How The Big Bang Theory Cast Felt About Kaley Cuoco At First

"The Big Bang Theory" cast shared the screen for 279 episodes over 12 years (via IMDB). The CBS sitcom is one of the most popular comedies of the 21st century, with the Emmy Award-nominated cast joining the cultural ranks of "Friends" and "How I Met Your Mother." When the series first kicked off in 2007, Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper) was still in the infancy of his career, while Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter) was a supporting player, having appeared in films like "Vanilla Sky" and "Suicide Kings." The most well-known cast member from the Chuck Lorre-created series was Kaley Cuoco, who starred as Penny in "The Big Bang Theory." The actress had made a splash in the early 2000s with a leading role in the teen sitcom "8 Simple Rules."

By the mid-2000s, Cuoco had cemented herself as a star in Hollywood, having had appearances on "Prison Break," "Punk'd," and "Charmed." Thanks to her starring role in "8 Simples Rule," Cuoco was quickly typecast as 'the girl-next-door,' a part she later replicated in "The Big Bang Theory." In a conversation with iNews, Cuoco discussed how being typecast had been a blessing for her. "I used to laugh because I was like, 'if I'm typecast as the girl next door in a ­sitcom for the rest of my life, that's the best thing that could ever ­happen to me,'" Cuoco said.

Thanks to her role in "The Flight Attendant," Cuoco has become even more established. With critical success and admiration from the public, it's interesting to look back on what the cast of "The Big Bang Theory" initially thought of her. 

Before the release of the final "The Big Bang Theory" season, Entertainment Weekly sat down with the cast to reflect on their initial impressions of one another. Johnny Galecki — who plays her on-screen boyfriend-turned-husband on the show — described Kaley Cuoco as the coolest person in the cast. "As soon as we were done with rehearsals or the live audience, she was like [tail lights.] We all assumed she had much better social plans than we did," Galecki shared. 

One of the reasons why "The Big Bang Theory" has become so popular is because of the chemistry the cast shares. The time Cuoco spent bonding with the cast clearly showed on screen. Now that the cast has gone their separate ways, Cuoco revealed to Metro that the central "Big Bang Theory" players still keep in touch. "We had a unique experience for so long so to see everyone doing the things they want to be doing and successful. The texts are always happening," Cuoco shared. Friendships and dynamics change in show business, which is why it might be surprising that Mayim Bialik and Kaley Cuoco are friends in real life.