Kaley Cuoco Shutterstock (2)
The ‘do that shook CBS! Kaley CuocoShe opened up about her dramatic transformation of hair ahead of season 8. The Big Bang Theory — and the effect it had on her character, Penny.
“I just f–king cut my hair off and didn’t tell anyone,” Cuoco said of her bold pixie cut in an excerpt from The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series. “I did it for an independent film called Burning Bodhi, and basically showed up to our Big Bang wrap party with short hair.”
The California native explained that she wanted to “shake” things up and was “bored and sick” of the shoulder-length hair she was rocking on the hit series. Cuoco wanted Penny’s new job, as a sales representative for pharmaceuticals, to reflect this change. However, her plan backfired … sort of.
Cuoco shared: “I thought by cutting my hair, I would spend less time in the hair and makeup chair, even though I loved the hair and makeup team. In my effort to spend less time doing my hair, I made the wrong decision and it took me much longer to do my hair. I was like, ‘This is the worst decision! What was I thinking?!’ I thought I was cutting off all this time, because I hated going in and getting ready.” She added: “That’s why I was wearing my hair up so much in season six and seven. So, then I cut it and it ended up being more work because it wasn’t easy to style.”
Chuck Lorre, co-creator and executive producer, revealed that Penny’s big chop stirred viewers into a frenzy. “We didn’t have a heads-up on the haircut! It was shocking, if you think about it. I wish we were there. I would have told her about the ratings drop if she had come to see me. Dharma & GregWhen Jenna Elfman did the same thing,” he said.
He continued: “And they dropped on Felicity [starring Keri Russell]Moreover. The audience had become infatuated with the character, and not just the character’s behavior and flaws and strengths, but in how the character looked. They were instantly iconic, and it was a mistake to ignore this audience attachment. It was something I witnessed firsthand. It would have been exactly the same if Johnny [Galecki] had come to the wrap party and had shaved his head.”
Despite the shock, Lorre said the series “survived” the makeover. “I love that Kaley recognized it for what it was. She’s very self-aware, and we survived it. As bumps in the road go, that was a small one.”
Cuoco has no regrets. “I had fun with it, and I did like it. I’m sure it was being negatively talked about all over the place, but I didn’t pay as much attention to what people were saying on social media then.”
The Big Bang TheoryThe show premiered in September 2007, and ran for 12 seasons until it was cancelled in May 2019. The show starred Jim Parsons, Galecki, Simon Helberg, Mayim Bialik, Melissa RauchAnd Kunal NayyarFollow a group of physicists while they navigate work and relationships.
