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Big Bang Theoryran on CBS for 12 reasons . The situation comedy pore around the lives of five persona , Sheldon , Leonard , Raj , Howard , and Penny , with two additional main character added in the later seasons , Bernadette and Amy , along with several other support eccentric and invitee appearance .
Despite the intricate geek - speak on the show , since the admirer were all skill nerd work in physics , applied science , neuroscience , and other interchangeable orbit at Caltech University , fan loved the show , making it one of the most popular on television .
One elision was Penny , who was a waitress and aspiring actress turn pharmaceutic sales representative who was n’t into Star Trek , Star Wars , and scientific discipline like the others . But she was central to the story nonetheless . Yet strangely , Penny never had a last name . Why was that ?
Many theories have floated around the cyberspace , especially since , even in the final episode , her surname was never revealed . Here ’s a look at 5 of the most unconscionable theories , and 5 Sojourner Truth about why we never found out .
Penny Was A Spy: Theory
One of the most freaky theories suggest that Penny was really a spy , sent to keep an oculus on Sheldon and Leonard . It could make mother wit , given that they were both working on pretty important inquiry that might interest the politics . Indeed , at one head , they did find themselves recruited by the authorities for a project .
Some theorists even go so far as to say that this is whyPenny steals their Internet . It is n’t because she ca n’t afford her own , but because it makes it easier for her to spy on them . This is just way too far - fetched for a sitcom , though .
It Wasn’t Intentional: Truth
The show had aired a number of episodes already , during which time we learn of the surnames of all other major fictitious character , include Sheldon ( Cooper ) , Leonard ( Hofstadter ) , Raj ( Koothrappali ) , and Howard ( Wolowitz ) . Yet we had no idea what Penny ’s last name was . In fact , on the IMDb page for the series , it simply shows “ cent ” as though she was a minor character , even though she ’s list third on the charge .
Even Bernadette ( Rostenkowski ) and Amy ( Farrah Fowler ) , who joined the cast afterwards in the series , have surnames , as do support characters like Stuart ( Bloom ) and Bert ( Kibbler ) . But the the true is that it was n’t designed to allow for out a surname for Penny . It just sort of happened .
Penny Was a Stage Name: Theory
Penny did move to California with hopes of becoming an actress . So one hypothesis intimate that not only do we not hump her surname , but Penny was n’t even her real first name . Rather , it was a phase name she borrow so as to get more acting jobs .
It would stand to grounds , then , that if Penny was n’t even her birth name , why would we even need to bed her last name ? If anything , we ’d want to know her veridical given name . Of course , there ’s no truth to this flaky theory .
Producers Got Superstitious: Truth
After the show had been draw for a while , producer see they had never mentioned Penny ’s last name . It was n’t intentional , it just was never discussed and never terminate up being pen anywhere into the script . And after that , they became superstitious about revealing it .
“ We got anxious and superstitious and give her [ a last name ] , ” confirmed executive manufacturer Steve Molaro at the Wondercon panel this past March . It really is as childlike as that , though slenderly troubling that there was reason to bring out the cognomen of the other characters . It could also be that they worked in a formal educational system were many colleagues advert to them as Mr. Cooper or Mr. Wolowitz , whereas Penny , in the beginning , was a waitress who was only ever referred to by others using her first name .
It’s Johnson: Theory
Some fans in on-line forums blaspheme that her last name was Johnson because it was revealed at one spot thatshe married Zack Johnson in Las Vegas , not consider that it was existent . If this was the case , then legally , her name would be Johnson , veracious ?
Well , not really . Even if she did tie him , unless she actually filled out prescribed name alteration documents , her last name would have remained the same . That said , others note that Johnson is the most usual surname in Nebraska , where she ’s from . So it ’s entirely potential that Johnson was her last name anyway , before she even conjoin Zack . But probably not .
It’s Hofstadter: Truth
OK , so we technically do n’t know if Penny ever had her surname legally change to Hofstadter after splice Leonard , which is n’t a necessity . These are the types of mundane details that are n’t necessary to show in a situation comedy . Though it would have present a swell opportunity to bring out her maiden name .
however , at the Wondercon venire in March , executive manufacturer Steve Molaro confirmed that Penny ’s last name “ will always be Hofstadter . ” Some have criticized this whimsy , saying it implies that Penny did n’t have an identity until marrying Leonard . But the truth is that she was Penny , and that ’s her individuality . She does n’t postulate a last name to sustain it .
It’s Longbottom: Theory
In addition to supposition about Johnston , some others account believe that the name was Longbottom . Yet there ’s no denotation to prove this and it seems to be nothing more than cyberspace lore .
The hypothesis is that this name was bespeak on episode transcript , which someone , somehow got wind of and “ leak out ” the details . But again , this has n’t been substantiated , so really , it could have been anything written on those former transcripts . Only a select few people actually know the verity .
Kaley Cuoco Doesn’t Want to Reveal It: Truth
Kaley Cuoco , the histrion who play Penny for all 12 seasons , say she does n’t really want to ever discover what Penny ’s last name was . “ It ’s kind of a personal matter , ” she told CBS News in 2017 . “ It feels like a jinx . We have n’t say it for so long . I experience like if we say it , the earthly concern would explode . ”
This implies that Cuoco knows what Penny ’s last name is supposed to be , presumptively having see it in the original script . Either way , it sounds like fans will never recover out .
She Doesn’t Have A Last Name: Theory
Like Cher or Madonna , some advise that Penny simply does n’t have a last name . Of naturally both Cher and Madonna , and every other one - discover creative person , really have surnames . So this is one of the sillier of the many theories .
And in actuality , this “ hypothesis ” was first presented by Kaley Cuoco herself , meant to be in jape . This was her response one time when asked about the mysterious missing name . The truth is that Penny did have a last name , as anyone would .
Kaley Cuoco Was More Concerned About the Elevator: Truth
While Kaley Cuoco , who plays cent , seemed hunky-dory with the character ’s surname never being revealed , as she note in interviews prior to the net sequence airing , there was one thing she did desire to get resolved before the series came to a conclusion : that shucks elevator that was always out of service in the construction .
She dumbfound her indirect request , asin the last episode , the lift was finally set , much to the shock and awe of Sheldon , who rode in it with cent for what seemed like the first time . The running joke throughout the series is that the lift was always out of service , go forth the gang to footslog up several flights of stair to their apartment . The clip they spend walking , however , was when many authoritative conversation took lieu .
