"It’s something that I love so much and I’ve looked at it for 12 years," Kaley Cuoco said
When The Big Bang Theory concludes this spring, Kaley Cuoco will be taking home a very “special” piece of the show.
Speaking with reporters on set of the long-running CBS sitcom on Thursday for the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Cuoco, who stars as Penny on the series, revealed the on-set item that will soon have a place in her living room.
“It’s something that I love so much and I’ve looked at it for 12 years,” Cuoco, 33, said of the photo of two robots in a wrestling ring, which has been hanging on a door in Leonard (Johnny Galecki ) and Sheldon’s (Jim Parsons ) apartment since day one of filming.
“It’s always in my eyeline from where I sit in the living room set, so I’m glad I’m going to put it in my own living room so I’ll see it forever,” she explained.
As the countdown to the series’ finale is now on, the entire cast is eyeing memorabilia that they’d like to save for themselves.
“A lot of people want a lot of things, so I’ve already marked that one,” said Cuoco. “It looks super random and weird, but it’s overly special to me.”
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This past August, Warner Bros. Television and CBS announced that the beloved comedy will end its run in May 2019, making it the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history.
The show — which debuted in 2007, airs in syndication around the world, and has received more than 50 Emmy nominations and 10 wins to date — will conclude at the end of season 12 with 279 episodes.
But if Cuoco could decide, the series would have continued for years to come.
“I would’ve done 20 more seasons. It’s a magical place but life has to go on. It does feel good to go out on top,” she said.
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Reflecting on the past 12 years that she’s starred on the show, Cuoco has countless happy memories.
“As corny as it sounds, it’s a perfect science experiment. It all came together and it doesn’t always happen. There’s no missing link. No one has ever half-assed one moment of this show. Everyone cares so much. It means just as much to me as it does to anyone else working here,” she said. “These characters are special. They were the underdogs in the beginning, which now, I think, they’ve totally come out on top. I still think we made nerdy cool 12 years ago when it wasn’t.”
She continued, “I think a lot of people thought this was going to be a really silly show with two nerds living next to the hot girl and we have completely changed that and have outgrown that and have become real amazing characters that have left a mark on so many people’s hearts.”
On Thursday, the series was celebrated with a stage dedication; now, Stage 25 on the WB lot will forever be known as The Big Bang Theory Stage.
“As a kid, auditioning here at Warner Bros., I would pass the ‘Friends Stage’ and would always think, Wow, how do you get that? so to have our plaque, our stage, it’s really heartwarming,” Cuoco said of being presented with The Big Bang Theory Stage plaque alongside her costars. “It’s really special.”
Not only has the show shaped her professionally, but it’s also had a profound impact on her personal life.
“I was 20 when I started. Everything that I do from here on out will be owed to Big Bang and will be owed to [creator] Chuck Lorre,” she said. “I think we all probably feel that way.”
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays (8 p.m. ET) on CBS.