Jim Parsons felt a sense of relief once his role on The Big Bang Theory came to an end. Since the show ended, the cast has gone on to work different projects, while others like Johnny Galecki enjoyed the time off and started a family.
Ending the show wasn’t the most popular decision, especially among the cast. As we’ll reveal in the following, some of the main players on the sitcom were blindsided by Jim Parsons’ decision.
However, according to Parsons, the cast had a different relationship when it came to certain matters. Unlike Friends, Parsons revealed that the cast wasn’t on the same page when it came to salary.
We’ll take a look at how the cast reacted to Jim Parsons’ decision, and why Johnny Galecki wasn’t all that pleased with the way it was handled.
Kaley Cuoco Almost Didn’t Show Up To The Big Bang Theory Filming After Jim Parsons Decided To End The Show
The decision to end the show was not an easy one for a lot of the cast, especially given that most were caught off-guard, including Kaley Cuoco. When Parsons made the decision, Cuoco didn’t fully understand what he was talking about. Once reality hit, things weren’t easy for the actress, who broke down knowing the show couldn’t go on without Sheldon.
Cuoco tells Buzz Feed, “The shock of Oh my god, what is next? was scary,” Kaley Cuoco said. “I mean, we cried for hours that day.”
“We thought we were going to do another year, so all of the sudden your life kind of flashes before your eyes. … I couldn’t breathe. It just felt like a death, but also a new horizon for everybody as well.”
According to showrunner Steve Molaro, things were made difficult behind the scenes following the announcement, as Cuoco almost backed out of filming the show.
Molaro revealed, “I got a text that morning from Kaley saying she didn’t know if she could work that day because she was still really upset,” Steve explained.
“Upset with Jim. … The first run-through back was kind of icy and none of them were talking between scenes, but everyone was professional.”
Thankfully, once the two worked together on-set, everything was put behind them.
Johnny Galecki Wasn’t Pleased That Jim Parsons Didn’t Tell The Cast About His Big Bang Theory Exit
Similar to Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki wasn’t entirely pleased either. Galecki revealed that he felt lots of shock during the moment, especially given that Parsons didn’t leave any hints that an end was near.
“I was shocked. We were just blindsided that day. And not necessarily shocked by Jim’s decision, but that he hadn’t had that conversation with his castmates first to prepare us,” Galecki said.
“So yes, it could have been handled better. We’re a family; have a conversation.”
Galecki would also reveal that he had a moment in which he almost stood up and confronted the decision to end the show, given how it left so much of the cast heartbroken. However, he decided to show compassion instead.
“I stopped myself from doing so and I hugged [Jim] instead. Still, that’s what literally went through my mind because it was tearing me to shreds watching Kaley break down and see the tears from everyone.”
As difficult as the decision was, others on the cast were a little more understanding, including Simon Helberg.
Simon Helberg Understood Jim Parsons’ Decision And Was Also Ready To Move On
Simon Helberg had a different reaction to the news. In truth, the actor had a close relationship to Jim Parsons, as the two shared dressing rooms next to each other for over a decade.
Despite the show’s success, Helberg understood that it was time to move on.
“It was time to say goodbye. I think that’s a healthy thing. I don’t think that means that you’re going to have an easy go of it. But it feels like we’ve said all we could say. And I think that’s something we can all be proud of,” Helberg stated with TV Line.
The show enjoyed 12 seasons and 279 episodes, starting in September of 2007, all the way until May 2019. It remains to be seen if a reboot of sort will take place down the road.
