Actors often act like best friends while their shows are on the air, but not all of them continue their friendships after the show is over, but The Big Bang Theory stars Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik have. After The Big Bang Theory finished in 2019, fans were unsure whether the tight-knit cast would continue to be as close as they seemed to be during the show's run. The series followed a group of close friends who happened to be nerdier than average as they matured.

Bialik was introduced late in the series and became a love interest for Parsons' character. The two characters eventually married. One particular question about the Big Bang Theory cast was whether Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons were still close after spending years together with their characters Amy and Sheldon. Mayim confirmed that the two were friends in a Wired video in 2020, but the evidence of her deep relationship with Jim Parsons has been around for a lot longer than that.

Jim Parsons Nominated Mayim Bialik For The Ice Bucket Challenge

They Posted Their Nominations On Social Media

Who could forget the Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral trend that sought to raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease? Celebrities and everyday people alike participated in the challenge, dumping a bucket of ice on themselves or their friends and providing donations to the ALS Association. They recorded themselves for posterity and posted the videos - and their nominations - on social media.

Parsons nominated Bialik before dumping a bucket of ice water on himself and then doing the same to her when she accepted the challenge. The two are both laughing and joking as they complete the challenge and, while Bialik may have hated Parsons at the moment when doused in freezing cold water, it's clear that the pair are on good since she actually allowed him to be the one to provide the ice water after the nomination.

Both Their Less-Than-Romantic First Kiss

They Seemed To Look Back On The Iconic Moment Fondly

A critical moment in Amy and Sheldon's relationship timeline in The Big Bang Theory was their first kiss four seasons after the characters met, which shocked fans after Sheldon's long-held aversion to physical affection. Bialik and Parsons both look back on the moment fondly, though they jokingly argue about the real-world context of the moment.

"[He] had the flu," Bialik said in an interview with The Spec, explaining that he had a fever and was sweating on the day of filming. Parsons doubted how sick he could have been, but did Bialik using Listerine—"hydrogen peroxide", joked Bialik—between takes of the kiss. Parsons assured the interviewer and Bialik that he wouldn't have kissed her if he were really that sick, but Bialik disagreed. All debates aside, however, they seemed to look back on the iconic moment fondly.

Jim Thinks Mayim Is Lovably Annoying

She Called Herself "Very Annoying."

Bialik and Parsons both went on The Ellen Degeneres Show to promote the new show, Call Me Kat. As Bialik explained her surprise at having been thought of for the lead role in the sitcom, she called herself "very annoying." Parsons responded back, "The annoying quality you bring is what America responds to." That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but it's actually very accurate about the characters she's played the last few years. While the characters have had traits the audience finds annoying, those traits also endear the characters to the audience and make them fan favorites.

At Comic-Con 2011, the pair also addressed Mayim's so-called annoying qualities, when Bialik explained that Parsons called her "truly the nerdiest person on our cast." Parsons rebuts that he thinks she is the smartest person on the cast instead. But even accepting her as nerdy, after spending 12 years on a show that celebrates nerddom, that can hardly be called an insult.

They Each Other On Social Media

They Are Proud Of Each Other's Achievements

It's easy to say good things about a cast member when asked in an interview or at a convention, but it's another thing altogether to do it unprompted. This is precisely what Jim Parsons did when he celebrated Mayim Bialik's Critic's Choice Award. He posted an image of the two hugging and shared loving words. Of course, since Parsons has also deleted and started over on social media multiple times, the Instagram post featuring that image is no longer available.

This is far from the only positive interaction they've had on social media, particularly when awards season comes around, but it is one of the sweetest. Parsons is clearly proud of Bialik's achievements in the industry in which they both have worked so hard to achieve their successes, not just in the sitcom world, but beyond it as well.

They Are Playful About Their Characters' Intimacy

Their Friendship Allowed The Awkwardness Between The Characters

"We can't wait to rehearse."

Sheldon and Amy were incredibly awkward when it came to intimacy, but Parsons and Bialik are not. Some of Amy and Sheldon's biggest relationship moments had to do with them negotiating their physical relationship, and it seems there were some negotiations behind the scenes as well. At a Paley Center for Media , the pair joked around about the idea of Amy and Sheldon consummating their relationship, with Jim putting his hand on Mayim's leg, and joking that "We can't wait to rehearse."

Parsons told The Spec that he liked the show letting Sheldon grow, stating, "this relationship (with Amy) was a big part of keeping a 12-year-long character interesting." He has spoken numerous times about how happy he was for Bialik's addition to the show, and Bialik feels the same. Their friendship allowed the awkwardness between the characters to provide chemistry as well.

They Say They Love Each Other

Parsons Is Frequently Emotional When Speaking About His Co-Star

Sheldon Cooper was one of Jim Parsons's best roles, but that doesn't mean he's anything like the character. While Sheldon is someone played with carefully controlled emotions, Parsons is frequently emotional when speaking about his co-star, including saying that he loves her.

Bialik does the same, telling Yahoo, "The first time I read those lines [her character's wedding vows], I got emotional for real. Because it is my job to embody this character and to feel what she feels. She is me and I am her, I suppose. I love Jim Parsons as my co-worker and friend. Although it's sometimes hard to keep a straight face saying such lovey-dovey things, there's no one I would rather say them to than Jim." The love the two friends have for one another clearly makes working together easy.

Bialik Studied Him For Her Big Bang Theory Role

She Also Followed Him In Real Life

When Mayim Bialik began her tenure on The Big Bang Theory, she was supposed to be playing a 'female Sheldon Cooper.' That was the character description for Amy. In order to do this, she studied Jim Parsons's character, but she also followed him in real life. That allowed her to understand his approach to the character and his speech patterns.

According to an interview with Bialik by Entertainment Weekly, "Big Bang Theory was a finely oiled machine when I got there, which was fantastic because there was less pressure on me. They all already knew what they were doing. Essentially, I imitated Jim Parsons for the first couple of years, and that seemed to work."

That's often the opposite reaction as what most actors have coming into an established show and cast. They can be intimidated by the already-established dynamic, but Bialik clearly found a comfort level with Parsons and the rest of the cast that helped her ease into the role.

Parsons is Bialik's Man Crush Monday

She Uses Social Media To Honor Her Fellow Actor

Many things made Amy and Sheldon's relationship relatable to fans, but a large part of it was the comfort that Bialik and Parsons had in showing each other affection on and off set. As one particularly notable example, Bialik took to social media to make Sheldon Cooper (and Jim Parsons, by extension) her Man Crush Monday. Themed days used to be much more prevalent when social media was in its infancy, and "Man Crush Monday" was a great way for Bialik to share her iration for her friend and costar.

She uses social media to honor her fellow actor and his character in a way that feels very true to a strong friendship. The love between the two actors is obvious in how they interact with each other and how they represent each other to the world.

Bialik Attended Jim Parsons's Wedding

Jim Parsons Married In 2017

When working in an industry with as many prying eyes as Hollywood's movie and television production, actors tend to either go really big for weddings and embrace the fact that the press wants a photo, or they go really small and try to keep their ceremony private. When Jim Parsons got married, it was closer to the latter.

Jim Parsons married his boyfriend of many years in 2017, and Mayim Bialik attended and posted about the event on Instagram, wanting to celebrate her friend. She was one of few castmates to attend, making it clear that she came as a friend, not just a show-wife. Her post also showed off how close she and Parsons are, saying "Todd and [Jim], you are so loved." Although the couple no doubt have many close friends and family , Bialik is certainly among them.

They Worked Together On Call Me Kat

The Show Highlights Bialik's Comedic Skills

Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik didn't stop working together after their time on The Big Bang Theory came to an end. In addition to appearing in the prequel series Young Sheldon together, they also co-produced another sitcom after appearing together: Call Me Kat, which Bialik also starred in. According to the Toronto Sun, she was originally shocked that Parsons would want her for the role, explaining that she assumed he had brought the idea to her for her opinion on whether it was funny, not for her to act in.

But Parsons clearly saw the best in her and wanted to continue working closely with her after the end of their time on The Big Bang Theory. The show highlights Bialik's comedic skills and is a chance for Parsons to show the world everything he sees in his former co-star and forever friend.

Other Friendships Among The Big Bang Theory Cast

Miyam Bialik and Jim Parsons have remained friends for years after the final episode of The Big Bang Theory. However, they're not the only of The Big Bang Theory cast who remain incredibly close despite the sitcom ending. For example, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco have a well-documented friendship and, in many ways, are just as close as Parson and Bialik. The friendship between Simon Helberg, who plays Howard, and Kunal Nayyar (Raj) is also reportedly close in a way that mimics their characters. During filming they'd regularly crop up on one-another's Instagram feeds.

The cast of The Big Bang Theory have remained close over the years, and still get asked in interviews about keeping in touch with one-another as recently as 2024. For example, both Melissa Rauch (Bernadette in TBBT) and Kunal Nayyar appeared in Night Court in February 2024. The pair were interviewed by ET Online, and both confirmed that the core cast of The Big Bang Theory are just as close now as when the show was on the air.

"I think, yeah, I think we'll always be a part of each other’s lives. We're just always in each other's hearts and it's just family forever." Rauch explained, when asked about how the cast of TBBT have managed to maintain such a tight bond. Nayyar was quick to add "One hundred percent. Yeah, it's even deeper than family, to be honest. It's difficult to explain but yeah, of course, we're always -- we're all in each other’s lives."

Outside of Rauch and Nayyar's 2024 interview, the rest of the cast have often spoken of their fondness for one-another when the subject has come up in interviews. However, it also does seem that Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons are especially close, even compared to the rest of The Big Bang Theory cast.