Kaley Cuoco’s Acting Teacher Called Her A “Pots & Pans Actor” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Kay I have a question did you do a lot. of improv when you when you were. studying uh acting or preparing or did. you just is this just you never you are. such you know from the first time we met. and started talking and hanging out and. this is why you're always so much fun. you're one of the best yes Anders you. are just you just no but you really are. you like you're very fun and and so I. always thought oh Kaye must have started. out doing improv like so many people I. talk to that is so nice no I'm not like.
a com I not comedian I didn't comedian I. didn't take that path I never did improv. I took one acting class when I was 10. years old did I already tell this story. I feel like I probably did okay I think. so I don't think so and you know what we. are I've told so many stories so many. times over about my career in porno so. yeah everyone knows the story we do we. know that story very well no I took one. acting class when I was 10 years old and. I had it was like a um there was a bunch.
of kids my age and I had to do a scene. and the acting teacher said to me in. front of all my. peers you will not make it she said you. you act you are a pots and pans actor is. what we call someone like you I was 10. and what she meant by that was I was you. know all over the place uh messy um not. sophisticated that was what she said to. me and I went home and it bald my eyes. out on Ian I could cry I cry now it. really PTS.
and my mom I said I'm not going back to. that class and she goes yeah you're. going to finish the class I was like. please don't make me go back I don't. want to go back she thinks I'm so bad I. suck I suck my mom made me go back I. ended up finishing the class it was like. a few months whatever I had to do I. never took another class again but that. woman yeah literally said that to me and. from that point on I've never forgotten. that because I actually do think I am. that kind of actor in a way but in a way. I think that was like a good thing yeah. but she was not thinking that was a good. thing you know we had couple people like.
Harrison Ford has come on here and and. had a similar experience with Jerry. takov and who else came do you want to. name this woman Trac Ellis. Ross you remember her name you know it's. funny we talk about these things because. I always uh sort of a uh a secret. mission of mine in this podcast mostly. it's just to have fun but if I have a. theme that I like to pursue. it's a little inspirational for people. listening which is um it's good for.
people to hear from you that you were. told no and we've had so many people. come in here who've had these incredible. careers and they they they share these. stories and I think that's good for. people to know that it's good for people. also to know that some of that. insecurity and some of that doesn't go. away later on just because you've had a. lot of success it's still there that. actually like drives me now because I. laugh I'm like I am kind of like that. like I have creat my own way and that's.
that's completely fine but I definitely. was told that I was terrible a long long. time ago and that I would never make it. you know it's interesting cuz you have. this you know crazy Success With Big. Bang. Theory and I've heard you say that when. that was over you thought well I guess. that's it you know people will see me on. the street for the rest of my life and. say oh hi Penny how you. doing and your career since then has. been you shapeshifting in all these cool.
ways yeah um and you know whether it's. like the flight attendant or like in. roleplay you do these things where you. get to do light comedy but also you get. to be very serious or wounded or um s. put through the ringer and you do that. beautifully and so now I feel like. you've carved out this space where no. one could say thank you you're that's. okay we you know Miss sitcom when we.
need you but you know what I mean thank. you thank you I mean I laugh if I was. known as penny for the rest of my life. I'm more than fine with that was like. one of the best experiences it got me to. where I am literally right now um it was. amazing and I learned so much on that. show and how to blast yeah I didn't I. kind of thought that too I'm like well. maybe I'll do sitcoms forever and by the. way I love I I love doing sitcoms I love. the schedule I love an audience so I. wasn't I had nothing against it and then. when I found flight attendant I'm like. oh maybe maybe I could do this like.
people might I don't know if they're. going to believe I can do it but I think. I can do it and then kind of created I. wanted to do that drama but also bring. in I always have to add a little you. know a little comedy in there and we. kind of turned it into that and kind of. formed our own little tone and that's. what I've what I've run with but I I. think we live in this uh actually this. kind of golden era in entertainment in. my opinion uh and I can say that as. someone who's really not in it now I. mean doing this but but but I I think. there's this really nice era we're in.
where um people try to classify things. and they don't need to be classified so. was that big controversy about the bear. how can the bear be uh you know up for. an Emmy if it's um you know it's they're. saying it's a comedy but it's not a. comedy and people were getting all. worked up about it and I said I don't. really care I really like the bear and. um I don't think they're needs to be. these strict classifications anymore and. now there's all this entertainment where. I feel like there these very funny.
moments and then very dark moments and. then a character you really like can die. so it's way past Gilligan's Island where. everything ex everything resets every. week and has to go back to point zero no. exactly exactly I mean we had that with. flight attendant too I had a lot of. people who were like it's not we were we. went up for comedy and all this stuff. and they were like you're not a comedy. I'm like but it is kind of a comedy like. you're not pimp Pig pigeon hold anymore. it's all the things right and it's and. everyone has a different opinion there's. so much out there that's the thing.
there's so much out there and all the. tones now are all over the place which. makes it I think so much fun yeah I I. was saying the same thing watching the. movie that you just did where I thought. there are really fun funny moments but. then there are also moments where I. don't know is someone getting killed. right now and I love that the that's the. era that I think a whole generation has. come up with yeah which is we. don't and and there's so many amazing.
shows like Breaking Bad that were could. be hilariously funny and comical Brian. Cranston in his tidy. whes you know yelling uh while his meth. lab blows up um so many great comedy. moments and then some of like the the. deepest posth that I've. seen that's everywhere now I know I know. it's so crazy I I can't believe how long. I've been doing this I mean truly I. you're 77 years old I'm 77 and I want to. for your service in.
the I think you you were there you were. at the DMZ long before they had a gift. shop and God bless you for it been. around I have been around the work you. did to get Dwight Eisenhower elected. puts you in rare company really rare. company no it's like God I I've been. doing this so long at this point now I. just want to work with people I love to. work with I want to have fun I want to. do jobs that are fun I mean dude when I. I got heard I got to come back call me.
dude yeah okay that's it listen I'm. 3,000 months old okay I'm trying to get. back with the young kids.
