‘Big Bang Theory’s’ Kaley Cuoco Hopes Marriage Is in the Cards for Leonard and Penny

The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco hopes Leonard and Penny will follow her lead down the aisle.

The actress, who married tennis player Ryan Sweeting on New Year’s Eve, thinks the time is right for Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny to tie the knot on the CBS hit.

“I’m ready for them to get married,” Cuoco tells THR with a laugh. “Maybe because I just got married — so come on Penny and Leonard, it’s been six years! It took us six months! But I hope that’s in the cards for them.”

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While Cuoco says the writers — including showrunner Steve Molaro and exec producers Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre — are aware that she hopes the on-again, off-again couple wind up together, the series will likely continue to see the duo dance around it with more botched proposals.

“I have a feeling there’s going to be more of those; now it’s a thing. Our show, when we find something, we keep doing it. There’s going to be more proposals that don’t fully go through,” she warns.

For those keeping score, Leonard has proposed twice compared with Penny’s lone attempt — and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

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During season five’s Valentine’s Day episode “The Tangible Affection Proof,” Leonard popped the question to Penny after the duo spot her ex at a restaurant proposing to the girl that broke them up. Leonard’s first proposal came a year prior when he got caught up in Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette’s (Melissa Rauch) wedding planning and popped the question during sex (May 2012’s “The Launch Acceleration”). Penny, meanwhile, proposed this season during “The Hesitation Ramification” after being cut from what she thought was her big acting break during an episode of NCIS.

“The writers know how dear it is to my heart that they have to end up together,” Cuoco says. “Their relationship is good right now. I love how they’ve written it — very up and down — like a real relationship. You go through things, it’s not perfect — life isn’t a TV show and stuff happens. But right now, they have a good rapport.”

Coming up, Penny and Leonard will be tasked with watching Raj’s (Kunal Nayyar) pooch, Cinnamon, during the Feb. 6 Valentine’s Day episode — but it’s Raj who may find romance after the trio are tasked with spending the night in a vet during “The Locomotive Manipulation.”  

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As for whether Penny and Leonard will ever take the next logical step and move in together, Cuoco has a decidedly firm answer.

“No; they live next door and they basically [already] live together, but I think they will always live with Sheldon, so they better get used to it,” she says before breaking into the Three’s Company theme song. “It’s like, ‘Come and knock on our door!’ It’s the three of them, always.”

The Big Bang Theory airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit