In the new book, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, which will be released on Tuesday, October 11, by Grand Central Publishing, the cast and producers of the popular sitcom reconnected for more than 120 hours of discussion with Glamour senior editor Jessica Radloff to discuss their lives both on and off-screen. Radloff asked the cast and producers about their favorite moments from the show. Kaley Cuoco (Penny Hofstadter) discusses her much-talked-about pixie cut in 2014 and the unexpected lesson she picked up as a result of the change in this passage that is being made available to readers exclusively.
The major talking point as soon as the eighth season of The Big Bang Theory began airing was Penny’s transformation into a new character. Kaley Cuoco made the decision to cut her hair throughout the course of the summer, transitioning from a fashionable shoulder-length bob to a chin-framing cut, and then finally into a pixie cut. It caused a number of viewers to have strong reactions, including Lindsey Unterberger, who was working as the deputy digital editor for Glamour at the time. She commented in an article that “The same elegant cut I adore on Kaley, I absolutely loathe on Penny.”
Kaley Cuoco, who plays Penny Hofstadter, says, “I simply fucked with my hair and didn’t tell anybody about it.” I cut my hair for an indie movie called Burning Bodhi, and then I went to the wrap party for Big Bang with short hair. Chuck [Lorre], one of the co-creators of the show, gave me a hug and said, “Wow, look at your hair!” In response, I asked him, “Do you like it?” I can’t say for sure whether I was acting defiantly or not. I mean, I did it for the movie, which is why I decided to remove it from the trailer. At that time, we were getting about to start our seventh season, and something really needed to be changed. I was uninterested in and sick of the hair, and the strange thing is that I felt that if I chopped my hair, I would spend less time in the chair getting my hair and makeup done, despite the fact that I adored the team who did my hair and makeup. After that, I cut my hair shorter in an effort to spend less time on my appearance, but that choice backfired since it took me far longer to style my hair after I cut it. I thought to myself, This is the very worst choice! What the heck was I considering?! Due to the fact that I detested coming inside and getting dressed, I was certain that I was wasting all of this time. Because of this, during seasons six and seven, I wore my hair pulled back a lot more often. After that, I chopped it, which resulted in a greater amount of effort for me since it was more difficult to style.
Chuck Lorre, who was also an executive producer and co-creator of the show: We were not given any advanced warning about the haircut! When you look back on it, you realize how shocking it was. I regret that we were not kept in the loop. If she had approached me, I would have explained how Dharma & Greg’s ratings fell when Jenna Elfman did something similar and how it affected the show’s future. In addition, they visited Felicity at the same time. The audience had developed a strong attachment to the character, and this attachment was not limited to the character’s actions, weaknesses, or strengths; rather, it extended to the figure’s appearance. They achieved iconic status, and it would have been unwise to dismiss the audience connection they had earned. And I was there to see it for myself. It makes no difference whether Johnny Galecki shows up to the wrap party with his head shaved or not since the outcome will be the same. We are in this together as a team! However, I like the fact that Kaley saw it for what it really was. We got through it thanks to her high level of self-awareness. That was a very minor obstacle to overcome along the path.
I was trying to excuse it in my head by saying that Penny was about to start a new career as a pharmaceutical salesperson. Kaley Cuoco: Because I was going to be relying on it, there was no other option but for it to be successful. [Laughs.] I remember the writers figuring out what Sheldon was going to say when he saw her hair and literally wouldn’t be able to let it go, which made me giggle at the time. I think he was going to say something along the lines of “never be able to let it go.” It’s amusing to look back and see how it turned out to be such a huge issue. When I was younger, I recall seeing performers on other programs with shorter hair and wondering why they would do such a thing. After that, I went on and completed the task! Whatever you do, there will always be some who disagree with you. We are glad to have you join us!
Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, It is one thing to get a new hairstyle for a play that will run for six months; it is entirely another thing to keep the same hairstyle for more than a decade. You simply reach a point when you say, “I’m going to do it and apologize afterward,” rather than always asking for permission.
And despite the fact that Cuoco had to spend more time in the dressing room doing her makeup and hair before performance nights, she remained enthusiastic about the new haircut.
Kaley Cuoco: I enjoyed myself while using it, and I thought it was very cool. I’m sure that people were complaining about it everywhere, but at the time, I wasn’t paying as much attention to what people were saying on social media. I’m sure that people were complaining about it everywhere. However, I do recall that we had finished filming one episode, and as I was making my way to my dressing room, a producer or executive whispered to me, “I just want you to know, who cares what anybody else says? “Your hair is very beautiful!” And I responded by asking, “Who said what about my hair? When she looked at me, her eyes became very large, and I said, “No, honestly, did someone say anything about my hair?” And she responded by saying, “Oh, no, I don’t think that looks bad at all.” She really put her foot in her mouth, especially considering the fact that clearly everyone was talking about it! I can assure you without a doubt that lady recalls that time in her life very often in her thoughts. The evening did not go well for her at all!
Even though it was shocking to see Penny with a completely new haircut and wardrobe, she did it because she wanted to be taken more seriously, particularly as she began a new career in the field of pharmaceutical sales. And yes, even though it was shocking to see Penny with an entirely new haircut and wardrobe, it did play into her desire to be considered more seriously.
Mary T. Quigley, who is the costume designer as well as a co-producer, says, “When she cropped her hair, I wanted her style to be higher end and more mature, with garments that had a more linear appearance and an edge.” It simply denoted a new path for her to take with her new job, as well as a departure from the image of the Nebraska country girl. Even if it wasn’t that, it had taken on a lot more of Los Angeles appearance. I dressed her in a few different leather coats for her to try on. Penny was aware that she should go to Nordstrom Rack rather than Nordstrom. In addition to that, she wore a number of Theory suits. In point of fact, she purchased the pink suit from Theory, which she wore when the elevator doors opened in the series finale.
Penny’s appearance was really distinct early on, but it evolved quite a bit, which I thought was very cool. Kaley Cuoco: It started to take on a more professional air, and by the time I got to my latter years, I must have worn four hundred shirts from the Equipment line. To this day, I am unable to wear any other shirt from Equipment. I wore patterns of every kind. When I see them, I think to myself, “Oh yeah, that was Penny!” They no longer fit properly on me. [Laughs.] But the thing that really sells us on Penny is the cozy moments, with her lounging about in her sweatpants and T-shirts. And I think that would be wonderful. After reading a scenario, I’d exclaim, “Oooh! A pleasant scene!” On the other hand, I liked it a lot when she stopped working as a server and began acting in a more professional manner.