Kaley Cuoco reflects on 'Big Bang Theory' fame and 'drama' in new interview

Kaley Cuoco is getting candid about the highs and lows of her career, from the "explosion of money and fame" on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ to feeling like an outsider on the set of ‘Charmed’.

In a new interview, the 40-year-old actress reflected on her 12-season run as Penny on the beloved CBS sitcom, acknowledging that the massive success inevitably came with tension behind the scenes. "It was an explosion of money and fame and became something so much bigger than any of us could have imagined," Cuoco shared. "So of course there was a little bit of drama."

The Emmy-nominated star addressed the highly publicized salary negotiations during the show's later seasons, when she and her co-stars were making $1 million per episode before being asked to take pay cuts. "Would anyone want people sharing what they make? Or comparing what they make to other people?" she questioned, though she acknowledged the reality of fame. "If you're like, 'oh, I wish people didn't know that,' well... then don't be famous."

Cuoco also opened up about her brief stint on Charmed during its final season, describing it as an "intense and difficult" experience. "There were a few people on that show that were wonderful to me, and there were a few people that weren't," she recalled, noting that the cliquey atmosphere taught her to always make newcomers feel welcome on her sets.

The actress credited the late John Ritter, her '8 Simple Rules' co-star, as her "guiding light" in the industry. Ritter died suddenly in 2003 after collapsing on set.

Now, Cuoco is promoting her new action thriller series Vanished, following her acclaimed turn in ‘The Flight Attendant’. She approaches each project with realistic expectations. "I understand the business. I go into things hoping they'll resonate, but I'm also very realistic," she said. "Someone's gonna like it, and someone's not, and that's all that art is."