For years, Kaley Cuoco was known to viewers as Penny, the sweet, funny and no nonsense Nebraska native on The Big Bang Theory. But these days, she’s further endeared herself to audiences as the likable (and somewhat reckless) Cassie Bowden on The Flight Attendant. The role was a bit of a turn for Cuoco, but she pulled it off beautifully -- and even snagged herself a Golden Globe nomination in the process. Unfortunately, production on the show was a bit difficult for the actress, but she actually managed to get through it by channeling a certain Schitt’s Creek character.
Kaley Cuoco recently reflected on her time working on The Flight Attendant and revealed that while she filmed the show in Thailand a few years ago, she discovered the hit comedy Schitt’s Creek. And it turned out to be just the source of comfort she needed while dealing with the grueling shoot:
So, Catherine O’Hara is one of my favorite actresses ever, and I had not heard of Schitt’s Creek until maybe two years ago, when I was in Thailand shooting Flight Attendant. That was a great experience but it was rough, long hours, in a place I didn’t know, and I said to someone, ‘I’ve got to get into a new show, I need something to distract me.’ They said, ‘Why don’t you watch Schitt’s Creek?’
Any Schitt’s Creek fan will tell you the show is addictive, and this definitely became the case for Kaley Cuoco. As a matter of fact, she went on to tell TV Line that she watched the show so much that she actually began to imitate Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose:
I started watching Schitt’s Creek on set, in between takes, and I would literally walk around and talk to everyone like Moira, trying to do her voice. And they’d be like, ‘Oh God — Kaley’s engrossed in Schitt’s Creek. This is going to be a thing,’ because I would, like, become Moira and just be this crazy person. [Laughs] Her scenes got me through shooting my show. So to be in this category with Catherine is something I wouldn’t have ever even dreamed of. I feel extremely honored.
It’s incredibly poetic that Catherine O’Hara’s own Golden Globe-caliber work helped Kaley Cuoco with her own, and it’s not hard to see why. O’Hara’s performance as Moira is one of the ages, and one of the many reasons why Schitt’s Creek worked so well.
Kaley Cuoco has had quite a ride since The Flight Attendant’s premiere. The show was met with mostly positive reviews, with many fans and critics praising her performance. This led the actress to share a sweet message in which she thanked fans for their support, especially those Big Bang Theory fans who made the jump to the new show for her.
Kaley Cuoco imitating Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose may sound weird, but you can’t argue with the results. And with that, it wouldn’t be surprising if the actress chooses to watch the show again for good luck while working on The Flight Attendant Season 2.
The first season of The Flight Attendant is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
