Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco are an adorable Hollywood couple, but the former Ozark actor says he had no idea about his girlfriend’s Big Bang Theory fame. Speaking to W magazine, Pelphrey recalled, “Matter of fact, 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.” He continued, “I had no clue what was going on.”
Pelphrey says he finally brought it up to Cuoco, and he explained. “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.” He added, “I was completely unaware.” Pelphrey says that he has since checked out the hit sitcom. “I’ve watched a few episodes with her since,” he admitted. “Obviously, she’s fantastic.”
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As for why he wasn’t aware of Cuoco’s wildly popular CBS comedy, Pelphrey explained, “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.” He then gave Cuoco credit for bringing him “into modern times.”
The actor also confessed that, even though he’s been mostly disconnected through his life, another actress did once catch his eye. “I definitely had a crush on Winona Ryder,” he said, adding that as “a kid” he thought she was “the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.” He then said, “But now I have a crush on Kaley Cuoco. A deep and abiding crush, a love crush on Kaley.”
Earlier this year, Pelphrey and Cuoco became parents for the first time. In March, the couple welcomed their daughter, Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey, who Cucoco called “the new light of our lives.” In a social media post, she wrote, “We are overjoyed and grateful for this little miracle. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, family and friends who have helped us immensely over the last few days. We are blessed beyond belief. [Tom Pelphrey] didn’t think I could fall even more in love with you, but I did.”
Speaking about being a dad, Pelphrey told W magazine, “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.” The doting dad then added, “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.’”