The Big Bang Theory Cast Looks Back in New Book at Feeling 'Blindsided' by Jim Parsons' Exit
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Johnny Galecki saw his costars "emotionally crumble" when they learned The Big Bang Theory would be canceled after Jim Parsons decided season 12 would be his last.
Parsons, 49, believed it "was not out of the realm of possibility" for Big Bang to continue without him, according to Jessica Radloff's oral history book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.
However, showrunner Steve Molaro said, "There was never a question about continuing on without him. The show was this ensemble and the thought of doing some strange version without him didn't seem right."
RELATED: 'Big Bang Theory' Co-Creator Says Chuck Lorre Almost Turned Down Jim Parsons for the Role of Sheldon
Jordin Althaus/Warner Bros.
With the future of the show decided, Molaro and Lorre called a meeting to inform the cast. Lorre gave Parsons the floor to share he was exiting the series, then stepped back in to break the news that he "didn't want to see a path forward with anybody leaving the show."
"But there was a lot of crying in the room. Kaley [Cuoco], in particular," Lorre recalled. "It was a blow. And there was no way to soften it by giving them a heads-up. I didn't know any other way to do it."
Cuoco acknowledged, "The shock of, Oh my God, what is next? was scary. I mean, we cried for hours that day. We thought we were going to do another year, so all of the sudden your life kind of flashes before your eyes. I looked at Chuck and said, 'What are we going to do?' I couldn't breathe. It just felt like a death, but also a new horizon for everybody as well."
Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.
Galecki, 47, had a similar reaction to finding out the news, saying, "I was shocked. We were just blindsided that day. And not necessarily shocked by Jim's decision, but that he hadn't had that conversation with his castmates first to prepare us. So yes, it could have been handled better. We're a family; have a conversation. And I don't even disagree with how Jim felt, because in many ways, I felt the same way. I just disagreed with how it was managed."
The Roseanne alum added that he was "kind of losing it" over seeing his friends and colleagues "emotionally crumble upon hearing the news," adding it was "tearing me to shreds watching Kaley break down and see the tears from everyone."
That said, Galecki did agree continuing the show with Parsons was not an option.
"I don't think I could have performed in the way I wanted to, or would want to, if we did continue. I was done myself, I think. I didn't really know how to serve the character or the great writing anymore," he explained. "But none of us — the actors, writers — were comfortable with doing the show without one of us. And we absolutely would not continue on without Jim."
RELATED: Jim Parsons Opens Up About What Led to His Big Bang Theory Exit: 'I Had This Moment of Clarity'
Kunal Nayyar, who played Raj Koothrappali, said he had "a very physical reaction in my body" upon learning of the show's cancellation.
"It's something I've only experienced once before. I felt a giant weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I don't mean this in a positive or a negative way," he shared. "I mean this in an absolute honest way, that something within me was released. At that moment I said goodbye."
Mayim Bialik, a.k.a. Amy Farrah Fowler, said she was inspired by Nayyar's reaction, sharing, "everything happens the way it's supposed to, and everything unfolds the way it's supposed to according to a plan that we can't know. I really tried to be in acceptance of that."
Melissa Rauch, who played Bernadette Rostenkowski Wolowitz, said the meeting was a "vulnerable moment" for Parsons.
"As someone who I love and care about, I saw how difficult it was for him as he was telling us how he felt," she shared. "But Jim was so sweet about it and spoke from the heart, and it was totally understandable that he was ready to move on."
Monty Brinton/CBS
Simon Helberg — who played Howard Wolowitz and was Parsons' closest confidante on set — wasn't entirely surprised Parsons wanted to move from the series or that Big Bang would not continue without him. He says he was more taken aback by the abruptness of the reality that the hit series was effectively over.
"In terms of the actual, I guess what you could call the cancellation of the show, that occurred in [that] meeting, where we were informed by Chuck that the show was done. That's what I found to be the most upsetting," he said. "Jim didn't cancel our show. Jim just finished the run of our show as we all did, contractually, and no one ever asked us to continue doing the show. That is not an exaggeration."
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The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series is available now everywhere books are sold.
