10 Things You Didn't Know About Kaley Cuoco

Kaley Cuoco (or Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting if you're willing to accept that the incredibly attractive star is married) shot to stardom as Penny (whose last name is still unknown incidentally, which is an interesting fact in itself) in the hugely successful CBS series The Big Bang Theory. Penny is the comparatively dimwitted co-star of a main cast of characters with Ph.D.'s (well, except from Howard Wolowitz - he "only" has a master's degree) and she is one of the most popular characters on the show. Having started acting at just six years of age, she had appeared on the likes of My So-Called Life, 8 Simple Rules, Charmed and Prison Break prior to her career-defining role. Named as Fox's Celebrity of the Year in 2014, Cuoco's star has never shone brighter, with a huge profile and demand increasing for her services in movies, a hell of a lot of money to her name and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a result, she is now very much in the public eye and a lot of people know a lot about her - but that's not to say that everyone knows everything about her, so this article is going to list some little-known facts about the beautiful California-born star. With all of that in mind, let's get started with the list! Here are ten things you didn't know about Kaley Cuoco...

10. She Wasn't The Original Lead Female In The Big Bang Theory

In spite of the fact that Kaley Cuoco's character Penny is now arguably the most popular character on the show, The Big Bang Theory actually kicked off without her. The unaired 2006 pilot episode of the show (which also included a creepily more sexually-wise Sheldon Cooper) actually introduced the intended female lead of the series Katie - a character in the mould of Penny, what with her being streetwise, hard-as-nails, but emotionally vulnerable, but with far more emphasis on the "streetwise". Katie was found on the curb, crying, after her boyfriend had kicked her out and left her homeless, and she was taken into Sheldon and Leonard's home (on Leonard's suggestion, but much to Sheldon's chagrin). Her abrasive and sarcastic nature meant that she was a lot less likeable than Penny and the bosses behind the show opted to drop her in favour of the more cheerful and bubbly Kaley Cuoco character.

9. She Is Responsible For The Famous Flash Mobs

Remember that brilliant surprise flash mob sequence from 2012? The one in which the cast of The Big Bang Theory surprised their live audience with a choreographed dance to the likes of Call Me Maybe, Party Rock Anthem and Low? Well that was organised by none other than Kaley Cuoco herself. Having recruited her sister Briana (who has also appeared on the show) in order for her to help with the choreography, the actress thought it would be a nice surprise for those who had gone to the trouble of travelling to the live show and the cast pulled it off brilliantly. A 2014 version occurred under similar circumstances, with the cast dancing to Uptown Funk. The 2012 effort is pictured above and the 2014 version can be watched in all its glory in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODOmKIrZ4WU

8. She Really Dated Leonard AKA Johnny Galecki

An awful lot of time has been spent on the relationship between Penny and Leonard Hofstadter throughout the history of The Big Bang Theory and, although they have ended up together all happily ever after, a lot has been made of how they are mismatched and, initially, the idea of Leonard getting with Penny was laughed at by his cohorts. However, the apparently unlikely pair actual spent two years dating each other in real life, up until 2009. They did so in secrecy but, since the break up, they have both spoken about it and have made a point of stating that they still remain good friends off set.

7. She Earns $1 Million Per Big Bang Episode

As already discussed, playing the role of Penny in The Big Bang Theory has resulted in Kaley Cuoco becoming one of the most popular television actresses in the world. Naturally, this had led to her becoming one of the highest paid television actresses in the world too. To emphasise the rise of her stardom, prior to season four of the show, Cuoco was earning $60,000 per episode. Then, her fee rose to a whopping $200,000 per episode. However, as of season eight of the show, she now earns an astronomical $1 million per episode. When you think that the show is set to continue until its tenth season - and that she'll be earning $24 million a year - it's going to make her an unbelievably rich woman.

6. She Married A Tennis Star Having Played Since She Was 3

Most people now know that Kaley Cuoco is married to Ryan Sweeting - the Bahamian-born American professional tennis player with a career high ranking of 139 in the world - but did you also know that she's actually a keen tennis player herself and has been playing since she was just three years of age? In fact, prior to making the switch to acting on a permanent basis in 2002 when she was sixteen years old, she was a nationally ranked amateur player and could very easily have gone on to play in the professional game had she not wanted to focus on her performing. She does still enjoy playing tennis for fun, however, and has been pictured enjoying a chilled-out game with her husband on numerous occasions.

5. She Has Breast Implants

In spite of the fact that Kaley Cuoco is obviously very beautiful, the fact that she naturally had small breasts surprisingly meant that she used to lack self-confidence. In a 2014 interview with American women's magazine Redbook, the actress spoke of how she had undergone breast enhancement surgery and the reasons behind doing so. She had this to say:

I had no boobs! And it really was the best thing ever! I always felt ill-proportioned. My implants made me feel more confident in my body. It wasn€™t about trying to be a porn star or wanting to look hot and sexy.

So, next time you see Cuoco doing a sexy photo shoot for a magazine or on The Big Bang Theory in her bra, feel free to point out to your friends that "they're fake!"

4. Her Best Friend Is Her "8 Simple Rules" Co-Star

Despite having filmed her last scene for the series almost ten years ago, Kaley Cuoco maintains a great relationship with her former 8 Simple Rules co-star Amy Davidson and has indeed stated that she considers her to be her best friend. Although Cuoco is actually younger than Davidson by six years, she actually played her older sister in the ABC sitcom. The pair are often seen together and Davidson accompanied Cuoco on her bachelorette party prior to her marriage to Ryan Sweeting. Since appearing in 8 Simple Rules, Davidson has gone on to further her acting career with roles in shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Criminal Minds, CSI, Ghost Whisperer, Tia and Tamera, House and Bones.

3. Her Past Roles

Most people know of Kaley Cuoco's previous roles in 8 Simple Rules and Charmed, but most of her other roles probably went under the majority of those people's radars. Some examples of additional television work by Cuoco include appearing a Barbie commercial and an Oscar Mayer commercial when she was a child, appearing in an episode of My So-Called Life, playing a young Ellen Morgan in Ellen DeGeneris' sitcom Ellen, playing Maureen McCormick (who, in turn, played Marcia Brady) in the television movie Growing Up Brady and voicing Kirstee Smith in the Bratz animated series. In terms of film work, she had mostly had very low key roles up until recently, appearing in productions like The Hollow (alongside former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter), Cougar Club, Killer Movie, The Penthouse and Hop. Of course, the future looks much brighter and she is currently starring in The Wedding Ringer, which is currently second (albeit at a very early stage) in the highest-grossing movies of 2015 list with a worldwide gross of $26 million. Below is a clip of Cuoco as the young Ellen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFGMmc5_dfA

2. She Was Home-Schooled

Having been born and raised in Camarillo, California, as the elder daughter of Layne Ann (Wingate), a homemaker, and Gary Carmine Cuoco, a realtor, Kaley Cuoco was home-schooled by her parents. Despite having received such an unorthodox education, Cuoco still earned her high school diploma at the age of sixteen, at which point she dove straight into her acting career. Given that Sheldon Cooper turns his nose up at anybody's education that wasn't either undertaken in an elite institution or continued up until receiving a Ph.D./Sc.D. level, you have to wonder exactly what he would have to say about this fact!

1. She's An Avid Horseback Rider & Broke Her Leg In A Riding Accident

Talented in many ways, Kaley Cuoco is also a keen horse rider and even owns her own stallion called Thor, who she regularly rides over jumps at an equestrian centre near her home in California. In September 2010, Cuoco broke her leg after having a riding accident. The operation to fix her leg involved getting two metal plates installed to support the bone - this was one of three options given to her by the surgeon, with one of the others being amputation! She missed just two episodes of The Big Bang Theory as she recuperated. Other hobbies of Cuoco's include kickboxing - so it would seem that she isn't afraid to do things that involve risk (though you wouldn't want to take a kick in the face from her part-metal leg, would you?!) - and playing the drums. 

Source