The Flight Attendant's Kaley Cuoco May Have Lost The Golden Globe, But Her Response Won It All

the flight attendant kaley cuoco smiling episode 3
(Image credit: hbo max press)

Having been a television mainstay for most of her post-adolescent life, The Big Bang Theory vet Kaley Cuoco is one of the most recognizable TV stars on the planet, but massive popularity doesn't necessarily equate to awards success. Cuoco took a brilliant turn by bringing the novel The Flight Attendant to HBO Max, and her stellar performance throughout Season 1 earned the actress her very first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical. Unfortunately, she didn't end up winning the category, but she won me and many other fans over when she shared her DGAF response.

To be sure, Kaley Cuoco definitely did GAF about the award in general, as she was very emotional and thankful to be recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association when the nominations were announced. But at the end of the Golden Globes day, after one has presumably been friendly with the booze throughout, it's all about being comfortable. And Cuoco looks about as comfortable as anyone could be in the Instagram post below.

A photo posted by on

Let's break down all the awesomeness within this single image. First, there's the A+ look on Kaley Cuoco's face, which is a mixture of "Yep, that figures," with "I'm a queen." And she doubles down on that sentiment with one hand holding a pizza slice and one hand holding a bottle of wine. Nobody got time for plates and glasses on awards night. Napkins, shmapkins.

Second, Kaley Cuoco still manages to look pretty damned glamorous in her dress, even with her not-as-glitzy food and drink choices. But the key to the whole look, of course, is that her fancy high heels were kicked off and sitting amongst the food on the ground. Nobody got time for uncomfortable shoes, either.

And finally, let's all appreciate the glorious grounded smorgasbord that Kaley Cuoco has on demand, as well as the confetti spread all over the floor. We've got Golden Globes cupcakes, as evidenced by the "GG," unless that was just Cuoco decided to put her Gossip Girl fandom on display. Then we have a "Good Luck, Kaley!" cake with the actress' picture on it, a half-eaten pan of macaroni and cheese, and a few choice slices in a pizza box. There's also another bottle of alcohol on the ground – possibly bourbon or a liqueur of some kind? – and a gluten-free chocolate cake on her lap.

We've clearly all been missing out by not partying with Cuoco for all these years, although I do have some questions and suspicions about the hair coming out from under the cake plate. The actress' fans and friends understandably enjoyed this Golden Globes reaction as much as we did, with her Flight Attendant co-star Michelle Gomez sharing her own disbelief that Cuoco lost out to Schitt's Creek legend Catherine O'Hara, saying:

Whaaaaat??! U r pure gold.

While filming The Flight Attendant, Funnily enough, Kaley Cuoco impersonated the very character that Catherine O'Hara won for. Now that Schitt's Creek is over with, Cuoco has as good a shot as ever to win out the category in 2022, with The Flight Attendant having been renewed for Season 2 at HBO Max, with a different plan in mind to follow up on how Season 1 concluded. Granted, she'll have to win over the voters with another season of complex, hilarious and heartbreaking performances, but I think she's up to the task. I hear wine and cake are excellent motivators.

The Flight Attendant is currently available to stream on HBO Max, so be sure to check out Kaley Cuoco's nomination-worthy performance as the show preps production for its second season.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.