Sheldon Cooper is pretty much the main reason why people watch The Big Bang Theory in the first place. This genius might be way too smart for his own good, but that's why people can't get enough of him in the first place. Thankfully, the actor who plays Sheldon, Jim Parsons, seems like he's way more down to earth.
In real life, Parsons is married to his longtime partner, Todd Spiewak. The couple began dating in the early 2000s, and they finally tied the knot in 2017. Parsons had this to say about his marriage: "[it's] an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs out—a regular life, boring love."
Unlike his Big Bang Theory character, Leonard, poor Johnny Galecki just can't seem to find Mrs. Right in his life. While the actor has had several high-profile relationships over the years, they've all ended in a breakup. His latest relationship might have given him a child, but even that couldn't patch things up between the happy parents.
In 2018, Johnny Galecki began dating actress and model Alaina Meyer. While the two never married, it was clearly a serious relationship for both, because they announced the birth of their son, Avery, in 2019. However, things definitely soured between them in 2020, and the announced their split in November of that year.
It's interesting that there are several real-life romantic connections on The Big Bang Theory that can be traced all the way back to the sitcom Roseanne. And one of those involves BBT series mainstay Johnny Galecki, who plays Leonard Hofstadter on the show.
Back in his younger days, Galecki had a role on Roseanne as Darlene's boyfriend for five years. However, this was an off-screen romance too, as Galecki was dating the actor who played Darlene, Sara Gilbert. These days, Gilbert is married to a woman, Linda Perry, but it's clear that the two still keep in touch--as she has appeared on several episodes of The Big Bang Theory herself.
What would The Big Bang Theory be without Penny? And more importantly, what would Leonard do without Penny? This leading lady was there from episode one of the show and is portrayed by actress Kaley Cuoco. Cuoco's character might not have been the most brilliant one on the show, but she had more common sense than the other series regulars.
Kaley Cuoco has had several high-profile relationships in her life since her rise to stardom, including her current husband, famous equestrian Karl Cook. The two were engaged in 2017 and finally tied the knot on June 30, 2018. In addition to his horse-riding skills, Karl Cook is also famous for being the son of billionaire entrepreneur, Scott Cook.
It seems that Kaley Cuoco has had a bit more relationship experience than her Big Bang Theory alter ego, Penny. She appears several times on this list thanks to some of her high profile (and normally short lived) relationships with other famous people.
Another of Cuoco's relationships took place very shortly after she called off an engagement in 2012. Although the fling might have been short-lived, she did date singer Bret Bollinger for a hot minute. Bollinger is most famous as the vocalist for the reggae band Pepper, who have been performing since 1996.
Johnny Galecki's love life proves that history has a way of repeating itself--and that art imitates life! In addition to on screen/off screen romance with Roseanne's Sara Gilbert, Galecki had a (brief) on screen/off screen fling with fellow Big Bang Theory castmate Kaley Cuoco. However, they tried to keep things under wraps.
That's right, for two glorious years the fictional relationship between Leonard and Penny was a real life affair. Cuoco and Galecki had a short relationship at the beginning of the show's run, but the two eventually called things off. However, they seem to have parted amicably because there were no signs of behind the scenes drama on set after the breakup.
Mayim Bialik didn't start out as a series regular at the beginning of The Big Bang Theory's run, but she was eventually promoted to a full-time cast member in season four and became a fan favorite. Her character is Dr. Amy Fowler, and she is Sheldon Cooper's long suffering love interest. It took forever, but the two eventually married before the end of the series.
Currently, Bialik does not seem to be in a public relationship, but she has been married once before. In 2003, she tied the knot with Michael Stone in a Victorian-themed wedding ceremony. During their relationship, the couple had two sons together, Miles and Frederick. Unfortunately, they divorced in 2012.
Raj Koothrappali might not be the biggest ladies' man on The Big Bang Theory, but in real life, actor Kunal Nayyar hit the jackpot when it comes to love. It looks like Raj's selective mutism around women doesn't extend into the real world for Nayyar.
Since 2011, Kunal Nayyar has been married to Neha Kapur. Kapur is most famous for winning the title of Miss India in 2006 and representing the country at the Miss Universe competition that same year. While the two don't have any children together (yet), it seems like this couple is in it for the long haul.
Simon Helberg is one of only a few actors to appear in every single episode of The Big Bang Theory. Playing the nerdy and awkward (who would have guessed?) Howard Wolowitz, Helberg's character has done everything on the show from getting married to travel into space. Talk about a character arc.
In real life, Helberg is married to fellow actor Jocelyn Towne, who is known for small roles in movies and TV like The Gilmore Girls and Havoc. The two have been married since 2007 and have two children together--a daughter, Adeline (born 2012), and a son, Wilder (born 2014).
In the real world, she's Melissa Rauch, but if you're a fan of The Big Bang Theory, you probably know her better as the iconic Bernadette--the sometimes sweet, squeaky voiced PhD candidate that eventually marries Howard. Rauch was so good at bringing this character to life that she even managed to nab a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards.
In real life, Melissa Rauch has been married to screenwriter Winston Beigel since they tied the knot in 2007. Despite a public struggle with a miscarriage during their relationship, the couple are now proud parents of two kids--a daughter, Sadie (born December 2017), and a son, Brooks (born May 2020).
Kevin Sussman didn't start out his run on The Big Bang Theory as a cast regular, but like a few other characters, he was promoted to that level by the end of the show's run. Sussman played comic shop owner Stuart Bloom, whose store the main cast frequented regularly on the series.
Sussman has been married once in his life. He tied the knot with his low profile ex-wife, Alessandra Young in 2006, but the couple divorced in 2018. However, they had been living separately from one another for about five years before they officially separated. For the most part, the couple kept their relationship out of the limelight, so not much is known about what went wrong.
Barry Kripke might not be a main star of The Big Bang Theory, but he had appearances in several seasons of the show and was famous for his iconic rhotacism--swapping his Rs and Ls. Sometimes a friend and sometimes an antagonist to Sheldon Cooper, Kripke was always good for a few laughs.
Kripke's character was portrayed by John Ross Bowie, an actor known for appearances on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Glee. He's been married to fellow actor and comedian Jamie Denbo (Ronna and Beverly, Terriers) since 2004, and the couple have two children together.
Wil Wheaton had a role on The Big Bang Theory quite unlike anyone else's--he was playing a highly fictionalized version of himself. Talk about meta. While the real Wil Wheaton might be a pretty nice guy, that was not the case for his BBT alter ego, who frequently played antagonist to the main characters.
Wil Wheaton has been married to his wife Anne Wheaton (née Prince) since 1999. The couple make one big happy family with the help of Prince's two sons from a previous marriage of hers--one of whom at age 19 asked Wheaton to legally adopt him, which the actor did.
Actress Laura Spencer was not an original cast member of The Big Bang Theory, but she started making regular appearances as Dr. Emily Sweeney in season seven. While her character dated Raj for a while, things ultimately don't work out between them, and Spencer was written out of the show entirely at the end of season ten.
Compared to some of the other cast members, Laura Spencer is a newbie to the world of married life. She just tied the knot with her husband, Michael Jack Greenwald in 2019. The couple are not particularly public about many aspects of their relationship, but the two do seem to make plenty of happy appearances on her social media feeds.
Laurie Metcalf will probably always be most famous for her role as Jackie on the 90s sitcom Roseanne, but she's appeared in a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory as Mary Cooper--Sheldon Cooper's mother. Despite being so different personality wise from his mother, Mary is frequently described in the show as Sheldon's "kryptonite."
Laurie Metcalf has been married twice, most recently to fellow actor Matt Roth. As odd as it sounds, the two met on the set of Roseanne when Roth was playing Jackie's abusive boyfriend, Fisher. While their relationship was nothing like on the show, they unfortunately called it quits and divorced in 2014.
All-around funnywoman Lauren Lapkus is probably most well known for her roles in Orange is the New Black and Jurassic World, but late in the run of The Big Bang Theory, she made several appearances as Denise, the assistant manager of the comic book shop run by character Stuart Bloom.
In her personal life, Lapkus has been married twice. Her first marriage to Chris Alvarado ended after only two years, but she then married fellow actor Mike Castle in 2018, and the two seem to be enjoying their life together. In the spring of 2021, Lapkus announced that she and Castle were expecting their first daughter sometime in the summer.
Actor Sara Rue had a short run in the early seasons of The Big Bang Theory but unfortunately didn't make it past the second season. She appeared as Stephanie Barnett, a surgeon and one of Leonard's former girlfriends. Although the two live together at one point, the character is pretty quickly written out of the show.
When it comes to relationships, things seem to have gone a bit better for Rue in real life. Although she had a first marriage that ended in divorce, she's been married to teacher Kevin Price since 2011, and they still look to be going strong. The couple celebrated the birth of their first child in 2013, and in 2016, they adopted a second one.
Margo Harshman didn't have the biggest role ever on The Big Bang Theory, but she did play Sheldon Cooper's assistant, Alex Jensen, for several episodes in season six. Unfortunately, Harshman's character didn't get a proper send off--she was just written out of the show without another mention of her. We may never know what became of Alex Jensen.
Harshman is currently single after a divorce from her ex-husband, Austen Hooks, but she has dated fellow actors in the past--including her former boyfriend Chris Marquette. Marquette is most famous for his recurring role on Joan of Arcadia, as well as appearances in films like The Girl Next Door and Freddy vs. Jason.
Keith Carradine might not have the most appearances on The Big Bang Theory, but he plays an important role. His character is Wyatt, the father of series star Penny. His time on the show may have been sparse, but the scenes he was in were definitely memorable.
Carradine (who's most famous for roles in Nashville and Deadwood) has been married several times. Most recently, he married actress Hayley DuMond. The two met while filming scenes for Burt Reynolds' film, The Hunter's Moon. Carradine also has several children from his previous marriages.
If you're having a hard time remembering Michael Trucco on The Big Bang Theory, don't worry--so is the rest of the world. The actor only had a role in one episode where he played Dr. David Underhill, one of Penny's love interests. More famously, Trucco is known for the role of Samuel Anders on the Battlestar Galactica remake.
Michael Trucco has been married to Swiss model and actress Sandra Hess since 2009. The two met while both acting on the late '90s drama series Pensacola: Wings of Gold. In addition to her work on that series, Hess is probably best known for playing the role of Sonya Blade in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
