it reminded me of that. I really like that, because… — I understand whereof that comes, you know, but I can’t do it. I’m a little too lazy myself. [Laughs] So I really admire his ability to go through on that quirk and actually disinfect the kitchen and disinfect the bathroom. How wonderful. I would love to have a Sheldon around the house to do that!

So when you heard that they were actually going to get Leonard and Penny together, were you skeptical, or did you just leave it the writers’ hands, since they’ve done such good work thus far?

I wasn’t skeptical, and there was a level of — well, of course, I did honestly feel that I could leave it in their hands, because I always like what they do, or I’m always entertained by it and I enjoy getting to play it and be a part of it. But I also actually kind of liked it, because — I guess the easy one to look at is that it’s like a Ross and Rachel. Or, for me, when I was younger, even like a ‘Moonlighting.’ And that’s fantastic to have that kind of riding along with that tension, but — I don’t think that was well suited for us, or even necessarily. And I was kind of excited that they were going to go ahead and say, “Let’s explore this.” And not in a date, and not in two dates, but — I was just discussing this with a friend of mine, because I really don’t know, and I was, like, “I wonder if they’re going to be together for all of Season Three.” I mean, like, will Season Three be kind of, like, “the season where Penny and Leonard were together the whole time”? Or will it go on longer? I don’t know. Or will they be breaking up soon? I think for the first few episodes of the season, every episode that came down, I looked at and wondered, “Is this when they’re going to break up?” And I’m only realizing as I say this to you that I don’t wonder that at all anymore. I’ve become so adjusted to the idea of them together, which brings me back to my point about what made me happy: I really like that they decided to play this kind of true to life. Two friends get together, and you’re, like, “Oh, that’s not going to work,” but then six months into it, one Friday night, you suddenly go, “Oh, my God, I’m completely used to them being together! I’m still not sure that it’s going to last, but I’m not thinking about it anymore.” And never mind the fact that, completely selfishly, it was one more intimate way to get Penny into Sheldon’s life, to irritate him just by her mere existence. “Irritate” may not be the right word, but just to, y’know, push a button and force him to deal with her. That’s one of her things, I think. She’s a force that must be dealt with.

You know, something in this past week’s episode that my wife noted: Sheldon peeked at Penny.

Yeah.

Should we take that as a hint that, possibly somewhere in the far future, Sheldon could have a girlfriend?

I think you can take that as a hint, but I’m afraid that it’s frustratingly open to interpretation. [Laughs] Looking at Sheldon’s sexuality is like trying to read into a Rothko painting. It’s just, like, “Do I see a line?” “No.” “No? Well, I see something.” You know? And I don’t know. Chuck (Lorre) always says — well, not always, but I’ve heard him say more than once, and I didn’t think of it this way, but he says, “What is this desire to force Sheldon into something to normalize him?” And I don’t think everybody’s thinking that way, let me say that first off, but I just thought it was an interesting take on it. As opposed to, “Why don’t we see what happens to this guy who has opted out?” And what I think is interesting about that is that, number one, I don’t think that people are necessarily ravenous to see Sheldon normalized or brought down to a level or something. I think that it’s very sweet, and I agree with people who think it would be. I want Sheldon to feel love, you know? [Laughs] I enjoy it in my life when I feel love, and I’d like him to. And I also think it will one day, fingers crossed, be a wonderful story arc. I would hope that, if that time ever comes, we’ll deal with it in the same way they’ve dealt with the Penny/Leonard thing. I mean, not the same exact relationship, obviously, but in that way of going where it’s not a big special episode or something. Or maybe there are a couple, but it’s more of finding a way getting through this, him finding his way into this. But as far as the thinking, I had the exact same thought you did, and that’s why I say it’s impossible to interpret, because I thought, “How interesting that he bothered to look!” But then I thought, “As a scientist, of course he’s going to look. It’s just one more body to see.”

It seems like a relationship would cause him to be torn between wondering the curiosity of “What would this be like for me?” and treating it like a scientific experiment.

I agree with you. I do. And I don’t — I don’t know if there’s any way around that. If we look at Sheldon as a real person for a second and pretend, I just think that — you know, I’ve always said he would have to be completely frying-pan-over-the-head-walloped to fall in love, and I stick by that, not so much in a comic value way, but — he does seem to have that nature, but, like Chuck says, that’s not what he’s choosing to do right now. He’s choosing to devote himself and his life in other ways, and he finds that he doesn’t have the time for that. So I do think he’d have to be hit by a wave of emotion, if you will, or desire in order to be forced into making that choice. But then you have who he is and his nature to look at things through that scientific lens. So — I don’t know. That’s the other exciting thing about it, because — what a special person it would take to devote themselves to Sheldon, and to accept him for what he was. Not that he’s a leper or something [laughs] but he can be so tiring to deal with, and if you were his intimate other, oh, my God, would you have to listen to more workings of his even deeper inner mind? Good criminey!

I know that you guys and your characters don’t necessarily cross paths that often when it comes to your tastes, but is there anything that you’ve discovered as a result of Sheldon being a fan?

Well, the problem is — okay, well, no, I’m not more into science or anything, and I haven’t really gotten more into comic books or games or anything. But if I have to be sincere about it, though, I think I’ve grown a greater appreciation for letting myself enjoy time alone. Because he enjoys it so much, you know? He not only enjoys it, but I think he prefers it. It’s easier for him to get things done when he’s alone. Other people get in the way. And it’s one of the things that I do kind of admire about him. Some people think he’s somewhat cut off from society, and I guess that’s not always great, but that ability to be content alone like that — I think that’s really nice. He’s really comfortable with himself in many ways, which is admirable.

There’s something I’ve never asked you about, even though it’s a stock question, but, what’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved? Because I’ve never really asked you about anything that you did prior to “Big Bang,” even though I know you obviously did do other things.

That didn’t get the love it deserved? I’ve certainly been in things that I wish had never been seen. I feel like this going to be (hesitates) Hmmm. It’s a funny question, and I’ll say this. Because the first thing I think of — I really thought it would be a play, first and foremost, but I had such a good time with almost every piece of theater that I’ve done that I have no regrets that things didn’t travel farther. They were what they were. So the first thing that I think of is a pilot that I did about a year or two — maybe two years — before I did “Big Bang.” It was for CBS, and it was with Jane Krakowski. It was kind of her vehicle, actually, and I enjoyed doing it so much. I played a supporting character – I was a bartender – and I just thought it went so well. Still, if I went back and looked at that pilot, I would think it was a successful pilot. And I think it actually came very close to getting picked up, from what I understand. We were, like, on the bubble ‘til up to the 12th hour. That, I thought, would’ve been a great series. It was about life in a restaurant, and — I don’t know. But with that being said, the caveat is that, while I think my feelings are honest about it not getting the love it deserved, it’s the living definition of everything happening for a reason. [Laughs] There it is, right there. So that’s why I don’t shed any tears for it: because I wouldn’t be here right now, with any likelihood, had it gotten picked up. And in many ways, this is the most exciting thing that I’ve ever gotten to be a part of. So anything that would’ve gotten in the way of this, I have to look back and say, “Well, I’m glad it didn’t!”

(Writer’s note: If you’re wondering, the pilot was called ‘Taste,’ and it also co-starred Rufus Sewell, late of CBS’s ‘Eleventh Hour,’ Richard Ruccalo of ‘Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place’ and ‘Rita Rocks,’ and Lola Glaudini of ‘Criminal Minds.’)

How have you been enjoying the talk show circuit? Because I’ve seen you on Craig Ferguson’s show, but I know you did ‘The Tonight Show’ recently.

I just got to do ‘Conan, and it was wonderful. I was scared to death of Conan, more than any of them, and I’m not kidding you. I’m always nervous going on any of them, because you never know what’s going to happen exactly — although they’ve all been nice. It’s not a matter of that. I don’t feel like anybody’s out to get me when I go out there. But you just don’t know what’s going to happen! Like, Letterman’s really intimidating, because — well, he’s Letterman! There’s this stoic, staid thing. But by the same token, you kind of know what to expect from him. And I don’t think this is as true for Conan as it was, because I think the format changed a little, and he’s on the new show now. It’s not the same show, it’s a different one, and I knew him mostly from when he was on later, and I just thought, “I don’t have a clue what to expect from him…and I mean physically! He may get up!” And Ferguson’s wont do that, too, but it’s different. It’s different! And, oh, my God, I was just, like, “What if I get something on me? I might leave there slimed or something!” But he was so nice. They are all, they really are, but I just found it funny about midway through the interview, thinking, “I can’t believe I was worried about this.” He just couldn’t have been better.

And last one: as you said, you guys are always the last to know, but is there anything about the upcoming episodes that you can speak to that we should be looking forward to?

Are you kidding? [Laughs] As far as I know, we’re going to make them. That’s about it. No, really, I don’t know anything. But we’re making a Christmas episode right now. And I thought we were too late. I thought that — well, I don’t know what I thought. I just thought we would’ve done a Christmas one by now. I guess I just wasn’t adding up the time in my head well enough.

All right, Jim, I think I’ve bent your ear long enough…

Oh, I’m so glad we got to talk!

As am I, absolutely. Good talking to you again, and if I don’t see you in January, then I’m sure I’ll see you in July.

Gorgeous. Thanks again. Bye!

Jim Parsons heads up the 'Big Bang Theory' geek squad by Brian Truitt

USA weekend

The CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory has been having its best ratings ever the past few weeks, and Jim Parsons has to be behind some of that success. A recent Emmy nominee, Parsons is spot-on as uber-genius scientist Sheldon, with his trademark game Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock and penchant for lovably alienating everyone around him. This past Monday, Sheldon spent much of the episode trying to train next-door neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco), girlfriend of Sheldon’s pal and roommate Leonard (Johnny Galecki), using Pavlovian methods and a box of chocolates.
I talked with Parsons, who’s as witty as his superhero-loving character, for an upcoming piece in the magazine, but read below for his thoughts on his home state and how he’d feel if Sheldon ever got a girlfriend.

You grew up in Texas. Is there anything you miss from living there?

No. 1, people in Texas in general are extremely nice. There is just a Southern hospitality where even on the worst days, you generally run into nice people in stores you go to and you don’t feel like you’re ever encroaching on their time. Sometimes I miss that, although I have to say, I’ve been really fortunate in both New York and L.A., people are really nice there, too. I spent all my time in Houston, so while there are many touches of — I don’t know, what does one expect from Texas? Horses and a bunch of 10-gallon hats? Well, there are some horses and there are some 10-gallon hats, but it’s also a major metropolitan city. More than missing anything, I just really treasure the time I got to spend. I got to do so much theater in Houston and so much work, both at the University of Houston and a theater group I worked with for years down there.

Sheldon’s a theatrical sort in his own way, but do you miss the stage?

For us, it’s live and on stage and in front of an audience every week, so that aspect of it I’m getting fulfilled. That being said, it is a different beast, and you do have however many takes it takes to get the scene done, and, I’m sorry, there’s a row of cameras and crewpeople and a director between you and this audience, which there isn’t in theater. I don’t like to do a lot of talking as an actor, but sometimes I do miss a little more intensive introspection.

Would you like to see Sheldon explore a romantic relationship — maybe even with Penny if things didn’t work out for her and Leonard?

I would be so flabbergasted if it was Penny, and that’s not to say they wouldn’t do it.

It seems like the characters are on a path where that could possibly happen, and not just in an alternate universe.

It’s a brother-sister banter between them right now. Now, that is not to say that that’s not a step on the way to the top of those stairs, which may be something else. Will it happen this year? God no. [Series creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady] have both said these characters will change as slowly as watching paint dry. What I like about that, though, is that I think it’s very true to life. One of the reasons people tune in is you count on these characters to do certain things and react certain ways. You don’t want to see major changes sometimes. They’re all such a wealth of awkward material at times, why go messing with them yet? There’s still plenty of ground to mine.

But wouldn’t you just lick your lips at the thought of playing Sheldon on a date?

Believe me, I pine for the day that this happens. I really do. The reason I think it’s not quickly coming is because, at this stage, how do you sell that other than “a very special Big Bang Theory”? It would be monumental! I don’t know how it would happen. All I see is a frying pan to the head. I don’t think he’s going to be willing to accept what it is he’s feeling, and it’s going to have to be exactly that, I think. It’s going to have to overtake him because there’s that out-of-controlness about falling in love and sexual desire that he does not traverse in, really, as a scientist or even as a human being. One of the things that makes him a fun character is this need for a certain level of control over everything: “That’s my spot. I eat this on Mondays. I go to the bathroom at this time. I won’t use this toilet.” Those romantic feelings, any emotions that are overtaking, they take the rug out from under you and they leave you at a lack of control.

I know you’re a big American Idol fan. Would you ever consider being a guest judge?

Really? Now that’s interesting. I saw Ellen DeGeneres guest-judge on So You Think You Can Dance, and it did cross my mind. Not Idol, though. I would do So You Think You Can Dance. My problem is, I have to give so many caveats before I advised the contestants: “Now, I don’t know anything about this, I will be giving you only the viewpoint of the lay audience member at home, I won’t know if it’s good or bad, I’ll just be able to tell you if I liked it or not, and maybe what I did or didn’t like. And a lot of it may have to do with your personality, I’m not sure.” Idol, I’m afraid that’s probably true, too. I’d try never to say that something was pitchy. I hear that a lot. I’ll try not to overuse that phrase.

Kaley Cuoco on The Big Bang Theory by Fred Topel

Crave online

For fans of 8 Simple Rules, the upcoming season is vindication. The show got off to a humble start but has become a staple of Monday night sitcoms on CBS. This season threatens to link Penny and Leonard in a relationship. Kaley Cuoco filled us in the third season scoop over the summer at CBS’s fall TV preview party.

How much fun are you having on Big Bang Theory?

I’m having so much fun. It’s a great show, it’s doing well. How can you not have fun on a hit show? I’m very, very lucky.

With the big group scenes and the dialogue you have, is there any special fun on the set?

I actually prefer [it]. I love when all of us are in the same scenes together. It happens a good amount but not all the time and it makes me really happy, because the five of us just have so much fun working off each other.

How gratifying is it that it became a hit after a slow build?

It was a slow build, yeah. No one liked us at the beginning. They didn’t and it’s okay. We reeled them in. We brought them to the geek side and now they’ve accepted us with open arms.

What do you think it was that hooked people?

I don’t know. I think they realized it wasn’t “cute girl next door to two geeks.” It was so much more than that. It was real people dealing with real emotions. I think it’s actually really touched peoples’ hearts, especially actors like Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki. I mean, those characters have touched people so deeply and they’re really sweet.

Any show takes time to build so how do you think it’s grown since the first season?

You know, I firmly believe, only because I’ve been doing this for so long, every show takes three years. 900f them don’t get three years. It just does. It takes a long time to build a community, build a friendship with your characters. It’s hard for people to grasp on and make them care about you. We’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity but a lot of shows don’t get it. I think a lot of good shows don’t make it on the air so it’s just a process. You have to grow. You have to learn who you are as a character. You’re all of a sudden playing a new person with a whole other life.

How has Penny grown since the beginning?

You know, I think they gave her a lot to do second season. She just loves these guys and loves hanging out with them. I think she’s kind of becoming one of them which is really sweet and they finally fully accepted her, thank goodness.

And it’s not just a cult hit anymore, it’s a broad audience.

I still think it is kind of a cult show but it’s weird because I have, like, 10-year-olds come up to me and say they love it and then, like, 80-year-olds. I mean, people love the show and every time I think about it, it gives me a chill. It’s just really sweet.

What do you think the show did to win everyone over?

It has a lot of heart. People like Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki and the writing that was in season two I think was the best season. It was so good, it was heartfelt. The love between Penny and the guys I think was really heartfelt. I think at first season, no one believed the cute girl was going to like them and all this silly stuff. I think the characters have really grown and they just love each other. It’s really nice to see.

You’re going to mess with the setup this season, right?

I hear that, yeah. I guess Leonard and Penny are going to date for a little while and I think that’s going to put a little jab between the guys and Leonard. I hope our relationship doesn’t last long. I want it to kind of go off and come back, how life really is and I think Chuck wants that to happen too.

Have you picked up any geek interests through the show?

No, just a lot of Guitar Hero and Rock Band and I’m getting really damn good on it to be honest.

Are you Expert?

Uh, yeah. Can I play Expert? Can you play Expert?

I’m up to Hard.

I’m pretty damn good. I like to play the drums. I actually like to sing on Rock Band. I prefer to take the mic.

What songs are you jamming on?

You know what? I don’t even know half of them. I just read it off the TV and I am awesome. I’m a good reader.

8 Simple Rules was unfortunately cut short. Do you have a sense that this will go for a while?

I’ll never have comfort that it’s going to go for a while. I think if I did, I think that’s the curse right there. I don’t trust anything anymore. I just am riding every day like it is because with what happened with 8 Simple Rules it was so insane, you just never know. So I’m just enjoying this as it goes and I hope that we continue as long as we can.

Are you into gadgets?

My new iPhone, I’m obsessed. My iPod. I love all the Mac crap. ,

When you’re traveling, what’s the one thing you have to have with you?

Oh, my iPod and my Bose headset because they sound so frigging good. And it’s a sign to people to leave me alone. They are so big, they’re bigger than my face and it’s basically saying, “Get the hell away from me.” I love it.

Do people come up to you anyway?

No, they’re very nice. They know and I close my eyes like I can’t hear anything. You know what I love? I don’t even play music. I just keep them on and I’m kind of going like this and nodding my head like I’m listening. Nothing’s going on in my ears.

You must have rhythm if you can sell that.

I’ve got good rhythm.

What do people want to know about the show when they recognize you?

They keep wanting to know, “What’s going to happen with Leonard and Penny? Why can’t Sheldon and Penny date?” Which cracks me up. That would have to be a nightmare sequence in season nine because they would kill each other. Penny would kill Sheldon.

There’s a lot of anticipation for the relationship, yet we all know how it can ruin shows. How do you feel about how it’s going to be done?

I don’t know. I have such trust in Chuck. It does make me nervous hearing that we’re going to date a little bit, but the way I’ve seen the show go, I don’t think it’s going to go well so I’m not worried. I don’t think the relationship’s going to go well. They’ve got a lot to learn and we’ve got a long ways to go.

How did you spend your summer?

I traveled a lot and I have horses on a ranch and that’s all I did. I rode and it’s kind of a curse knowing you have a show to go back to. You just get a little lazy. I’m like, “Oh, I’m going back to work. I don’t have to do anything.” And I go back on Wednesday [Aug 5] so I’m really excited.

Do you not look for movies to do during the break?

Not this year I didn’t, no. I actually said I didn’t want to do anything, didn’t want to work.

How long have you been riding?

Long time, since I was like 14.

Why is that a passion?

That’s the real love of my life. I think in an other life I was a professional. I love it. I love animals and I feel more of a connection to animals than people. It keeps my mind away from all this and everything that’s going on here. If you’re not connected to your horse, you’re screwed so it takes a lot of focus.

Did you have horses from your family before?

My mom grew up with horses and when I turned 14, 15, she’s like, “Do you want to take a riding lesson?” I thought, “Oh, gross, dirty.” She was like, “Okay.” And then I did and now I’m the one cleaning those damn stalls out. You can’t get me away from the barn now. It shocks even me. Trust me. I don’t know what happened to me. No heels at that place.

Is there romance in Sheldon's future?

ET Online

The second season of “The Big Bang Theory” has received a lot of positive buzz, especially for Jim Parsons, who plays the quirky Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D. Parsons is considered to be a break-out possibility for an Emmy nomination this year, and has been invited by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to announce the nominations, along with “Grey’s Anatomy”‘s Chandra Wilson, for the “61st Primetime Emmy Awards” on July 16. ET checks in with the funny man, who dishes on the possibility of Sheldon falling in love, the casts’ favorite pastime and his favorite funny scene.

Are you superstitious? Last year both Neil Patrick Harris and Kristin Chenoweth, who announced the nominees, received nominations. Lightning could strike twice.

That would be the most delightful bolt of lightning to be hit with that I could imagine, but I have no idea. I was and still am so excited that they called me. It is not even something I would have ever dreamed of doing. It is not one of those goals where you say, “I think I want to announce the nominations for the Emmys one day.” There could be that moment when you are not nominated and you feel awkward, and you could be nominated and you feel awkward. I don’t care. I love TV. I have always loved TV and this is just such an honor, to use a cliché, to get to do this. The only downside to this is being picked up at 4:30 a.m. in the morning.

There isn’t just Emmy buzz this year, but Matt Roush at TV Guide called you a “comic genius” and “the funniest misfit since Felix Unger,” and USA Today hailed you as the “season’s breakout comedy character.” How nice is that to hear, and who keeps your ego in check?

I guess the ego is kept in check by having to do the job again and again every week. It is very real having to get it done every week, and it is very fun. It is very flattering to read that kind of thing. I try to not go trolling around for it. I wait until someone hands it to me to read, because it is crass trying to go looking for those kinds of comments about yourself. It makes you feel how you feel when you blush without actually blushing.

It has to be rewarding because everybody thinks that you were discovered on this show, but you actually have been working a lot prior to this.

I have. Even to this day, the strong majority of what I have done is in theater growing up, and there is no way that anybody could have seen it, except for 80 to 100 people at once. It has only been in the last few years that anybody outside of a one-room theater could have seen me. So in that way, it is very new. I understand where this thought process comes from. But you are right. I have been doing this for a long time, and I, obviously, enjoy doing it.

The burning question on everyone’s mind is: Is there romance in Sheldon’s future? How about a Penny (Kaley Cuoco) hook-up?

I am going to say yes to the first part. There has to be romance in Sheldon’s future. Two things on that: That is not anything someone has told me, or I have read, so it may never happen, but I think it probably will. Two, I think it is a long way off. I think it seems far-fetched right now for him to be open to a relationship of that sort, or even cognizant of it.

As for the Penny equation, I would be jaw-dropped if that ever happens. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t. Opposites attract. It is a possibility, but, oh, that would surprise me.

You are good with the zingers with her.

The scenes with Sheldon and Penny are so fun to be a part of, and Kaley as a sparring partner as an actor is such a treat. What a welcome surprise. Not her, but the development of those two characters in the forced relationship that they are in because of the physical proximity and Leonard’s (Johnny Galecki) much-more-open interest in her.

Last time I chatted with Kaley, she was saying what good buddies you all are, and that you play pool together.

Ping pong. You got the “p.” We have tournaments. I have to hand it to Kaley. She goes far in the tournaments. And Kunal [Nayyar] and Simon [Helberg] go pretty far, too, in the tournaments. I do not, although, I do love it, and I am competitive, but I don’t do well at it. And Johnny doesn’t play at all.

What’s coming up for the new season?

Not a clue. I think we are the most unknowledgeable set in TV. We don’t get our scripts until the day before the table read. I am not sure if it is top secret, or because it is not finished.

What do fans ask you the most often?

The two things are the same answer: What is the hardest line you have ever had to do, and can you say, “Rock, paper, scissors?” That is the hardest line I have ever had to do, and the answer is: No, I cannot do it. I could barely do it the night that we taped it. I don’t know why. It is not like I can repeat any of the science either. I don’t know if it is because the science is so foreign to me and, therefore, I am divorced enough from it that rote memorization comes out of my mouth. Rock, paper, scissors, I knew what it was enough that I got in my own way long enough to describe it — and doing hand signals at the same time.

Are Sheldon’s mannerisms and quirks based on anyone you know?

No. I am happy to say that a lot of it just comes out of what is happening in the script. A lot of it comes out of me naturally when I am trying to do it. That is good in some ways and embarrassing in others. If anything, I take my cues more from word choice and the rhythm of the Sheldon speak. There is a real click to it.

How was your visit to Cal Tech? Did you earn your geek creds, or did you feel out of place?

I don’t think that earned us anything more than the degree that people could see you are not as smart as these characters. The one thing it did do is we realized that there is no stereotype of the people in science in general. There are certainly things you can pick up on, certain commonalities, certainly the common language, but they were just all different shapes and sizes and different types of people. It was rewarding as an actor to see how grounded in reality you could keep all this to a certain degree, and that the world was your oyster as far as the type of person you “wish to play.” Of course, they are just human. But they are geniuses. And we put this nerd/geek thing on top of it.

What is your favorite funny moment from the show?

One of my favorite things we did this year is Sheldon was learning to drive, where they had a simulated car-type video game, where he could learn the rules of the road. It involved everybody in the cast, and it was just absurd. It just bordered on vaudeville. It was so much fun to do. It was one of the only times I had trouble keeping a straight face.