One of the biggest mysteries about The Big Bang Theory was Penny’s last name. Kaley Cuoco’s character infamously was never identified with her last name during the series, but a popular fan theory rose over the series’ run that claimed the mystery was secretly solved in the Season 2 episode, “The Work Song Nanocluster”. The popular fan theory suggested that, if you looked carefully at a package Penny places on her kitchen counter in the episode, you can see (when zoomed in) the name “Penny Teller” on the label. However, the series’ producers say that’s not Penny’s last name — it was just a label props put on the box.
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“Props had to put a label on it, and it happened to be caught on camera,” Steve Molaro said in The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff (via TVLine). “We didn’t sanction it, we didn’t write it, and we didn’t intentionally put it here.”
Prop master Scott London explained that series co-creator Bill Prady gave him the surname of Teller and Prady went on to explain that they had been reassured the label wouldn’t actually be seen — and that Penny’s last name is absolutely not canon.
“I had assurances it wasn’t going to be seen, that Scott just needed it for the visual shape of the block of type,” Prady said. “But emphatically Penny’s last name is not Teller. I don’t know how that image of the shipping label exists and fans were able to see it and make it out.”
“Her last name being Teller is absolutely not canon,” Molaro said. “The canon is that she does not have a last name that we ever assigned to her… and we’re never going to make one. Even when she and Leonard got married, we made sure to edit around even hearing what her [last] name would be.”
Will there be a Big Bang Theory reboot or revival?
It’s been four years since The Big Bang Theory ended its run, and while fans are excited already about the idea of a possible reboot or revival, co-creators Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre said that it’s hard to imagine there’s anything more to tell in terms of story.
“I know that people do get characters for reunions and things like that,” Prady said. “But it’s hard to imagine what you would see after the finale because I found the finale was just one of the most beautiful and satisfying episodes. The closure it brought was astonishing. It’s hard to imagine reopening the story.”
“I don’t think we left anything undone,” Lorre added. “That was as close to a perfect finale as we could have ever dreamt of doing, I loved it.”
What do you think about the theory about Penny’s last name on The Big Bang Theory being debunked? Let us know in the comment section!
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Photo Credit: CBS
