Why Sharon Stone Slapped Kaley Cuoco Multiple Times On Set
During her 12-year run on "The Big Bang Theory," Kaley Cuoco had the opportunity to work with some iconic faces that guest-starred on the CBS hit sitcom. While playing Penny, the pretty bartender and aspiring actor who lived next door to geeky scientists, Cuoco co-starred alongside the likes of Laurie Metcalf, George Takei, Keith Carradine, and Charlie Sheen, Insider noted. And actors weren't the only big shots to waltz through the show's set — with comic writing legend Stan Lee, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, former basketball star Rick Fox, and even Stephen Hawking gracing viewers with their presence.
While a star in her own right, Cuoco was in her 20s and early 30s when she starred in the show, so getting to rub shoulders with icons from different fields was a big plus. "Tonight! It's finally here!! The man himself. Bill Gates meets @thebigbangtheory__ DON'T MISS IT," Cuoco raved on Instagram in March 2018, announcing the Microsoft founder's cameo in Season 11.
"The Big Bang Theory" is done and over with, but Cuoco continues to expand her own fame — and to work with legendary names. In 2020, she took the helm on HBO Max's black comedy thriller "The Flight Attendant." In January 2022, Cuoco was joined by none other than Sharon Stone, who portrays her character's mother throughout Season 2. Their relationship is, well, complex — leading to Stone slapping Cuoco not one, but several times on set.
Kaley Cuoco approved Sharon Stone's moves
Kaley Cuoco's Cassie and Sharon Stone's Lisa don't always see eye-to-eye on HBO Max's "The Flight Attendant." That's putting it mildly, as Lisa slaps her daughter across the face in one episode. The problem with the scene? Cuoco didn't see it coming. Stone decided to get physical right then and there, Cuoco said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 18. The only warning "The Big Bang Theory" alum had was Stone asking her beforehand if she felt comfortable with being touched. "I said, 'Whatever you want to do Sharon. You are Sharon Stone,'" Cuoco told Kimmel.
Well, the "Basic Instinct" star felt her onscreen daughter needed more than touching. "She grabs my face and she whacks me," Cuoco laughed. But the scene needed another take. "I said, 'Listen, I'm going to bet that woman is not slapping me again. Do not tell Sharon Stone not to slap me. She is not going to do it again.'" She was wrong. And she was wrong a third time when they shot the scene again. "'Now I need to ice ...' It was insane," she told Kimmel.
While getting "b**** slapped" wasn't in the script, Cuoco is still as incredulous about working with Stone as she was when she announced it in January. "Welp, I can finally share this news .. hi mom , I [love] you [Sharon Stone] seriously what life am I living?!" Cuoco wrote on Instagram. The actors are clearly on good terms, even with the surprise slap.
Sharon Stone followed up with Kaley Cuoco on the slap
A few days after Kaley Cuoco shared her experience of being slapped by the one-and-only Sharon Stone for "The Flight Attendant," she had more to share. Cuoco and her co-star Rosie Perez were on "Watch What Happens Live" when host Andy Cohen addressed the slap once again. When asked if she had heard from Stone since the story went public, Cuoco indeed had an update.
"She sent me an amazing text. She said she was sweating bullets watching the interview, and I was like, 'I said it with love. You gifted me with the best story of all time,'" Cuoco shared, per Daily Mail. With nerves put at ease, Stone sent her TV daughter, "'You're welcome,'" and expressed "she had the best time shooting the show," according to Cuoco.
The unscripted slap has even impressed the "Flight Attendant" team. Executive producer Natalie Chaidez explained to Digital Spy, "Sharon was not soft. She was not holding any punches. She was right there with Kaley." Chaidez praised Cuoco's ability to roll with the surprise of the slap. She added, "That moment between these two women is so deep, and it's so painful, and there's so much that's unresolved ... It's just a great, great scene." Despite nailing the emotional complexity of their mother-daughter relationship on-screen, Stone and Cuoco got off to a sweet start when they first met.
Kaley Cuoco gave Sharon Stone a funny gift
Before the big slap, Kaley Cuoco was thrilled when Sharon Stone joined the cast of "The Flight Attendant." She noted seeing the items her co-star needed in the dressing room, which included coffee and a mug, per TV Insider. Cuoco instantly had an idea. She is also a huge coffee lover and even shared with Woman's Day in 2020, "I go to bed thinking about what coffee I'm going to have in the morning and what mug I'm going to use." As it turns out, coffee mugs — specifically customized ones — are one of Cuoco's passions.
During the interview with TV Insider, she explained that in addition to collecting mugs, she and her assistant make them for gifts with pictures and other customizable features. Having never met Stone before, Cuoco knew exactly how to make a first impression. "I was like, 'this is my moment, oh my god, this is it,'" she said to the outlet. That's right, there are two mugs out there (because Cuoco had to keep one for herself) with a Cuoco-Stone "mother-daughter" design reminiscent of a picture you get taken when "you go to the mall."
Cuoco's excitement of the small, very specific gift is hilarious, especially with her fear of Stone thinking the gesture was weird. Lucky for her, Stone thought the mug "was brilliant," proving to be an excellent kick-off to their time together on set before the heavy character drama and spontaneous slaps rolled out.