Acting isn’t the lone skill that Kaley Cuoco bears under her belt, as apart from excelling at the small screen for the past two decades, Cuoco is also a pretty skilled athlete. From being a proficient equestrian to almost choosing tennis as a career path over her Hollywood fame, the actress never had to count on one thing to be successful as a teen.
Kaley Cuoco in The Big Bang Theory | Credit: CBS
Moreover, according to The Big Bang Theory showrunner Chuck Lorre, Cuoco didn’t shy away from putting her expertise in tennis to the forefront during ping pong tournaments on set.
Kaley Cuoco Gave Everyone a Hard Time During Onset Ping Pong Tournaments
Kaley Cuoco in 8 Simple Rules | Credit: ABC
Long before the actress took an interest in acting, Kaley Cuoco started playing tennis when she was only 3 and even became a ranked amateur player during her childhood. Even though she eventually gave up the racket for acting at 16, it didn’t take the Emmy-nominated star long to brush up her skills during the ping pong tournaments in the initial seasons of TBBT.
According to Chuck Lorre, The Flight Attendant star gave everyone a run for their money during the ferocious ping pong tournaments on set. He recalled:
The first couple of years, we had ferocious ping-pong tournaments on set, and she was a killer. You play ping-pong against Kaley, and you’re ducking.
While Cuoco did give up the chance to go pro for acting, it didn’t diminish the actress’ love for the game, as she was still engaging in tennis matches when she was 9 months pregnant, and “was kicking his (Craig Rosenberg) ass”.
Everyone was watching and cheering, and I literally looked like an elephant running across the court. I think people were watching because they were concerned I was going to die.
However, the TBBT star’s love for sports almost ended her acting career when she sustained a horseriding accident back in 2010.
Chuck Lorre Was Awestruck by Kaley Cuoco’s Willpower After Accident
Kaley Cuoco | Credit: @kaleycuoco via Instagram
While riding at a ranch in Los Angeles, the actress sustained a major injury after a spooked horse threw her off and accidentally stepped on her leg in the process. As a result, she had to sign a waiver, which gave doctors permission for an amputation if required. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that point, and she was up and running in no time and only missed a couple of episodes. But throughout the whole process, the actress didn’t lose her composure, with Lorre recalling, “She was just fierce”.
She handled it with dignity and determination. She was just fierce: ‘I’m coming back. I’ll be there.’
But despite almost losing her leg over horseriding, it hasn’t impacted Cuoco’s love for it, who owns 25 horses and often engages in equestrian competitions.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
