The Big Bang Theory Stars Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki Address Their Behind-the-Scenes Romance

The Big Bang Theory lit up the sitcom world for over a decade, thanks in part to its lovable ensemble cast. The long-running CBS series featured a number of actors who have now become household names, and whose dynamics and relationships have made headlines. According to a new book celebrating The Big Bang Theory‘s tenure, two of those cast members even developed a unique offscreen kinship. An excerpt published from The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, via Vanity Fair, sheds more light on the offscreen romance between stars Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, who dated from 2008 to 2010.

“I had a very big crush on Johnny early on,” Cuoco, who played Penny, revealed. “I was so not even hiding it. He has such swagger. We were both dating people at the time, but I only had eyes for Johnny. Then, when I found out he had eyes for me too, I was like, Uh‑oh, this is going to be trouble.”

“I have a healthy ego, but you really have to kind of club me over the head to let me know you’re flirting with me,” Galecki, who played Leonard, echoed. “I had zero idea of any sort of crush before Kaley and I began dating.” Still, the onscreen chemistry that led to their offscreen romance was undeniable, Cuoco says.

“All the scenes up until we actually got together in real life, it was obvious there was always something there,” Cuoco explained. “There was chemistry and we were crushing on each other. That was the whole first season until we actually got together for real.”

According to Cuoco and Galecki, a dream sequence in the episode “The Nerdvana Annihilation”, in which Leonard and Penny got physically close in their apartment’s elevator shaft, proved to be a turning point in their relationship.

“We had to be in each other’s arms—and for quite some time, because it was a bit of a stunt that we were doing,” Galecki explained. “It was a whole thing, and it was a pretape since it took a little while. Kaley didn’t look freaked out at all. In fact, she looked extremely happy in those arms. That was certainly one of the moments that I think—”

“I think we fell a little in love in that elevator shaft,” Cuoco echoed.

“We felt something, yeah,” Galecki continued. “I think that was a massive turning point [in our relationship]. At that point, both she and I knew that something mutual was felt, and that it was going to be more of a distraction from the work to try and continue to ignore it than to actually recognize it and surrender to it.”

The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series is now available wherever books are sold.