Years after The Big Bang Theory ends, the Pasadena gang members have gone on to do many other things. The CBS nerd-centric sitcom introduced Sheldon’s friend group, and for 12 years, fans closely followed as they navigated their professional and personal lives. Unlike the usual friendship sitcom, however, The Big Bang Theory was unique in a way that it featured several socially-inept characters, which added a layer of difficulty for them to navigate the world. Not only did it differentiate them from the likes of Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and even Seinfeld, but it also made it easier for the public to root for them.
Despite putting too much focus on Sheldon and Amy's Nobel Prize bid in season 12, CBS surprisingly staged a great The Big Bang Theory finale. The newlyweds eventually won the academic accolade, allowing Sheldon to reach his lifelong dream. Meanwhile, Penny and Leonard's pregnancy may have been divisive, but it was still heartwarming to see. Howard and Bernadette got into a good rhythm with their two kids. Finally, while CBS could have given Raj the ending that he deserved, being single allowed him to not be forced into a marriage, giving him time to focus on himself. Beyond The Big Bang Theory, however, they continue to live great lives.
Sheldon Cooper
Played By Jim Parsons
Despite being an ensemble series, The Big Bang Theory's true lead is Sheldon. While this wasn't the case in earlier seasons, it became clear over time as its storytelling slowly shifted towards developing more of his arc. Almost every big episode in the show was about him and his story, and on the rare occasions that he was relegated to a supporting cast, he still stole the spotlight by being the source of comedy or the instigator of events.
This is also the reason why Sheldon is the center of The Big Bang Theory's first spin-off, Young Sheldon, which serves as the character's origins story. Young Sheldon features adult Sheldon narration by Jim Parsons, which allows it to offer updates on how he's doing in the future. Through this, it has been confirmed that he and Amy share a son named Leonard, and a couple of more kids. He also wears his Nobel Prize medal everywhere he goes, and he may be working on his autobiography. Sheldon seems genuinely happy in the future, which is a good thing.
Since the show ended in 2019, Parsons has had a number of high-profile projects. After starring in a revival of the Broadway show The Boys in the Band, Parsons led the play's cast in a movie adaptation in 2020 alongside Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, and Andrew Rannells. He earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in Ryan Murphy's limited series Hollywood and starred in the rom-com Spoiler Alert. Parsons also returns to his most iconic role in Young Sheldon's final season, giving fans one last glimpse of the character.
Penny
Played By Kaley Cuoco
Intriguingly, Young Sheldon's voiceover has yet to mention anything about Penny, although she is one of Sheldon's best friends. Given this, there hasn't been any concrete update about the character in the post-The Big Bang Theory franchise. That being said, since she was pregnant in the nerd-centric sitcom's finale, it's safe to say that she had already given birth to her and Leonard's first child.
Since expecting didn't seem to faze her from continuing her job at Bernadette's company, it's likely that she will continue to work there after delivering her baby. Perhaps, she may have even climbed the corporate ladder, considering how great she is as a medical sales representative.
Kaley Cuoco has also found acclaim outside of her famous role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory. Along with taking on the iconic role as Harley Quinn in the acclaimed animated DC seriesHarley Quinn, Cuoco also received two Emmy nominations for her performance in the comedy series The Flight Attendant. On top of that, Cuoco has also appeared in movies like The Man From Toronto, Meet Cute, and Role Play.
Leonard Hofstadter
Played By Johnny Galecki
Similar to Penny, Young Sheldon has yet to reveal anything about what happens to Leonard after the events of The Big Bang Theory. Considering his wife's pregnancy, however, it's unlikely that he pushed forward with donating specimens for Zack and Marissa's child.
Instead, it's likely that he is focusing on raising his and his wife's kid — something that he had been dreaming of doing since the beginning of the show. Perhaps, Leonard's mom, Beverly, even frequents visiting Pasadena to see more of him and his baby. It's worth noting that after years of animosity, the pair finally patched things up towards the end of The Big Bang Theory's run.
Johnny Galecki has kept a relatively low profile since The Big Bang Theory ended with him being one of the highest-paid actors on television by the end. However, while he never reprised his role as Leonard on Young Sheldon, Galecki did return to another old sitcom he was a part of, appearing occasionally as David in the Roseanne revival, TheConners.
4Amy Farrah Fowler
Played By Mayim Bialik
Besides adult Sheldon, Amy was actually the first person to make a voice cameo in Young Sheldon, which gave the public an idea of how things are going in the future for the star-crossed couple. Sheldon's wife has guested in The Big Bang Theory prequel twice now, and in both instances, she confirmed that their marriage is still going strong.
Granted that there's still consistent bickering, it sounds like they are really happy with their growing family. Sheldon still has some odd tendencies, but Amy is doing a much better job handling him and his idiosyncrasies, which is a huge reason why they work so well as a couple.
3Howard Wolowitz
Played By Simon Helberg
Surprisingly, Sheldon and Howard remain good friends in the post-The Big Bang Theory universe. Aside from Amy, Howard is the only character from the nerd-centric sitcom who has made a guest appearance in the prequel. As it turns out, Sheldon recruited Howard to tell the story of why he hates engineering. Admittedly, Howard's Young Sheldon cameo was disappointing as CBS could have done so much more with it, considering the pair's history. However, the fact that Sheldon was able to recruit Howard revealed that not only are they still great pals, but it also means that they still live in proximity to each other.
Simon Helberg has appeared in a variety of projects since The Big Bang Theory came to an end. He received praise for his role alongside Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard in the drama-musical Annette. He also appeared in a recurring role as FBI Agent Luca Clark in the Rian Johnson crime series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne.
MBTI® Of The Big Bang Theory Characters
The Big Bang Theory characters are definitely strong (and straightforward) personalities - where do they fit with the Myers-Briggs® system?
2Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz
Played By Melissa Rauch
Howard's wife, Bernadette was often overlooked in The Big Bang Theory. Like Amy, she was a late addition to the cast, only becoming a series regular in season 4. However, his existence in the nerd-centric sitcom was actually integral to several key points, including Howard's redemption from a sleazy man to a devoted husband and father.
At the end of The Big Bang Theory, Bernadette was raising two beautiful kids while also thriving in her career. Howard didn't say anything about his wife when he made a guest appearance in Young Sheldon, but it's safe to say that the Wolowitzes are still very happily married.
Melissa Rauch found more sitcom success after the end of The Big Bang Theory, this time stepping into the lead role. Rauch stars in the rebooted sitcom Night Court as Abby Stone, the daughter of the original Night Court's Harry Stone. She also appeared in the Steven Soderbergh movie The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas.
1Rajesh Koothrappali
Played Kunal Nayyar
Out of all the main characters in The Big Bang Theory, Raj's ending was the most disappointing. He was the only one who didn't have a partner, and the fact that he was the most romantic out of them made things so much worse. Kunal Nayyar has tried defending his character's fate, but it doesn't help in terms of the argument that Raj was overlooked and underutilized throughout The Big Bang Theory's run.
Young Sheldon hasn't really said anything about what Raj's life is like in the future, but as he learns to slowly love himself first, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he is finally able to find the love of his life. Perhaps, that person may even be Missy, who has been confirmed to be re-married after separating from her first husband. Given the pair's chemistry the last time they were together in The Big Bang Theory, it will be great to learn that they eventually paired up.
Following his time on The Big Bang Theory, Kunal Nayyar has appeared in a variety of projects. He provides the voice of Guy Diamond in the Trolls movies and starred alongside Adam Sandler in the sci-fi drama Spaceman. Most recently Nayyar appeared in the rom-com How to Date Billy Walsh and also appeared alongside The Big Bang Theory costar Melissa Rauch on an episode of her sitcom Night Court.