Kaley Cuoco has said that she felt she had to ‘prove’ she could take on the lead role in her TV series The Flight Attendant after being typecast as a comedy actress.
Talking in a new candid interview, the actress, 35, who is best known for her role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory, admitted that she knew she would be ‘judged’ for whatever project she took next following the show’s end in 2019.
Kaley serves as an executive producer on The Flight Attendant, where she plays show lead Cassandra Bowden, and it is created by her production company, Yes, Norman.
Prove: Kaley Cuoco has said that she felt she had to ‘prove’ she could take on the lead role in her TV series The Flight Attendant after being typecast as a comedy actress (pictured in The Flight Attendant)
The actress admitted that due to her role in The Big Bang Theory, she knew she would be ‘judged’ at auditions and that she would never have been cast as the dramatic lead in her TV series if she had not created it herself.
Talking to The i, Kaley said: ‘Coming off such a successful show, I knew people were going to judge whatever I did next – not look down on, but question. It was a huge risk.
‘I believe in my heart that no one would have cast me in this part even if I’d given the audition of my life. I felt like I had to prove I could do something else.’
However, despite her initial fears of being ‘judged’ Kaley, who made $1M per episode of The Big Bang Theory, admitted that she has never worried about the misconception of being typecast as the ‘girl next door in a sitcom’.
‘Judged’: Talking in a new candid interview, the actress, 35, who is best known for her role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory, admitted that she knew she would be ‘judged’ for whatever project she took next following the show’s end in 2019 (pictured in 2011 show still)
She continued: ‘I used to laugh because I was like, “If I’m typecast as the girl next door in a sitcom for the rest of my life, that’s the best thing that could ever happen to me”.’
Kaley has received critical-acclaim for The Flight Attendant with the star and the show both being nominated for a gong at the 2021 Golden Globes. It has also been renewed for a second series.
The series follows her flight attendant character Cassandra who wakes up in Bangkok after a night of partying to find the passenger she has spent the night with has been murdered as she flees the scene and goes on the run.
She missed out on the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical award to Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara.
Amazing! Kaley serves as an executive producer on The Flight Attendant, where she plays show lead Cassandra Bowden, and it is created by her production company, Yes, Norman. It was nominated for two Golden Globe awards
Amazing: She missed out on the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical award to Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara, although Kaley insisted that she was ‘thrilled’ and would have voted for Catherine, 67, herself if she was able to
Although Kaley insisted that she was ‘thrilled’ and would have voted for Catherine, 67, herself if she was able to.
During filming for The Flight Attendant, it was halted by the coronavirus pandemic but the show was the first American series to resume production in New York City. It premiered during the HBO Max Thanksgiving slot in November 2020.
Kaley admitted that she had to be the ‘example of faith’ for the show but added that it was ‘sad’ as she had to form her own bubble in case she tested positive and halted filming again.
‘Typecast’: However, despite her initial fears of being ‘judged’ Kaley, who made $1M per episode of The Big Bang Theory, admitted that she has never worried about the misconception of being typecast as the ‘girl next door in a sitcom’ (pictured in 2009 show still)
Elsewhere during the chat, the actress admitted that she can never ‘compare anything to Big Bang’ as it was such a ‘special situation’.
Kaley added that she would like to do a reunion in the future but the show needs a ‘little bit of a break’ at the moment.
The actress starred as Penny in The Big Bang Theory and was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, making 1M per episode. The show ended in 2019 after Sheldon star Jim Parsons decided not to continue.
Following the show’s end, Kaley found a passion project in The Flight Attendant – the series she executive produced for HBO Max based on Chris Bohjalian’s book – gaining the rights to make the show in 2017.
Plot: The series follows her flight attendant character Cassandra who wakes up in Bangkok after a night of partying to find the passenger she has spent the night with has been murdered as she flees the scene and goes on the run
Reading only one sentence of the book’s Amazon description which read, ‘something like “fun-loving, drunk flight attendant wakes up next to dead body in a strange hotel,”‘ Kaley previously shared that she ‘got a chill’.
She told Warner Bros chairman Peter Roth, ‘I think this is my next show,’ and after also delving into the book text he decided to develop show with her, alongside Berlanti Productions head Sarah Schechter.
Kaley credited longtime mentor, the late John Ritter (who played her dad on 8 Simple Things) for setting the tone for what she wanted on a set – a ‘whodunit’ thriller that also stars Girls’ Zosia Mamet.
It was recently reported that Kaley will play legendary actress Doris Day in an upcoming limited series with the same team behind her The Flight Attendant.
Legendary: It was recently reported that Kaley, left, will play legendary actress Doris Day, right, in an upcoming limited series with the same team behind her The Flight Attendant