Kaley Cuoco Reveals Her Uncomfortable Experience With Rose McGowan During ‘Charmed’
Kaley Cuoco is taking a trip down memory lane, though her recollections of a certain magical set aren’t entirely spellbinding. The former 8 Simple Rules star recently opened up about her time on the supernatural drama Charmed, admitting that the experience remains a somewhat blurry chapter in her extensive career.
During a candid conversation on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, the 40-year-old actress reflected on joining the series for its final season in 2005.
She joked about the mental gymnastics involved in long-running careers, asking if others also forget about terrible moments when they have worked on so many different projects. Cuoco recalled the high-pressure environment of her first day, which involved a formal cast photoshoot with series leads Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs.
She described the intense feeling of walking into someone’s family dinner, made even more daunting by the fact that she had never actually met her new coworkers before being positioned in their family portrait.
At 21 years old, Cuoco remembered feeling a mix of supreme confidence and absolute dread. She admitted to thinking she was the coolest thing ever at the time, yet she was simultaneously terrified to be stepping into such an established and tight-knit dynamic.
The actress was quick to single out Alyssa Milano for making the transition easier, sharing a lovely story about their first meeting. According to Cuoco, Milano immediately ran over to her, offered a warm Welcome to the show, and provided what she described as the biggest hug in the world.
However, her experience with other members of the cast was slightly more ambiguous. She noted that Rose McGowan seemed maybe not as happy about the new addition, and to this day, Cuoco remains unsure of where they stood, though she remains incredibly grateful for the kindness Milano showed her during that period.
That early lesson in set etiquette stayed with Cuoco throughout her twelve-year run as Penny on The Big Bang Theory. She explained that because of that Charmed photoshoot, she became hyper-aware of how weird it can feel for guest stars to enter a long-standing “family” and made a point to go the extra mile to welcome everyone who joined the sitcom.
In the years since her days of witchcraft and sitcom stardom, Cuoco has continued to dominate the television landscape. She recently headlined the mystery thriller Vanished on MGM+, where she played an archaeologist searching for her missing boyfriend in France alongside co-star Sam Claflin.
Though her dark comedy, Based on a True Story, was recently canceled after two seasons, the actress remains an executive producing powerhouse. She is currently developing a new half-hour comedy titled Kansas City Star for HBO, working with the creative team behind the hit series Hacks.
Outside of her professional life, Cuoco is enjoying life with her fiancé, actor Tom Pelphrey, and their two-year-old daughter, Matilda. The couple recently made headlines for their coordinated appearance at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where Pelphrey was a nominee for his role in the drama Task.
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