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I get so distracted with work, and I want to have that in the future.
Erica Parise/PEACOCK
(Theirdaughter, Matilda, was born in March 2023.)
They were a little unsure at first, she tellsGlamour.But then they were like, You know what?
This is actually so much better because it raises so many stakes for this couple.
Based on a True Story—from creator Craig Rosenberg—follows Cuoco and Messina as a married couple who are strapped for cash as they expect their first child. When they attempt to start a true-crime podcast to make ends meet, they find themselves entangled in the very murderous events they’re profiting from.
It was a very happy accident.
I am such a true-crime fanatic, and I love that genre so much, she says.
I thrive in that area.
Messina and Cuoco at the after-party forBased on a True Story’s premiere
I like that chaos, so it felt perfect.
Then Chris Messina signed on, and we had the best time together.
It checked every box.
She’s not changing the way she dresses or decisions to be made, Cuoco says.
I wanted all that to be in there.
It was all very thought out in an authentic way.
Glamour: Your character, Ava, was not originally supposed to be pregnant.
How did that change things for the storyline?
Kaley Cuoco:Right, it was not written that way, at all.
In fact, the original script had Ava and Nathan with older kids.
They were like, You know what?
We’re going to take out the kids completely.
This is when I signed on.
I was like, Great.
Then, when I got pregnant, I told them and they said, You know what?
This actually works better.
I was glad because I didn’t have to hide my pregnancy.
It worked so much better.
The stakes are higher.
I also love that it got written in and nothing really changed, as far as the scripts.
Ava just happened to be pregnant.
We didn’t talk about it all the time.
She still had the fantasies.
Yes, which I love.
It was all just normal.
I wanted all that to be in there.
Just because she’s pregnant doesn’t change anything.
I was very proud of that.
I would wear tank tops.
Half the time my stomach is hanging out.
In later episodes, you see me in a swimsuit, which I’ll probably regret later.
I did all of it.
I was like, This is very real.
I wanted women to see it’s real and it’s great.
That stuff is so important to me.
I’m constantly throwing my hair up and doing it myself.
It’s real, it’s fun, and it’s cute.
She’s not really into this pregnancy.
You don’t see her out there doing all her shopping.
She’s probably bought nothing, no maternity clothes.
She’s going to pull his shorts out and wear them.
It was all very thought out in an authentic way.
I wanted it to look and feel as real as it felt to me.
Matilda was born three weeks afteryou wrapped.
Was there a plan in place had you gone into labor during filming?
We were worried about that.
It was right on the verge.
They basically wrote in the exact amount of months that I was, and it worked out.
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InBased on a True Story,there are similarities toThe Flight Attendant.How is Ava different from Cassie?
This is more fun thanThe Flight Attendant.
Now we’ve got Ava, who’s like, This is what we’re doing.
These are good people who make a really poor decision.
We see that a lot, which is why I think why we love true crime.
Most of the time it’s a normal person doing something terrible.
At the end of this season, Ava and Nathan are as bad as the serial killer.
I mean, they will at some point be in as much trouble as he would be in.
It’s so fun having a husband on the show.
It really was me, Chris, and Tom Bateman working off each other.
It couldn’t have been more fun, even though there were some serious moments.
It was a blast.
Talk to me about working with Chris Messina.
How familiar were you with his previous roles?
Everyone is in love with Chris, and I get it.
He’s so special.
One scene came up wherehe was doing this crazy dance for her, and it was so funny.
He’s a brave, funny actor.
I don’t think he realizes how funny he is.
He always says, No.
I’m more of a serious guy.
I do these indies, and I do this and that.
I’m like, Chris, you are so hysterical.
You don’t give yourself enough credit.
The way he is really reminded me of being around John.
To me, that’s the biggest compliment I could give anybody.
That was a very special moment.
Anyway, he’s hysterical.
We laughed so hard while filming.
We’d go home exhausted, not from working, but from laughing all day.
I just loved him, and it was a great, great experience.
Hes a classically trained dancer.
He is a really good dancer.
It’s alcohol-, drug-induced with a lot of different people, and we dance.
It is so hysterical.
We’re like manically dancing.
Chris is actually very good.
He looks like a pro.
It was really fun to shoot.
He feels very comfortable dancing.
You’re very good at it too.You danced onBig Bang.
I just love to let loose.
I like to go crazy.
I’m not good by any means.
I just like to bounce around.
I remember those flash mobs you did.
You know what youre doing!
I wish we did that on this show.
Maybe, season two.
So will there be a season two?
It lends itself to that, for sure.
Chris and I obviously would love to do a season two.
We would absolutely be down for that.
As we know, Ava is obsessed with true crime.
What’s the deepest rabbit hole you’ve gone down?
Definitely my reality-TV obsession; right now it’sVanderpump Rules.
Each rabbit hole leads to another one, leads to this Instagram, leads to this post.
I have spent hours in bed at night being like, Oh my God.
Just kind of overindulging in that.
Does Tom [Pelphrey] share in this obsession?
Yes.I got him intoVanderpump Rules.
He’s not a reality guy, at all, but he knew I was watching this so intensely.
I said, Listen, let’s start a few seasons back.
If you’re not into it, it’s fine.
He’s so into it.
I probably would have made him do the same thing.
I hope I don’t see any spoilers.
It’s going to be so cool to have this moment in time.
I’ve grown up in front of the cameras.
I’ve been working since I was five years old.
To have this now, it’s like, It’s only natural to show this side.
I was very adamant about doing it this way.
