The Big Bang Theory lasted 12 seasons and had 279 episodes to its name. The lives of Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, and co. were so entertaining and intricate that it was easy for fans to be attached to them. As an ensemble, it’s hard to dictate who the main character of TBBT was, and it’s even harder to assume who had the most screen time. 

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With Leonard being the nucleus of the group, he could have easily had the most screen time. But then there’s Sheldon, whose eccentricities make TBBT what it's known for. From the number of hours to the number of episodes, the screen time for these characters varies per season.

Disclaimer: There's not strong enough evidence to support exactly how much screen time the characters of The Big Bang Theory had.

Emily Sweeney: "32 Minutes"

The episode where Raj breaks up with Emily on TBBT

Emily and Raj began dating in season 7 and parted ways two seasons later, which wasn't an unpopular decision. They were a good couple while they lasted but ultimately Raj and Emily were too different to work romantically. Because of her exit after season 9 and quick appearance in season 10, Emily was in 17 episodes and had around 32 minutes of screen time in total.

Barry Kripke: "3 Hours, 2 Minutes"

Barry Kripke in Sheldon's office in The Big Bang Theory

Barry Kripke is the gift that keeps on giving. His friendly banter with the gang at Caltech makes him a fan-favorite. More importantly, he appears to be almost as smart as Sheldon. Sheldon was blown away by Kripke's work and felt intimidated working with him.

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Sadly, Barry didn't have as much screen time as his fans would have preferred but he sure did make his presence known when he was on.

Stuart Bloom: "12 Hours, 55 Minutes"

Stuart almost gets kicked out of the apartment in The Big Bang Theory

Stuart Bloom didn't make himself known until season 2 when Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj started visiting the comic book store more often. Slowly but surely, Stuart became a member of the group and started hanging out with them outside of work. He even moved in with Howard and Howard's mother, giving him even more screen time. Combined with his guest appearances and storylines over the years, Stuart has been on screen for almost 13 hours.

Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz: "32 Hours, 20 Minutes"

Bernadette smirking on The Big Bang Theory

Similar to Amy Farrah Fowler, Bernadette came into the series in season 3 as Penny's friend from the Cheesecake Factory. After introducing Bernadette to Howard, Bernadette became a series regular and ended up with Howard, while also becoming best friends with Penny.

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Viewers got to see some of the ins and outs of Bernadette's job, but they were more familiar with her relationship with Howard and friendship with Penny. Those moments with her husband and best gave her over 30 hours of screen time.

Amy Farrah Fowler: "42 Hours, 9 Minutes"

Sheldon rubs Vicks on Amy's chest

Amy Farrah Fowler didn't join the series until season 3, and even then it took her some time before becoming a regular in the series. Sheldon always respected Amy but didn't know he was romantically ready for a relationship with her until she went on a date with Stuart.

Nevertheless, Amy's relationship with Sheldon (and her transformative character arc) gave her some major screen time, as did her time with the girls. Amy, Bernadette, and Penny's girls' nights were some of the best moments in the show and gave Amy the screen time she deserved.

Penny: "53 Hours, 40 Minutes"

Penny and Bernadette talking in the apartment on the Big Bang Theory

What's not to love when it comes to Penny? Sure, she's had her selfish moments and times of insecurity, but she was also one of the more relatable characters in the series. She wasn't as smart as the guys but she taught them a lot of life outside of work.

Due to Penny's role as Sheldon and Leonard's neighbor, Leonard's love interest, and her impact on the group as a whole, Penny is one female with the most screen time.

Raj Koothrappali: "56 Hours, 45 Minutes"

Raj standing with Howard in the comic book store TBBT

Raj Koothrappali was also in every episode of the series. His good heart and openness to do anything once are impressive. Fans have seen him do anything (and everything) Howard needed him for, he had a date in a graveyard when he was in a relationship with Emily, and he's not afraid to bend the rules at work. However, it's his time with his friends that fans adore most. With over "two days" worth of screen time, fans always have their fill of Raj.

Howard Wolowitz: "57 Hours, 41 Minutes"

Howard dancing in his daughters bedroom - the big bang theory

After being in 279 episodes, fans learned everything they needed to know about the one and only Howard Wolowitz. He's quirky, he's outgoing, and he's one heck of a magician. It's thanks to Howard's job as an engineer and astronaut, and his relationship with Bernadette that Howard has over 57 hours of screen time.

Leonard Hofstadter: "65 Hours, And 42 Minutes"

Leonard gives an interview on NPR in The Big Bang Theory

Leonard is another character who has been in every episode in the series — including the unaired pilot. In fact, Johnny Galecki (Leonard) was one of the first actors hired for the sitcom and was always supposed to be Leonard. Because of his friendship with Leonard and his roller coaster of a relationship with Penny, Leonard had a ton of screen time - estimated around 2 days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes worth.

Sheldon Cooper: "76 Hours, 2 Minutes"

Sheldon Cooper holding up a yellow bowling shirt that reads The Wesley Crushers in The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon Cooper has been in every episode of The Big Bang Theory from beginning to end. His moments on-screen were some of the most heartfelt and interesting because of how brilliant yet out-of-touch he was. Fans have seen him excel at work, fall in love with Amy, and become a more caring and concerning friend to Leonard. All the moments equaled days worth of screen time. According to Screen Time Data, Sheldon had "three days, four hours, and two minutes" worth of screen time.

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