The Big Bang Theory: 10 Hidden Details About Leonard Everyone Missed

Leonard Hofstadter is one of four Big Bang Theory characters to appear in every single episode of the sitcom, along with Sheldon Cooper, Howard Wolowitz, and Raj Koothrappali. Just like Sheldon, Leonard is named after the late legendary TV producer Sheldon Leonard Bershad.

Johnny Galecki—who portrays Leonard—was originally offered the role of Sheldon but he felt that he’d be more comfortable playing the physicist. For his performances, Galecki received an Emmy nomination in 2011. The following are details that viewers missed about Leonard

10 His IQ Score

Even though he got a Ph.D. at the age of 24, Leonard’s IQ is never stated in the sitcom. However, a statement made by Sheldon in the pilot episode makes it easy to determine the exact figure. In that specific episode, Sheldon states that he and Leonard have a combined IQ of 360.

Since Sheldon’s IQ is revealed as 187, it should be assumed that Leonard has an IQ of 173. This makes him more intelligent than Albert Einstein who had an IQ score of 160. At the moment, psychiatrist Dr. Evangelos Katsioulis has the highest tested IQ in the world (198).

9 He Is A Huge Superman Fan

Leonard is the biggest fan of Clark Kent. He has DVD and VHS copies of all Superman movies. He also owns a total of 2600 Superman comics. To make it even better, he has a pair of Superman underwear.

There’s more to his collections. Leonard owns a Superman costume with red high-heeled boots that add about three inches to his height. He donned the costume at a New Year’s Eve party when he and his friends showed up as the Justice League. However, Sheldon claimed that Leonard was boring at parties so he replaced him with his enemy Zack.

8 The Computer Models He Has Owned

Just like Sheldon, Leonard loves his gadgets. One of his most cherished possessions is his computer. His first laptop in the sitcom is a black Dell XPS M1710. This detail is revealed in the Season 3 episode “The Bozeman Reaction.” In the same episode, he gets a new laptop, a Dell Adamo XPS.

In the episode, Sheldon and Leonard buy new laptops, TVs, and gaming consoles. As for Sheldon’s laptop, he upgrades from a red Dell XPS m1710 to a red Alienware M17x.

7 His Height

Johnny Galecki is 5’5 (1.65 m) tall. This means that Leonard is the same height. This fact is confirmed in the Season 6 episode “The Egg Salad Equivalency” where Sheldon makes fun of him by stating that his “short, bespectacled colleague is strutting around like he’s five-foot-six.” This means Leonard is shorter than 5’6.

Sheldon also tells Penny that while Leonard isn’t considered tall in the United States, he’ll be considered average in North Korea. The average male height in North Korea is actually 5’5.

6 His Dating Statistics

Leonard has had the most romantic partners among the male characters in the sitcom. Overall, Penny is the character with the most partners. Through his calculations, Sheldon established that she had been 193 men.

Despite appearing as somewhat shy, Leonard has dated eight women. These include Joyce Kim, Penny, Leslie Winkle, Stephanie Barnett, Priya Koothrappali, Karen Berberick, Geraldine Coco an unnamed French woman who he fell for because she had a Ph.D. in literature. His longest relationship has been with Penny.

5 The Inspiration Behind His Name

Leonard’s surname (Hofstadter) is taken from the legendary physicist Robert Hofstadter, who is renowned for his exemplary work in Nuclear Physics. Robert won the Nobel Prize in Nuclear Physics. Like Robert, Leonard is a physicist. He also has dreams of winning the prestigious Nobel prize one day.

Robert earned his Ph.D. degree at the age of 23 which is about the same age as Leonard. And just like Robert, Leonard has a number of accolades to his name, including the Newcomb Award.

4 He Wanted To Be A Rapper

In the Season 6 episode “The Contractual Obligation Implementation,” a student asks Leonard why he decided to be a physicist. He claims that he was forced to be one by his parents. His interest grew after watching Professor Proton, a scientist known for demonstrating scientific principles using basic objects.

Initially, Leonard wanted to be a rapper like Snoop Dogg, When he tells the students this and tries to speak like a rapper, they laugh. There’s no doubt that science was a better fit for him.

3 His Passwords

Leonard once mentions that his iPad password is his birthday. The password is also four digits long. Since his birthday is May 17 his four-digit password would be 0517.

It appears his iPad is the only different one, compared to those he uses everywhere else. Sheldon once mentions that Leonard uses the password “Kal-el” for every place he needs to log in. Once again, this proves his love for Superman who was named Kal-El when he was born on the planet Krypton.

2 Relationship With Penny

Leonard’s relationship with Penny is the only relationship in the sitcom that isn’t set up by someone or through a dating website. For example, Penny set up Howard and Bernadette while Howard and Raj set up Sheldon and Amy via a dating website.

Leonard’s relationship with Penny is also the only one that develops rather slowly. He develops a crush on her from as early as the pilot episode but doesn’t get to sleep with her until Season 3. He also doesn’t propose to her until Season 5. The two don’t get married until Season 10.

1 He Never Celebrated A Birthday Until He Was 28

In the Season One episode “The Peanut Reaction,” Penny finds out that Leonard has never celebrated a birthday in his entire life hence he decides to throw a party for him. He is turning 28 at the time. This is also the only episode in the entire series where the birthday of a major character is celebrated.

Leonard never celebrated a birthday because his mother Dr. Beverly Hofstadter preferred celebrating major achievements, and born was not considered an achievement. During the party, Penny gives Leonard a birthday kiss. This is the first time she kisses him while not drunk.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1211 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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