Kaley Cuoco

Cuoco has been engaged to actor Tom Pelphrey since August 2024. They began dating in 2022 and welcomed their daughter, Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey, on March 30, 2023.

She was married to professional tennis player Ryan Sweeting from 2013 until their divorce was finalized in 2016, and to equestrian Karl Cook from 2018 until their divorce was finalized in 2022. Cuoco's sister, Briana Cuoco, is an actress and singer who competed on The Voice and appeared with her in The Flight Attendant and Harley Quinn.

Cuoco began modeling and appearing in commercials as a child. Her early screen credits included the television film Quicksand: No Escape, the feature film Virtuosity, and guest appearances on Northern Exposure, My So-Called Life, 7th Heaven, and Ellen. She also performed in Los Angeles-area productions of Annie and Fiddler on the Roof.

Her first major television role was Bridget Hennessy on the ABC family sitcom 8 Simple Rules, which ran from 2002 to 2005. She later played Billie Jenkins in the eighth season of Charmed and voiced Brandy Harrington on the Disney Channel animated series Brandy & Mr. Whiskers.

Cuoco was homeschooled while pursuing acting and earned her high school diploma at 16. Before switching to acting full time, she was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player, having taken up the sport at age three.

In 2007, Cuoco joined The Big Bang Theory as Penny, an aspiring actress and Cheesecake Factory employee who lives across the hall from physicists Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter. Played by Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, Sheldon and Leonard became central figures in the series, while Penny became Leonard's love interest.

The sitcom ran for 12 seasons and 279 episodes, with Cuoco appearing as Penny through its finale in 2019. Her performance earned her a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, shared with Eden Sher, as well as nominations from the People's Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and other television award bodies.

Cuoco and Galecki also had a private relationship for roughly two years while working together on the show. After their relationship ended, they remained on good terms.

Cuoco founded the production company Yes, Norman Productions in 2017. The company's first major project was The Flight Attendant, adapted from Chris Bohjalian's novel and developed with Warner Bros. Television.

Cuoco starred as Cassie Bowden and served as an executive producer on the HBO Max comedy-drama, which premiered in 2020 and ran for two seasons. Her performance brought nominations for Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics' Choice, and Hollywood Critics Association awards. The series also received nominations for its ensemble, producing, and comedy categories.

She has also voiced the title character in the animated series Harley Quinn since 2019, serving as an executive producer. Her later television roles include Ava Bartlett in Based on a True Story, and her film credits include Hop, The Wedding Ringer, The Man from Toronto, Meet Cute, and Role Play.

Cuoco received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014. She hosted the Teen Choice Awards in 2011 and the People's Choice Awards in 2012 and 2013.

She is an avid horseback rider and has supported animal adoption. In 2018, she worked with the rescue shelter Paw Works and her stylist on a sock featuring the motto “Adopt. Don't Shop,” with proceeds directed to community animal programs.

A horse-riding accident in September 2010 caused a serious leg injury and led to her missing two episodes of The Big Bang Theory. For several subsequent episodes, the production filmed her while seated or positioned behind furniture to accommodate the injury.