Despite the intricate monologues and Vulcan salutes that will surely come with two more years, the stars, in some ways, can put up their feet a bit. Galecki, for instance, has learned to play Leonard with a little more cool than in the first season.
"I'd watch the show and see moments where I worked some gesture too much or overemphasized my walk. But I realize now that I can just relax into it. It's all muscle memory now."
But muscle memory doesn't make up for a grueling schedule of rehearsal, memorization and rewrites. "We're pretty serious about silly," Galecki says. "We don't really do pranks on set."
Is that mood due to pressure from the famously spirited Chuck Lorre? The reigning maestro of the sitcom, with hits including "Dharma & Greg" and "Grace Under Fire" under his belt, has been known to clash with TV critics and his leading ladies of yore, such as Brett Butler.
"I'd heard those stories about Chuck too," Galecki says. "But it's never been the case for me. He's working too hard for any of that."
Lorre, a one-time guitarist for hire, has "this incredible ear," Galecki says. "He can just hear the beats and inflections of dialogue. I'll step into his office and he'll be playing the guitar between writing bits."
By all accounts, "The Big Bang Theory" is a harmonious set. In addition to group trips to Comic-Con and the like, the actors will sometimes get together or go to see a movie.
But Galecki points out that since they got the two-year thumbs up, they're not hanging out with the same frequency.
"We've been through the honeymoon period," he says. "We'll be riding this wave together for a while."
--
margaret.wappler@latimes.com
