Why Kaley Cuoco's New Role Was 'Kind Of An Actor's Dream' After Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory Kaley Cuoco Penny CBS

The Big Bang Theory Kaley Cuoco Penny Hofstadter Johnny Galecki Leonard Hofstadter CBS

(Image credit: CBS)

Kaley Cuoco’s first live-action TV role since The Big Bang Theory has been a “dream” for the actress. For over a decade that spanned twelve network seasons, Cuoco played Penny on the smash-hit CBS sitcom. The Big Bang Theory ended over a year ago, and Cuoco has been hard at work on The Flight Attendant.

How does she like it? As you might expect, The Big Bang Theory star is reveling in the opportunity to do something different while maintaining affection for the CBS sitcom. Kaley Cuoco opened up about taking on the role of Cassie in The Flight Attendant during the show’s TCA panel. Speaking about the part, Cuoco said:

Cassie is extremely perfectly flawed. It was kind of an actor’s dream to play someone like her. She’s got a rollercoaster of issues, but a heart of gold and she’s strong. It’s just a great female character to play. And I think coming off of doing comedy and Big Bang -- which I love, I love making people laugh -- there was something about this that I thought if we could find the right team and bring some levity to such a dark book, that it could be kind of cool. And obviously being a producer and being part of the creative has been a whole new experience for me. I have never done that before.

Kaley Cuoco is taking part in the creative process for The Flight Attendant and leaving her mark by using her humorous side. Cuoco revealed that she wanted to bring “some levity” to the HBO Max series, which features a dark and thrilling premise. For those unfamiliar with it, Cuoco plays Cassie, a “flight attendant,” who wakes up in a sordid mess.

Cassie awakens from a night of heavy drinking during a layover in a hotel room. Accompanying Cassie in her state is a bad hangover and a dead body. Kaley Cuoco is both acting in and executive producing the upcoming The Flight Attendant. At the TCA panel, Cuoco said:

I laughed over the last few years working on this. I’m like I know too much! Like sometimes you just don’t want to know all the stuff that’s going on But it’s been totally career-changing for me just to see it from the beginning and kind of go with my gut on things and make my own decisions and put this great group together and learn so much. So it’s been wonderful.

Kaley Cuoco is having a positive experience professionally and in her personal life. Cuoco recently celebrated a super-sweet milestone in her second wedding anniversary. In terms of her professional life, it would have made sense to me if Cuoco experienced some sort of dip after doing The Big Bang Theory for so long. Instead, she seems to be embracing her new role and its lease on her creativity.

Kaley Cuoco has not forgotten about The Big Bang Theory to celebrate The Flight Attendant soaring, though. When the first anniversary of the comedy’s series finale arrived, Cuoco paid tribute to the show with an awesome message on social media. It has to feel good to have a project she is so passionate about in the wake of The Big Bang Theory ending.

The Flight Attendant’s cast is filled to the brim with talented actors for Kaley Cuoco to play off of as cameras roll. It is a change of scenery for Cuoco after working with her Big Bang Theory co-stars for so long. Birds of Prey’s Rosie Perez and Grey’s Anatomy veteran T.R. Knight are both signed on to star opposite of Cuoco in the HBO Max drama.

There have been some changes to the drama’s cast after earlier announcements. Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez has replaced Maniac’s Sonoya Mizuno in the role of Miranda. The Haunting of Hill House’s Michiel Huisman, whose casting was celebrated by Cuoco along with Mizono’s, is still slated to star in The Flight Attendant.

Fans will have to wait and see when they will get to see Kaley Cuco’s “dream” realized. Production on The Flight Attendant is reportedly set to resume in late August. While you wait for The Flight Attendant to land, check out this fall’s premieres. You can also check out Cuoco in her role as Penny by binge-watching episodes of The Big Bang Theory on HBO Max.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.