<Tr> <Th> Other relatives </Th> <Td> Wyatt (father - in - law) Susan (mother - in - law) Randall (brother - in - law) </Td> </Tr> <P> Leonard Leakey Hofstadter, Ph. D., is a fictional character in the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, in which he is portrayed by actor Johnny Galecki . Leonard is an experimental physicist, who shares an apartment with colleague and best friend Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). For his portrayal, Galecki was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 2011 . </P> <P> It is possible that Leonard is based on the show's co-creator, Bill Prady, back when he was a computer programmer . Leonard has been described as the straight man of the series . Penny (Kaley Cuoco) is Leonard's next - door neighbor and main love interest, and the teasing of romance between the two of them is a major force driving the series . In "The Gorilla Dissolution", they finally become engaged, marrying in Las Vegas at the beginning of season 9 . </P> <P> Leonard is named after actor / producer Sheldon Leonard, and Nobel Prize in Physics Laureate Robert Hofstadter . Johnny Galecki was originally asked to play the role of Sheldon Cooper, but thought he would be "better suited" for the character of Leonard . Leonard is one of four characters to appear in every episode of the series, along with Sheldon, Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali . </P>

Who does leonard marry in big bang theory