Characters on The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is a comedy series that aired its first episode on September 24, 2007 and ran for a total of 12 years with 12 seasons and more than 250 episodes. The series was created and written by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady.

Over the years, the series has been honored with various awards and accolades throughout its 12 seasons. Among their various accomplishments, the most notable ones are a Golden Globe Award, 10 Primetime Emmy Awards, an American Film Institute Award, 3 Art Directors Guild Awards, 7 Critics' Choice Television Awards, 4 EWwy Awards, and 14 People's Choice Awards, among many others.

Who are the main characters in The Big Bang Theory?

The Big Bang Theory revolves around a quirky group of friends whose unique personalities and dynamics create comedic gold. Let's take a look at all the main characters of the series.

Sheldon Cooper

Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons) is a theoretical physicist with an unmatched intellect and an extreme adherence to routines. Having an IQ of 187 the character possesses eidetic memory, having degrees like B.S, M.S, M.A, Ph.D, Sc.D, under his belt. His lack of social awareness and obsession with rules often result in hilarious situations with other characters. Known for catchphrases like "Bazinga!" Sheldon is both endearing and exasperating, showing traits like a superiority complex for being one of the smartest people in the room.

Leonard Hofstadter

Leonard (played by Johnny Galecki) is an experimental physicist who is Sheldon's roommate and his best friend. Leonard is more socially adept than Sheldon. With an IQ of 173, the character is known to have a PhD from Princeton University. The character is shown to have a complex relationship with his parents. As the story progresses, Leonard ends up in a relationship with Penny and ends up marrying her by the end of the series.

Penny

Penny (played by Kaley Cuoco), is introduced as an aspiring actress who is struggling to land a job but in the meantime works as a waitress at a fast food restaurant. Through the series, Penny understands that sometimes it is not necessary for everything to work according to plan and things may change, which leads her to achieve a stable and successful career as a pharmaceutical sales representative. Penny, while not being as bright as the other main character in the series academically, is highly social and street smart which gives her an upper hand in the social world. By the end of the series, the character ends up in a loving relationship with Leonard, who starts as a friend in the earlier part of the series.

Howard Wolowitz

Howard (played by Simon Helberg) is an aerospace engineer and a self-proclaimed ladies’ man. Known for his bold fashion choices and cheesy pickup lines, Howard’s nature often contradicts Sheldon’s nature which brings in comedic moments. Being the only person without a PhD amongst the guys, Howard has been picked on and teased by others calling him just an engineer. Howard goes on to have a relationship with Bernadette by the end of the series and ends up marrying her.

Rajesh "Raj" Koothrappali

Raj (played by Kunal Nayyar) is an astrophysicist who struggles with selective mutism around women, but as the series goes on the character overcomes these struggles. His romantic misadventures and deep friendship with Howard are major sources of comedy. Rajesh is shown to be working along with Howard and others at Caltech and is known to have a PhD in astroparticle physics. He was born and brought up in a very wealthy family in India.

Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

Bernadette (played by Melissa Rauch) is a microbiologist. Earlier introduced as a recurring character, Bernadette’s chemistry with Howard had prompted her to be one of the main cast members since season 4. Bernadette develops a strong relationship with Amy and Penny as the story goes on and develops quite a friendly, sisterly bond with them.

Amy Farrah Fowler

Amy (played by Mayim Bialik), a neuroscientist, becomes Sheldon’s girlfriend in the show. She is an intellectual match for Sheldon and they end up marrying each other. Amy was initially introduced as a guest character found as a perfect match for Sheldon via a dating site by Howard and Raj, but as her relationship received a huge positive response from the fans, Amy was promoted to be a main cast member from the 4th season.