Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco have achieved a lot of firsts in their relationship – a first anniversary this April, first red carpet at last year's Emmys, and their first child with baby Matilda Carmine Pelphrey, born this March.
However, in a new interview with W Magazine as part of their TV stars portfolio, Tom, 41, opened up about how a different kind of first with Kaley, 37, taught him something unexpected.
The Ozark actor revealed that when he'd first started dating Kaley, he had no idea that she had starred in The Big Bang Theory, the CBS sitcom which ran for 12 years and made her a household name.
The truth came out when the couple visited Tom's family for the first time. "When I first brought Kaley to New Jersey to meet my family and friends, my mom's partner – who apparently was a Big Bang Theory fan – was there, and he kept calling her Penny," Tom explained.
"I had no clue what was going on. So I pulled Kaley aside, like, 'I'm sorry, I don't understand what's happening. Why does he keep calling you Penny?' She's like, 'That's my character in The Big Bang Theory.'"
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Tom continued: "I was completely unaware. I've watched a few episodes with her since, and, obviously, she's fantastic."
He defended himself, saying: "I hadn't seen Kaley in anything. 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."
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Kaley starred on the sitcom as Penny (whose last name is never revealed, a running gag) from 2007-2019, the drop-dead gorgeous neighbor to physicists Leonard and Sheldon who is street smart and outgoing.
Her role in the series, in some ways, mimicked her off-screen life as well, as she and Johnny Galecki, who played love interest Leonard Hofstadter, dated privately for about two years after first meeting on the show.
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While they ended things in real life, remaining close friends and co-stars, their characters go through ups and downs before tying the knot and announcing her pregnancy by the end of the series. The role won Kaley a Critics' Choice Award and two People's Choice Awards.
Like Penny, Kaley's currently in the midst of her own happy ending, doting over daughter Matilda with Tom, who shared more details of their life as parents.
When asked who their newborn resembled more, he admitted: "I see myself a little bit in her. She's got one dimple on her left cheek, like I do. Other than that, though, I see Kaley.
"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.'"
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