If you’re a fan of the CBS sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory‘ you’ve seen Kaley Cuoco work her acting magic on screen. With a net worth of $150+ million, she’s one of the most successful actresses of her generation.
She is most known for her role as ‘Penny’ in BBT. She’s also appeared in several movies like Hop, Cougar Club, The Penthouse, Killer Movie, and Debating Robert Lee. She’s seen success after BBT with her latest sitcom, ‘The Flight Attendant.’
While her breakout role was in BBT, Kaley’s career in sitcoms and movies includes roles in TV shows like 7th Heaven, Ladies Man, Complete Savages, 8 Simple Rules, Charmed, and many others. However, nothing compares to the wealth she built with her $150 million in earnings as Penny.
In an interview with Parade in 2019, Kaley said, “I think I already had my dream role on The Big Bang Theory, everything now is icing on top of the cake.”Kaley Cuoco – The Early Years
Born in Camarillo, California, in 1985, Kaley Cuoco is the daughter of Stephen Michael Cuoco, an engineer, and Jeanne Rose Cuoco, an English teacher. Her parents saw her talent early in life, starting her in child acting at an early age.
Cuoco had a successful career as a child actor, with agents approaching her parents when she was just five years old. Her first on-screen appearance was in Barbie and Oscar Mayer commercials in the early 1990s. Kaley had her debut on the silver screen at the tender age of six, starring in the Hollywood movie, Quicksand: No Escape.
At age nine, Kaley appeared alongside Hollywood A-lister Denzel Washington in ‘Virtuosity.’ He played the role of a kidnapping victim, Karin Carter, saved by Washington’s character, Lt. Parker Barnes. However, her breakthrough role in capturing the attention of producers in the industry was as Marsha Brady in ‘Growing Up Brady.’
Kaley had a busy life as a child actor, meaning she didn’t fit in at the local elementary school or high school. She says she felt like an outcast in school, causing her parents to homeschool her to avoid the drama associated with her career and schooling.
Kaley graduated from her high school equivalency exams when she was 16. But this time, she was already an established actress and starting to come of age. As a result, the actress landed a role in the TV sitcom ‘8 Simple Rules’ in 2004. She was featured in a miniseries on NBC.
As her star rose, she landed roles on 10.5, the Crimes of Passion film on ABC Family, and the movie ‘Debating Robert Lee.’ These roles laid the foundation for Kaley’s acting career, preparing her for what would eventually be the breakthrough role that made her a household name.
In 2007, Kaley landed a regular role on the hit CBS TV show ‘The Big Bang Theory.’ She played the role of ‘Penny,’ a struggling actress working at the local Cheesecake Factory.
Kaley Cuoco – Career
During her early career, Kaley’s first notable role was as ‘Bridget Hennessy’ in the TV sitcom ‘8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.’ She starred alongside Katey Sagal and John Ritter, with her on-screen talent evident to industry producers.
However, the TV show didn’t last long, with Ritter dying from an aortic dissection one year after the show’s premiere in 2003. To this day, Kaley maintained a relationship with her friends on ‘8 Simple Rules’, developing a special bond with Katey Sagal. Ironically, Sagal was cast as Penny’s mom in the tenth season of The Big Bang Theory.
Kaley ended her stint as Bridget in ‘8 Simple Rules’ in 2005, snagging a role as ‘Billie Jenkins’ in the TV show ‘Charmed.’ Kaley worked on the show for a few seasons and took small parts in other films before hitting the big time after being cast as Penny on BBT in 2007.
During the hit show’s first season, Kaley received a meager salary of $60,000 per episode. She was paid an equivalent salary, with Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons earning the same amount for their roles.
The actress appeared in most of the 63 episodes in seasons one through 3, grossing approximately $3,780,000 for her role. The Big Bang Theory became a massive success for CBS, drawing a huge youth audience to the show.