Kaley Cuoco

Early life

Kaley Christine Cuoco was born on November 30, 1985, in Camarillo, California. She is the elder daughter of Layne Ann (née Wingate), a homemaker, and Gary Carmine Cuoco, a real estate agent. Her father is of Italian descent while her mother is of English and German ancestry. Her sister, Briana, is an actress and singer who competed on the fifth season of The Voice and co-starred with her on the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant and on Harley Quinn as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. As a child, Cuoco was a ranked amateur tennis player, a sport she took up when she was three years old. She stopped playing at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting.

Career

1995–2006: Early work and ''8 Simple Rules''

Cuoco made her first feature film appearance as the young Karin Carter in the 1995 action thriller Virtuosity. In 2000, she portrayed former The Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick in the TV film Growing Up Brady as well as starring in the Disney Channel original film Alley Cats Strike, and then in 2001, she appeared on the CBS sitcom Ladies Man. In September 2002, she began a starring role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (afterwards 8 Simple Rules). Bridget was the oldest child, despite Cuoco being six years younger than Amy Davidson, who played her younger sister.

In addition to the final season of 8 Simple Rules, Cuoco had starring roles on the NBC miniseries 10.5, the ABC Family original film Crimes of Fashion, the independent film Debating Robert Lee, and in the film The Hollow at the same time. She also voiced the character of Brandy Harrington, a 14-year-old anthropomorphic mixed-breed dog, on the Disney Channel animated series Brandy & Mr. Whiskers. She voiced the character of Kirstee Smith in Bratz from 2004 to 2005. In the eighth season of the TV series Charmed, she appeared as Billie Jenkins, a powerful young witch with the powers of telekinesis and projection. Executive producer Brad Kern stated that Cuoco's character was initially brought in as a possible spin-off.

2007–2016: ''The Big Bang Theory'' and other roles

In September 2007, Cuoco began starring in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, playing Penny, a Cheesecake Factory employee and aspiring actress who lives across the hall from physicists Dr. Leonard Hofstadter and Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Prior to the 2010–2011 season, she earned US$60,000 an episode for the series, the same as her co-stars. In 2010, the cast negotiated a raise for each actor to make US$200,000 per episode. As of August 2014, Cuoco and her co-stars from The Big Bang Theory Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons each earned an estimated US$1 million per episode.

In late October 2012, Cuoco enlisted the help of her sister Briana to organize a flash mob on the set of the show, in which she and the cast and crew surprised the studio audience by suddenly lip syncing and dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen's song "Call Me Maybe". A video of the event was posted on YouTube and became a viral success. A clip from the performance was also played during Cuoco's January 8, 2013, appearance on the late-night talk show Conan.

Cuoco starred in the Lifetime film To Be Fat like Me, which premiered on January 8, 2007. She played a minor role in the Prison Break episodes "The Message" and "Chicago", as well as starring in the comedy horror spoof Killer Movie in 2008. She also appeared in the 2010 film The Penthouse. In 2011, she posed nude in Allure magazine's annual "Naked Truth" feature. That same year, she appeared in the films Hop and The Last Ride. She was also chosen to host the Teen Choice Awards in 2011, as well as the People's Choice Awards in 2012 and 2013. She is a regular on Priceline.com commercials as the daughter of William Shatner's character.

2017–present: ''Harley Quinn'' animated series and ''The Flight Attendant''

In October 2017, Cuoco founded Yes, Norman Productions, a television production company which entered an exclusive multi-year first-look production deal with Warner Bros. Television. Her first project through Yes, Norman was an adaptation of the book The Flight Attendant, written by author Chris Bohjalian, which was developed into a comedy-drama series of the same name. Cuoco starred in the series as Cassie Bowden, and also served as executive producer. The Flight Attendant premiered on November 26, 2020, on WarnerMedia's streaming platform HBO Max to widespread critical acclaim, and was renewed for a second season on December 18, 2020.

In October 2018, it was announced that Cuoco would voice the title character of the DC Universe adult animation series Harley Quinn, and also serve as executive producer. The series premiered on November 29, 2019, to critical acclaim. In September 2020, it was announced that the series was renewed for a third season and would move to HBO Max.

In August 2019, it was announced that Cuoco would executive produce the upcoming CBS comedy Pretty, which is written and also executive produced by Lindsey Kraft and Santina Muha. In April 2020, Cuoco joined the cast of the upcoming action comedy film The Man from Toronto as the female lead alongside Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson.

In March 2021, it was announced that Cuoco would play Doris Day in an upcoming limited series based on A. E. Hotchner's 1976 biography, Doris Day: Her Own Story. She will also serve as an executive producer of the series. In May 2021, her production company expanded its Warner Bros. Television overall deal.

In 2023, Cuoco launched an online pet product business called "Oh Norman!".

Personal life

While working on The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco privately dated co-star Johnny Galecki for roughly two years, until December 2009. She later told CBS Watch in September 2010 that they have remained on good terms since ending their relationship.

On September 13, 2010, Cuoco broke her leg in a horse-riding accident and missed the filming of two episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

In October 2011, she became engaged to addiction specialist Josh Resnik, but ended their engagement by March 2012. She became engaged to professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting in September 2013, after three months of dating. They married on December 31, 2013, in Santa Susana, California. On September 25, 2015, it was announced that she and Sweeting had decided to divorce. The divorce was finalized on May 9, 2016.

Cuoco began dating equestrian Karl Cook in late 2016. They became engaged on November 30, 2017, Cuoco's 32nd birthday, and were married on June 30, 2018. In September 2021, the couple announced their separation, stating "we have realized that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions". In June 2022, their divorce was finalized.

Cuoco confirmed her relationship with actor Tom Pelphrey in May 2022. Five months later, she announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child together. Cuoco gave birth to their daughter Matilda on March 30, 2023. They announced their engagement on August 14, 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. "8 Interesting Facts About Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting: Actor Spotlight". [[CBS]].
2. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (July 6, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco In Talks To Star & Produce Studiocanal & Picture Company's High-Concept Thriller 'Role Play'".
3. (October 30, 2014). "Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting gets emotional over Hollywood Walk of Fame star". [[CBS News]].
4. "Kaley Cuoco Biography". Yahoo!.
5. "5 Things You Don't Know About Kaley Cuoco". ET Online.
6. (December 5, 2019). "'The Flight Attendant': Briana Cuoco To Recur In HBO Max Series".
7. "Southern California Tennis Association 1998 Year-End Junior Rankings – Girls'_14_Singles". californiatennis.com.
8. Acuna, Kirsten. (March 2, 2012). "25 Things You Don't Know About Newly Single Kaley Cuoco—CBS' 'Big Bang Theory' Sweetheart". Business Insider.
9. ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]''. [[CBS]]. November 30, 2012.
10. [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/debating_robert_lee/ "Debating Robert Lee (2006)"]. [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
11. "Kaley Cuoco". kaleycuoco.org.
12. Joe Anderton. (June 14, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco says some Big Bang Theory guest stars struggled with their cameos".
13. (August 4, 2014). "Big Bang Theory stars sign new contracts". BBC News.
14. Ratledge, Ingela (December 3, 2012) "Big Bang's Flash Mob Mentality". ''[[TV Guide]]''. p. 6
15. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdLvUkLW5Jk "The Big Bang Theory Flash mob! [Full version compilation]"]. NommiXproductions. [[YouTube]]. November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
16. "The Guy Who Drove a Hummer and Wasn't a Total A-Hole".
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18. Brown, Robyn. (May 2011). "The Naked Truth: 4 Celebrities Go Nude for Allure". [[Allure (magazine).
19. (April 23, 2008). "Kaley Cuoco Signs For "I Hop," "Last Ride" – March 31, 2010". Dark Horizons.
20. "Kaley Cuoco to Host 2011 Teen Choice Awards". [[J-14 (magazine).
21. "Kaley Cuoco to Host 2012 People's Choice Awards". People's Choice.
22. "Kaley Cuoco to host People's Choice Awards".
23. (January 9, 2013). "Kaley Cuoco joins Shatner in Priceline ads". [[USA Today]].
24. (October 27, 2017). "Kaley Cuoco Launches Company, Inks Pod Deal With Warner Bros. TV & Set First Project – Limited Series She Would Star In".
25. Iannucci, Rebecca. (October 19, 2020). "Kaley Cuoco's Flight Attendant Gets HBO Max Launch Date, Perilous Poster".
26. (December 15, 2020). "'The Flight Attendant' EP Steve Yockey To Develop Ted Chiang Short Story For Heyday TV".
27. (December 18, 2020). "'The Flight Attendant' Renewed For Season 2 As More Of HBO Max's Kaley Cuoco Series Cleared For Takeoff".
28. (October 4, 2018). "Kaley Cuoco To Voice Harley Quinn In DC Universe Series; Watch New York Comic Con Preview".
29. (August 3, 2020). "6 Reasons To Stream The Harley Quinn TV Show On HBO Max".
30. (September 18, 2020). "'Harley Quinn' Renewed For Season 3 At HBO Max As DC Universe Transitions Out Of Scripted Originals".
31. (August 1, 2019). "Comedy 'Pretty' Starring Lindsey Kraft & Santina Muha From Kaley Cuoco's Yes, Norman Prods. In Works At CBS".
32. (April 29, 2020). "Kaley Cuoco to Star With Kevin Hart in 'Man From Toronto'".
33. (March 12, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco To Play Doris Day In Warner Bros TV Limited Series".
34. Andreeva, Nellie. (May 20, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco Inks Big New Overall Deal With Warner Bros. TV Group As Her Yes, Norman Prods. Ramps Up".
35. Bender, Kelli. (June 13, 2024). "Kaley Cuoco Wants to Hire a Dog with a 'Keen Sense of Smell and Taste' to Help Run Her Pet Brand (Exclusive)".
36. "Healthy products for pets". Oh Norman!.
37. Morgan, Hudson. (September 2010). "Justify Her Love".
38. Masters, Megan. (October 12, 2010). "Kaley Cuoco Returns to Big Bang Theory After Injury as a-Pregnant Amputee Bartender?!". [[E!]].
39. Weiner, David. (March 2, 2012). "ET Exclusive: Kaley Cuoco No Longer Engaged". [[Entertainment Tonight]].
40. "'Big Bang Theory' star Kaley Cuoco gets married". Associated Press via [[Newsday]].
41. Krauser, Emily. (September 25, 2015). "Kaley Cuoco Divorcing Ryan Sweeting After 21 Months of Marriage". [[Entertainment Tonight]].
42. Ungerman, Alex. (May 9, 2016). "Kaley Cuoco Finalizes Divorce From Ryan Sweeting, Actress to Pay $165,000 in Spousal Support". Entertainment Tonight.
43. (December 18, 2016). "Exclusive: Kaley Cuoco Gushes Over 'Perfect' Boyfriend Karl Cook at 'Why Him?' Premiere". Entertainment Tonight.
44. Mehta, Maitri. (December 2017). "Kaley Cuoco Is Engaged & Her Fiancé Proposed In The Most Dramatic Way".
45. (November 30, 2017). "Kaley Cuoco Is Engaged to Boyfriend Karl Cook — Watch Her Emotional Reaction to the Proposal".
46. (July 1, 2018). "Kaley Cuoco Marries Karl Cook".
47. Melas, Chloe. (September 3, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook announce they are separating".
48. Ash, Janelle. (June 23, 2021). "Kaley Cuoco finalizes her divorce from Karl Cook". Fox News.
49. Patterson, Charmaine. (May 24, 2022). "Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey Make Their First Appearance as a Couple at Walk of Fame Ceremony".
50. (October 11, 2022). "Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey Are Expecting Their First Child Together!".
51. (April 1, 2023). "Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey Welcome First Baby Together, Daughter Matilda: 'Little Miracle'".
52. Strohm, Emily. "Kaley Cuoco Is Engaged to 'Ozark' Alum Tom Pelphrey!".
53. Bueno, Antoinette. (January 26, 2016). "Most Bizarre 'Lip Sync Battle' Ever? Josh Gad Makes Out With Johnny Galecki as Kaley Cuoco Watches".
54. (February 20, 2020). "Kaley Cuoco's Young Sheldon Role Confirmed: The Inside Story Behind That Big Bang Theory Easter Egg".
55. Kilday, Gregg. (December 16, 2012). "'Silver Linings Playbook' Wins Five Satellite Awards, Including Best Picture".
56. Turchiano, Danielle. (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations".