Kaley Cuoco's Real Name: Kaley Christine Cuoco

Quick answer: Kaley Cuoco's real name is Kaley Christine Cuoco. She was born on November 30, 1985, in Camarillo, California.

Real name and early life

Biography.com lists her full name as Kaley Christine Cuoco, born November 30, 1985, in Camarillo, California. The Library of Congress name authority records Cuoco, Kaley. She modeled and acted in commercials as a child, was homeschooled because of work, and took early guest spots before series regular fame.

Quick facts

• Real name: Kaley Christine Cuoco
• Known as: Kaley Cuoco
• Born: November 30, 1985, in Camarillo, California
• Known for: Actor, producer
• Notable work: The Big Bang Theory, 8 Simple Rules, The Flight Attendant
• Sources checked: Biography.com, Library of Congress Name Authority

Career highlights

Cuoco starred with John Ritter and Katey Sagal on 8 Simple Rules (2002–05), then joined Charmed for its final season as Billie Jenkins. In 2007 she began playing Penny on The Big Bang Theory, which ran 12 seasons and 279 episodes through 2019 and made her one of TV's highest-paid comedy stars.

Film credits during that run include Hop (2011) and The Wedding Ringer (2015). She executive produced and starred in HBO Max's The Flight Attendant (2020– ), earning Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics Choice nominations. She is also known for equestrian sport and animal-adoption advocacy. After Big Bang ended she kept producing and starring in limited series, proving the sitcom fame was a launch pad rather than a ceiling for dramatic and thriller work. Voice roles and holiday specials filled gaps between series, keeping her visible to family audiences as well as sitcom fans.

Name notes

Kaley Christine Cuoco is her birth name; pronunciation is often rendered "KOO-ko." She has not used a separate stage surname. Fan sites often copy names from one another, so we checked this page against Biography.com and the Library of Congress.