How Johnny Galecki Feels About Always Being Associated With The Big Bang Theory

CBS

The cast of "The Big Bang Theory" will almost certainly be forever associated with their tenure on that show more than anything else in their CV. Many of the show's stars have appeared in other well-known projects over the years, but you just don't play a major character in a 12-season smash hit comedy without it reflecting on your entire professional career. 

Not that the cast members seem to mind, though. Johnny Galecki — who played Leonard Hofstadter throughout the show's 12-season tenure — has fond memories of filming the series, which is only understandable considering how big a part of his life the show was. "The Big Bang Theory" has had a profound impact on the actor, and he didn't hesitate to say as much in a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, just ahead of "The Big Bang Theory" finale, titled "The Stockholm Syndrome:" 

"It will never be fully eclipsed. We will always be associated with one another. It's such an incredibly unique experience that only the seven of us can really understand having. You can talk about the cast of 'Friends,' but this is different in its own way. There is no one else but this circle of seven that can even pretend to relate."

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Johnny Galecki isn't the only "The Big Bang Theory" actor who has strong positive feelings about the monumental impact the show had on them. In the same interview, multiple other members of the main cast — which, along with Galecki, includes Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch — expressed similar sentiments about their association with the sitcom. Cuoco, who already had an impressive TV and film career when she joined the series and has continued to work steadily in numerous projects, made no bones about the fact that she considers "The Big Bang Theory" her crowning glory and an integral part of her professional identity:

 "I'm going to owe all of my career to this show. No matter what I do after this. This is what made us who we are. We were here for 12 years. This is a big part of our career."

Parsons, who at the time was unaware of his future as the narrator of "Young Sheldon" and the numerous other stage and screen opportunities heading his way, agreed wholeheartedly:

"Whatever ends up happening to us, this is life-altering. You may be part of something else that is as life-altering as this, but that's a high bar to hurdle."

Time will tell whether some of the show's stars will land other roles that will be remembered as fondly as their "The Big Bang Theory" characters. Still, as the actors seem to fully understand, the show's legacy looms large and is likely to follow them wherever they go.