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The Big Bang Theory Character Biographies
Be forewarned, this article contains spoilers.
The main characters:
Dr. Sheldon Cooper
Sheldon Cooper was born in East Texas. A child prodigy, he went off to college at the age of eleven. After three years at the university he started his graduate studies, and earned his first Ph.D at the age of sixteen. He later added another Ph. D on top of his previous Ph. D and Master's degrees. He claims his IQ is too great to be accurately measured, but it has been mentioned that it is probably around 187.
Sheldon is a strict creature of habit, relying entirely on things remaining the same. He has a spot on his couch, and refuses to sit anywhere else. He always eat the same food for each weekday, he moves his bowels at 8:00 am every morning, he has a set of pajamas for each day of the week, he always does his laundry on Saturday nights, he always visits the comic book store on Wednesdays, and Friday night is always vintage game night.
Initially he struggles greatly with irony and sarcasm, along with humor in general, but slowly begins to learn as the show progresses. Many agree that Sheldon suffers from high functioning autism or, more specifically, Asperger's Syndrome.
Sheldon appears to be entirely asexual, and displays no interest what so ever in physical contact or intimacy. He does appear to be able to distinguish between various levels attractiveness, likely based on his knowledge of anthropology rather than any genuine sense of attraction.
Sheldon was initially intended to be the side character to the primary protagonist Leonard, but the fans immediately fell in love with Sheldon and he quickly became the show's focal point, with Leonard, Penny and the rest serving as his aids in coping with relationships and social situations.
He is not prone to emotional talk, but has admitted that Leonard is his best friend, and that he also treasures his other comrades Penny, Howard and Rajesh. During season 4, Sheldon began an odd relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler who, he claims, is his "friend, and a girl, but not his girlfriend".
Dr. Leonard Hofstadter
Leonard is Sheldon's roommate. A highly intelligent experimental physicist, he's often looked down upon by Sheldon for not being a theoretical physicist. Leonard has learned to live with Sheldon's many eccentricities, and they have developed a strong bond with each other.
Leonard received his Ph. D at the age of twenty-four, and now works at the same university as Sheldon, Rajesh and Howard. His work often receives comical derision for being derivative, something he has been mocked for his entire life due to a distant mother.
Leonard's mother displays many of the same traits as Sheldon, and it is possible that this is a reason for Leonard's ability to tolerate Sheldon.
The writers immediately hinted to a possible romance between Leonard and Penny, and their feelings for each other has been a major source of comedy for the show, much like the Ross & Rachel situation from the sitcom Friends.
Leonard is considered the "straight man" of the show, and helps guide the viewer into the eccentric world of geniuses.
Howard Wolowitz
Howard is the only member of the group who does not possess a Ph. D, something he often receives derision for. He is Jewish and lives with his overbearing mother, who appears entirely oblivious to her son's career and still talks to him as if he was a child.
He works as an aerospace engineer, and rides a scooter (the second biggest Vespa they make, according to himself). Howard fancies himself a ladies' man, and flirts with every woman he meets. As he's not very good at it, it tends to make the women around him feel quite uncomfortable.
Howard is an eccentric dresser, known for his colorful outfits and comic book-related belt buckles. During the show he dates Bernadette, with whom he bonded over their hatred towards their overbearing mothers.
He is also revealed to be multilingual and very adept at building things.
Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali
Rajesh, or "Raj" as he is called by his friends and colleagues, was born in New Delhi, in India. He works as an astrophysicist at CalTech, along with Sheldon, Leonard and Howard. He often refers to his early life as a poor boy growing up in India, to which his friends always reply "Your father is a gynecologist. He drives a Bentley".
Raj's most pronounced trait is his inability to speak to women unless he's drinking alcohol. This means that he can only talk to Penny when he's drunk. It appears that the placebo effect is sufficient, as he's shown talking to Summer Glau on a train while drinking what he believes to be beer. When it is revealed that it is non-alcoholic beer, he immediately returns to his quiet self.
A source of comedy in the show is Raj's close friendship with Howard, which is referred to by Beverly Hofstadter, Leonard's mother, as an "ersatz homosexual marriage".
Rajesh dislikes most things about India, and cannot stomach Indian food.
Penny
Penny is an attractive blonde who lives across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon, and she is the force that drives them to experience things outside their protective bubble.
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, she now works as a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory while she waits for her acting career to take off.
She has a close relationship with Leonard, and has often shown a great deal of warmth towards Sheldon, often in the form of mother-son interaction.
Side characters:
Bernadette
Bernadette is a graduate student, specialized in microbiology. To put herself through school, she works with Penny at The Cheesecake Family. She often has a hard time understanding jokes, and appears to be a very literal person. She bonds with Howard over their problems with their overbearing mothers.
Amy Farrah Fowler
In the last episode of season three, Raj and Howard decide to secretly pair Sheldon with a woman through a dating site. When, shockingly enough, it finds a suitable match, they finally manage to blackmail Sheldon into meeting her.
It is revealed that Amy Farrah Fowler is almost exactly like Sheldon, but with a slightly larger desire to be "normal". Amy Farrah Fowler is, as Sheldon puts it, a girl and his friend, but not his girlfriend.
Stuart
Stuart owns the comic book store frequented by the main cast. He's lonely and seemingly hopeless with women, but he does manage to charm Penny into going on a date with him.
Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton, played by himself, is depicted as the evil arch-nemesis of Sheldon. Sheldon has hated Wil Wheaton ever since he failed to appear at a comic convention. Wil Wheaton played Ensign Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, hence his connection to this show.
Dr. Beverly Hofstadter
Leonard's mother, who shows similar traits to Sheldon. Interested only in science, she was anything but a warm, loving mother. She does, however, bond with Penny over a few shots at a local bar, and reveals a richer emotional spectrum.
Mary Cooper
Sheldon's mother, a devout Christian from Texas. She is revealed to be quite wise, although not an intellectual. She appears to be a warm, loving mother. Ironically, Mary Cooper is the mother Leonard would have wanted, whereas Dr. Beverly Hofstadter is the mother Sheldon would have wanted.
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