Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco hits out at those who discredit her time on the show

‘I was on that sitcom for 12 f***ing years,’ Penny star said

Kaley Cuoco has shared a message for those who “erase” her time on The Big Bang Theory.

The actor appeared on the hit CBS sitcom for all 12 of its seasons, playing Penny alongside co-stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar.

However, following the premiere of her new mystery series The Flight Attendant, Cuoco was frustrated to see herself described as a “newcomer” by reporters.

“It’s very funny to me because I’ve been called the newcomer recently, which is hysterical,” she told members of the press ahead of the show’s UK debut. “All of a sudden… they’ve erased the past that I had.”

Cuoco, who said she has “loved everything that [she’s] done”, added: “Does anyone remember I was on that sitcom for 12 f***ing years, like six seconds ago? Nope.”

She said that the idea you can be “pigeonholed” for playing the same character for so long is a “misconception”, but said that if that had happened after playing Penny, she wouldn’t have minded.

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“If I’m typecast as the girl next door in a sitcom for the rest of my life then that’s the best thing that could ever happen to me,” she said.

“People that are trying so hard to erase what got them here are wrong. I think you’ve got to embrace it. I owe my whole career to The Big Bang Theory. I say that all the time.”

The Flight Attendant follows a woman who wakes up in her hotel room in Dubai to find a dead body lying next to her.

Kaley Cuoco in mystery series ‘The Flight Attendant’ (HBO Max)

With no memory of what happened, she continues her morning as if nothing happened – but begins to wonder whether she was the one who committed the act.

The show will be available to watch on Sky One and NOW from Friday 19 March.