Kaley Cuoco

**Kaley Christine Cuoco** (Prounced /ˈkwoʊkoʊ/ KWOH-koh; Italian: [ˈkwɔːko];born November 30, 1985) is an American television actress, best known for her roles as Bridget Hennessy on the sitcom *8 Simple Rules*,  Billie Jenkins on the supernatural drama series *Charmed*, and Penny on the CBS sitcom *The Big Bang Theory*. .

## Biography

### Early life

Cuoco was born in Camarillo, California, to Gary Carmine Cuoco, an Oxnard, California, realtor, and Layne Ann Wingate, a homemaker. She has a younger sister, Briana. Kaley was schooled on the set and earned her high school diploma at the age of 16. She had many pets, including a Jack Russell Terrier named Raquel.

### Career

Cuoco began modeling and acting at age 6. Her first major role was in the 1992 TV movie *Quicksand: No Escape*. Her role as Maureen McCormick in the 2000 TV movie *Growing Up Brady* brought her much attention, as well as a role on the CBS sitcom *Ladies Man*. In 2004, in addition to her role on *8 Simple Rules* where she played a teenager, she has had starring roles on the NBC miniseries *10.5*, on the ABC Family original movie *Crimes of Fashion*, and in the independent film *Debating Robert Lee*. In 2000 she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie *Alley Cats Strike*.

Cuoco was named #78 on *FHM-Us'* 100 Sexiest Women in 2005. She began voicing the character of Brandy Harrington on the Disney Channel's cartoon, *Brandy and Mr. Whiskers*, later in 2004. Recently, Kaley has lent her voice for Elena Potato, a main character on the Kids' WB, Disney Channel Asia show, *Monster Allergy*.

Cuoco played Bridget Hennessy on the sitcom *8 Simple Rules*. Bridget was portrayed as the eldest child, despite being six years younger then her on-screen sister (Amy Davidson), and was portrayed as "the most beautiful girl in the school." She had several boyfriends and could convince any boy to do anything.

In the eighth season of the hit cult TV show *Charmed* Cuoco appeared as Billie Jenkins. Executive producer Brad Kern stated that Kaley's character was initially brought in as a possible spin-off. In 2004, Cuoco co-starred in the movie *The Hollow* with stars Nick Carter and Kevin Zegers.

In fall 2007, Cuoco began a starring role in the CBS-TV sitcom *The Big Bang Theory*. She plays Penny, a beautiful and down-to-earth Cheesecake Factory employee who moves in next door to two "nerds," Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). In the show, she moved to California from the Midwest to pursue a career in acting.

Cuoco also starred in the Lifetime film *To Be Fat Like Me* which premiered on January 8, 2007. She also played a minor role in the *Prison Break* episodes "The Message" and "Chicago."

### Personal life

Cuoco currently lives in San Fernando Valley, California, with her German Shepherd named Duke and her Chihuahua-Dachshund mix named Petey. She enjoys horseback riding, kickboxing, bowling, and playing the drums. One of her favorite hobbies is table-tennis. On *Ellen*, she presented Ellen with a table-tennis paddle signed by *The Big Bang Theory* cast. She was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player, a hobby she took up when she was three years old, until she switched to acting full time with *8 Simple Rules* in 2002.

Kaley began dating equestrian Karl Cook, son of billionaire Scott Cook, in late 2016. They became engaged on November 30, 2017, Cuoco's 32nd birthday, and were married on June 30, 2018.

In the May 2014 issue of *Cosmopolitan*, Cuoco admitted to having gotten breast implants at age 18 in 2004, while still starring on *8 Simple Rules*, labelling it the 'best decision' she ever made.

## References

1. ↑ Kaley Cuoco's Breast Implants Were The 'Best Decision' She Ever Made at *Huffington Post*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Biography for Kaley Cuoco. *Internet Movie Database*. Retrieved on 2008-01-25.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3  Kaley Cuoco profile. *AskMen.com*. Retrieved on May 25, 2020.
4. ↑ Kaley's profile at celebritywonder.com
5. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20287585,00.html
6. ↑ Movies - To Be Fat Like Me. *lifetimetv.com*. Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
7. ↑ Exclusive: Kaley Cuoco Gushes Over 'Perfect' Boyfriend Karl Cook at 'Why Him?' Premiere. Entertainment Tonight (December 18, 2016). Retrieved on March 10, 2017.
8. ↑ Kaley Cuoco Is Engaged to Boyfriend Karl Cook — Watch Her Emotional Reaction to the Proposal. Meredith Corporation (November 30, 2017). Retrieved on November 30, 2017.
9. ↑ Kaley Cuoco Marries Karl Cook. Retrieved on 1 July 2018.
10. ↑ "Kaley Cuoco Admits Boob Job At 18 Was ‘Best Decision’ She Ever Made", Hollywood Life, April 4, 2014. Retrieved on May 25, 2020.

## External Links

* Kaley Cuoco article at *Wikipedia*
* Bodypainting image
* Kaley Cuoco links at FreeOnes
* Kaley Cuoco at Babepedia