Bio

Kaley Christine Cuoco was born on November 30, 1985, in Camarillo, California. Kaley’s future within the entertainment industry was sealed before she had even hit her first year of life, as she made her professional debut at the exceedingly tender age of 8 months. As a child model, Kaley spent much of her youth traveling from one audition to the next — with much of her spare time devoted to her passion for tennis (she first started playing when she was 3 years old).

After Kaley landed roles in community theater productions of Annie and Fiddler on the Roof, however, it become increasingly clear that she possessed a real gift for performance. Kaley Cuoco subsequently began trying out for a number of roles in Hollywood television shows and movies, and in 1992, her hard work paid off as she successfully landed a small role opposite Donald Sutherland and Felicity Huffman in a made-for-TV production entitled Quicksand: No Escape. She followed that up with guest spots on popular shows like Northern Exposure and My So-Called Life, and even managed to land a role in the 1995 Denzel Washington/Russell Crowe thriller Virtuosity.

Kaley’s promising tennis career was permanently put on hold in 1992, despite the fact that she was ranked as one of the best amateur players in the entire United States. Her true passion lay within the world of acting, though, and Kaley Cuoco devoted herself entirely to succeeding where many others had failed. After appearing opposite Jennifer Aniston in 1997’s Picture Perfect and Stephen Baldwin in 1998’s Mr. Murder, Kaley entered the new century with an awfully impressive resume. In 2000 alone, Kaley popped up in three films — the romantic comedy Can’t Be Heaven (alongside Michelle Trachtenberg), the Brady Bunch biopic Growing Up Brady and the Disney Channel comedy Alley Cats Strike (which also featured future Smallville star Laura Vandervoort).

Though Kaley was working steadily on a variety of projects, she was still looking for a more permanent gig that would allow her to spend more time with her family and friends. In 2001, Kaley Cuoco seemed to find exactly that after she was chosen to join the cast of the Alfred Molina sitcom Ladies Man — though the show was unfortunately cancelled shortly after. The gig did prove that Kaley possessed a real knack for comedy, however, and it wasn’t long before the producers of a new show called 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter came knocking on her door. Starring sitcom legends John Ritter and Katey Segal, the show was an instant hit and Kaley was propelled to instant stardom. The role landed her on the cover of countless teen-oriented magazines, and Kaley Cuoco even won a Teen Choice Award in 2003, for Choice TV Breakout Star.

John Ritter’s death during the shooting of 8 Simple Rules’ third episode of the second season put the show’s future into question, and the cast and crew subsequently took several weeks off to grieve the death of their beloved friend. The decision was eventually made to carry on with the series by writing John’s passing into the show, and both David Spade and James Garner joined the cast as relatives of Kaley’s character. 8 Simple Rules ultimately ran until the spring of 2005, with Kaley Cuoco seamlessly segueing into a regular gig on the final season of the Alyssa Milano/Rose McGowan show Charmed later that year. Kaley spent the next couple of years working steadily, appearing in such movies as 2005’s Lucky 13 (with Lauren Graham and Jenna Fischer) and 2006’s Farewell Bender (alongside such hot up-and-comers as Kip Pardue, Marisa Coughlan and Alexandra Holden). Kaley was also cultivating quite a lucrative career as a voice-over artist, as she landed a starring role on the Disney Channel cartoon Brandy & Mr. Whiskers. In 2007, Kaley Cuoco returned to her sitcom roots with The Big Bang Theory; the show, which revolves around Kaley’s character’s friendship with two nerds, quickly emerged as a breakout hit and was one of the first new shows to be renewed for a full season. Kaley is currently awaiting the release of Killer Movie, a horror comedy that also stars Paul Wesley and Jason London.

Trivia

Shares a birthday with Ben Stiller, Elisha Cuthbert, Clay Aiken, Billy Idol and Dick Clark.

Last name, Cuoco, translates to “cook” in Italian.

She did 6 Barbie ads when she was younger.

She won the Teen Choice Award for Breakthrough Actress of 2003.

Was home schooled on the set and earned her High School Diploma at the age of 16.

Was a nationally ranked amateur tennis player until she switched to acting full time in 2002.

Ranked as #78 in FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005” special supplement (2005).

Best friends with Amy Davidson.

Is six years younger then co-star Amy Davidson_8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter(2002)_ but she played the older sister in the series.