Kaley Cuoco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kaley Cuoco
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Cuoco in 2017
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Kaley Christine Cuoco
November 30, 1985 Camarillo, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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| Partner(s) | Tom Pelphrey (2022–present; engaged) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Briana Cuoco (sister) |
Kaley Christine Cuoco (born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. She is famous for her roles in popular TV shows. You might know her as Bridget Hennessy in 8 Simple Rules (2002–2005). She also played Penny in the hit show The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019). More recently, she starred as the main character in the thriller The Flight Attendant (2020–2022). This role earned her nominations for big awards like the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Cuoco has also appeared as Billie Jenkins in the fantasy series Charmed (2005–2006). She voices the main character in the animated series Harley Quinn since 2019. In 2023, she played the lead in the comedy thriller Based on a True Story. Her movies include Hop (2011), The Wedding Ringer (2015), and Role Play (2024). In 2014, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, she started her own production company called Yes, Norman Productions.
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Early life and interests
Kaley Cuoco was born in Camarillo, California. Her mom, Layne Ann, was a homemaker, and her dad, Gary Carmine Cuoco, was a realtor. Her dad's family is from Italy, and her mom's family has English and German roots. Kaley has a sister named Briana, who is also an actress and singer. Briana was on The Voice and has appeared in shows like The Flight Attendant and Harley Quinn.
When Kaley was young, she was a very good tennis player. She started playing when she was just 3 years old. She played tennis as an amateur (someone who plays for fun, not as a job). But when she was 16, she decided to stop playing tennis to focus on her acting career.
Acting career highlights
Starting out in acting
Cuoco's first movie role was in 1995. She played a young character named Karin Carter in the action movie Virtuosity. From 2000 to 2001, she was in the TV show Ladies Man. In 2000, she played Maureen McCormick in the TV movie Growing Up Brady. She also starred in the Disney Channel movie Alley Cats Strike.
In September 2002, Kaley got a big role as Bridget Hennessy in the TV show 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Even though Bridget was the oldest child in the show, Kaley was actually six years younger than the actress who played her younger sister!
While working on 8 Simple Rules, Cuoco also appeared in other projects. She was in the miniseries 10.5 and the movie Crimes of Fashion. She also voiced Brandy Harrington, a 14-year-old dog, in the Disney Channel cartoon Brandy and Mr. Whiskers. From 2005 to 2006, she played Billie Jenkins in the fantasy series Charmed. Billie was a powerful young witch with special abilities.
The Big Bang Theory and other projects
In September 2007, Kaley Cuoco began her most famous role. She starred as Penny in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Penny was a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory and an aspiring actress. She lived across the hall from two physicists, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter and Dr. Sheldon Cooper.
At first, Kaley and her co-stars earned about $60,000 per episode. But by 2014, they were earning an amazing $1 million per episode! This made them some of the highest-paid actors on TV.
In 2012, Kaley and her sister Briana organized a fun surprise on the set of The Big Bang Theory. They put together a flash mob where the cast and crew danced and lip-synced to the song "Call Me Maybe". A video of this went viral online!
Cuoco also starred in the Lifetime movie To Be Fat like Me in 2007. She had a small role in the TV show Prison Break. She also appeared in movies like Hop and The Last Ride. Kaley was chosen to host the Teen Choice Awards in 2011. She also hosted the People's Choice Awards in 2012 and 2013. You might also recognize her from Priceline.com commercials, where she plays the daughter of William Shatner's character.
Recent work: Harley Quinn and The Flight Attendant
In 2017, Kaley Cuoco started her own TV production company called Yes, Norman Productions. Her first big project through this company was a TV series based on the book The Flight Attendant. Kaley starred in the show as Cassie Bowden and was also an executive producer. The Flight Attendant started in 2020 on HBO Max and was very popular with critics.
In 2018, it was announced that Kaley would voice the famous character Harley Quinn in an animated series. The show, called Harley Quinn, started in 2019 and was also a big hit. Kaley is also an executive producer for this series.
In 2020, Kaley joined the cast of the action comedy movie The Man from Toronto. In 2021, it was announced that she would play the legendary actress Doris Day in a new limited series. Kaley will also be an executive producer for that series.
Personal life
While working on The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco dated her co-star Johnny Galecki for about two years. They remained good friends after their relationship ended.
In 2010, Kaley broke her leg in a horse-riding accident. Because of this, she missed filming two episodes of The Big Bang Theory.
Kaley has been married twice. She married professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting in 2013. They later separated in 2015. She then married equestrian (horse rider) Karl Cook in 2018. They announced their separation in 2021.
In May 2022, Kaley confirmed her relationship with actor Tom Pelphrey. They welcomed their daughter, Matilda, on March 30, 2023. They announced their engagement in August 2024.
In 2023, Kaley Cuoco also started an online pet product business called Oh Norman!
Selected film and television roles
Kaley Cuoco has been in many films and television shows throughout her career. Here are some of her notable roles:
- Films: Virtuosity (1995), Hop (2011), The Wedding Ringer (2015), The Man from Toronto (2022), Meet Cute (2022), Role Play (2024).
- Television: Quicksand: No Escape (1992), 8 Simple Rules (2002–2005), Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (voice, 2004–2006), Charmed (2005–2006), The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), Harley Quinn (voice, 2019–present), The Flight Attendant (2020–2022), Based on a True Story (2023–present).
Awards and recognition
Kaley Cuoco has won and been nominated for many awards for her acting.
- She won a Teen Choice Award for "Choice TV Breakout Star: Female" in 2003 for 8 Simple Rules.
- For The Big Bang Theory, she won a Satellite Award for "Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy" in 2012. She also won People's Choice Awards for "Favorite TV Comedy Actress" in 2014 and 2015.
- In 2021, she won a Critics' Choice Super Award for "Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series" for Harley Quinn.
- For The Flight Attendant, she was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards in 2021 and 2022.
Images for kids
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Cuoco in 2017
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Cuoco at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2009
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Cuoco at PaleyFest in March 2013
See also
In Spanish: Kaley Cuoco para niños
