Talk about a pleasant surprise!
"Ozark" actor Tom Pelphrey revealed that he didn't know his partner, actress Kaley Cuoco, had starred in hit TV show "The Big Bang Theory" when they first started dating.
"I hadn’t seen Kaley in anything," Pelphrey told W Magazine in a recent interview. "Look, I live in a cave. Before I met Kaley, I was living in upstate New York, on a dirt road, in the middle of the woods, without much Wi-Fi. She’s brought me into modern times."
Pelphrey added that he found out about Cuoco's role when he first brought her to New Jersey to meet his friends and family. During their visit, his mother's partner kept accidentally calling Cuoco "Penny," the name of her character in the hit show "The Big Bang Theory," which ran from 2007 to 2019 on CBS.
"I pulled Kaley aside, like, 'I’m sorry, I don’t understand what’s happening. Why does he keep calling you Penny?'" Pelphrey said. "She’s like, 'That’s my character in 'The Big Bang Theory.' I was completely unaware.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2022, share a four-month-old daughter, and are not married.
Read on for a timeline of Cuoco's and Pelphrey's relationship, starting with their "love at first sight" moment.
April 2022: Cuoco and Pelphrey meet at the 'Ozark' premiere
Cuoco and Pelphrey were originally set up by their manager, Andrea Pett-Joseph, and met at the premiere of Ozark in April 2022.
"I heard his voice, and I turned around, and it was like my life was over, or just starting," Cuoco told USA Today in an interview the following month. "It hit me. It was love at first sight."
Cuoco had filed for divorce from her ex-husband, Karl Cook, in September 2021 after three years of marriage. Cuoco had been previously married also tennis player Ryan Sweeting; they split in 2015 after two years of marriage.
Cuoco added that being set up by Pett-Joseph was "so Hollywood," but also that she was instantly drawn to Pelphrey.
"We were immediately connected," Cuoco said. "I do feel like I’ve known him my whole life, but I wasn’t ready for him."
May 2022: Pelphrey and Cuoco announce their relationship on Instagram
Cuoco and Pelphrey officially went public with their relationship on Instagram in May 2022, when Pelphrey posted a shot of two Polaroid selfies taken by the couple.
September 2022: Cuoco and Pelphrey make their red carpet debut as a couple
Cuoco and Pelphrey stepped out onto the red carpet together for the first time in September 2022 at the Emmy Awards.
Pelphrey looked dapper in a smart black tuxedo, and Cuoco showed off a stunning pink tulle dress with rose-shaped embellishments in different shades of pink.
Cuoco had been nominated for lead actress in a comedy series for her role in "The Flight Attendant", and Pelphrey was nominated for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his role in "Ozark".
October 2022: Cuoco announces she's pregnant
Cuoco announced that she was expecting a baby with Pelphrey in an Instagram post on Oct. 11, 2022.
"Baby girl Pelphrey coming 2023," Cuoco wrote in her caption, saying she felt "beyond blessed and over the moon."
Pelphrey shared his own post celebrating the announcement with some of the same photos and some additional kissing shots, writing, "And then it was even MORE BETTER ... Love you more than ever @kaleycuoco."
March 2023: Cuoco gives birth to 1st child with Pelphrey
Cuoco and Pelphrey welcomed their daughter, Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey, on Mar. 30, 2023, less than a year after meeting.
"We are overjoyed and grateful for this little miracle," Cuoco wrote in the caption of her Instagram post announcing Matilda's birth. "We are blessed beyond belief."
She called their daughter "the new light of our lives," sharing a slate of adorable photos of Matilda sleeping, yawning, and being held by both Cuoco and Pelphrey.
April 2023: Cuoco and Pelphrey celebrate their 1sy anniversary as parents
The couple celebrated their first anniversary as a couple and as parents in April 2023, each sharing photos of Matilda to mark the special occasion.
“Cheers to a year with you @tommypelphrey,” Cuoco wrote in her photo caption. “Eternally grateful for you and what we have. I love you, bub!"
“Happy One Year bud… best year ever,” Pelphrey captioned his post. “Love you more each day.”
June 2023: Cuoco celebrates Pelphrey's 1st Father's Day
A few months after Matilda's birth, Cuoco shared a post on Instagram in June 2023 in celebration of Pelphrey's first Father's Day.
"Watching you become a dad has been the joy of my life!" Cuoco captioned the post. "No one loves you more than that little lady (besides me)."
Pelphrey said in the August 2023 W Magazine interview that although he sees some of himself in his daughter, especially in the single dimple on her left cheek, he sees Cuoco more in her.
"Other than that, though, I see Kaley," Pelphrey said. "Kaley says she sees me, but when Matilda’s kind of confused or frustrated about something, she makes these faces and I’m like, “Oh my God, there’s your mom.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
