There’s no denying that this star is the queen of TV shows. After being in the entertainment biz since she was a kid and pioneering CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” as Penny, going into that IMDB page yields an impressive amount of titles. Beyond the sheer number of series that she’s tackled in recent years, the quality is usually on point. Still, even winners are bound to suffer from losses — here are all the best and worst TV roles that Kaley Cuoco has starred in.
Worst: Kristin in the Nightmare Room
We got to see baby Kristin do her best in this teen horror anthology, and while it starred plenty of teen Disney heartthrobs, it was pretty campy and the acting roles matched. For millennials, this is the ultimate throwback with stars like Brenda Song, Shia LaBeouf and the Sprouse twins. In the show, Kaley stars as a mean girl who aims to ruin the life of the protagonist. Her IMDb ratings will show you what people really thought of the show.
Best: Heidi in Curb Your Enthusiasm
Getting a role in this hilarious show is no easy feat, but Kaley certainly pulled her weight as Heidi, a guest star in season 11 who stars as Larry David’s optometrist. Like many of the characters in the show, she’s forced to put up with his long-winded complaints and general pessimistic attitude towards life and encounters. Their back-and-forth was a memorable one, and Kaley said that being on the show was on her bucket list.
Worst: Bonnie in Ladies Man
You might not remember this sitcom from the early 2000s, and that’s probably because it was short-lived. Based on a family full of women and a man living with them, this comedic show had potential (mostly from the fact that Betty White was its shining star) and Kaley took over in the show as the eldest daughter Bonnie Stiles, who was previously played by Shawna Waldron. Fans don’t usually love mid-series actor replacements, which was ultimately what put this show down the drain along with poor critic reviews.
Best: Bridget in 8 Simple Rules
Shortly after playing Bonnie in “Ladies Man,” Kaley starred in a more successful show. This was one of the shows that really put her on the public’s radar, even though it only lasted three seasons. “8 Simple Rules” won the 2003 Teen Choice Award for the show, which helped prove her talent and helped her skyrocket to rockstar status in Hollywood.
Worst: Kirstee in Bratz
Many people don’t know this, but Kaley starred as the voice-over for Kirstee in Bratz. She did so for the 2005 animated series, a 2013 TV movie and video games. She was one-half of the Tweevil Twins and even though these dolls did great as a toy franchise, their animated series was a low-quality, choppy work that wasn’t exactly watchable. Combined with a lack of originality, this antagonist isn’t one of her best roles.
Best: Brandy in Brandy & Mr. Whiskers
Not all her animated roles were a flop — she played Brandy in this Disney Original theory. It’s an underrated role that true Cuoco fans know — the animated series is about a valley girl dog and hyperactive rabbit who get stranded in the Amazon rainforest following a plane crash. We’re secretly hoping for a comeback since you can’t find this short-lived series anywhere online.
Worst: Pool Water in Young Sheldon
Although being the star of “the Big Bang Theory” was Kaley’s best career moment, the spinoff was not nearly as good. In a scene of “Young Sheldon,” she plays the voice of a large pool, speaking to Sheldon when he’s scared to swim in a bacteria-filled gym pool. We’re confused as to why she would have a role in this show, and while she did a great pool voice cameo, this was a head-scratcher.
Best: Sasha in Prison Break
With a two-episode arc on the Fox show “Prison Break,” Kaley starred in one of her first serious roles with this show that follows the lives of two brothers on the run after breaking out of a high-security prison. Cuoco’s character was small and insignificant in the overall show, but it was well-acted with compassion and one of her first roles tackling someone with a troubled life.
Worst: Misty in Secrets of a Small Town
This show helped bring attention to many young Hollywood stars-to-be, including Lucy hale and Leighton Meester. Even Meghan Markle had a role in the series. and while her acting wasn’t terrible in this, the show didn’t make it past a pilot episode, so it’s kind of obligatory that we put this on the list, even though it pains us.
Best: Harley Quinn
Her first foray into HBO Max, Kaley Cuoco starred front and center in this show as the mischievous Harley herself. The show actually came from Cuoco’s own production company and focuses on Harley after she’s moved past the Joker and goes on her own adventures with Poison Ivy. It’s an animated series filled with female empowerment and depth, and the actress brings the rowdiness with one of her best roles ever.
Worst: Billie in Charmed
Although “Charmed” had tons of talented actresses, Kaley’s role as Billie Jenkins depicted her as the newest witch on the block, looking for her long-lost sister Christy. New additions to the cast of a long-running show aren’t always embraced, and while a successful role on “Charmed” would have been awesome for her resume, it’s not what she’s best known for.
Best: Penny in Big Bang Theory
Without a doubt, this is Kaley Cuoco’s best role — the fact that it ran for 12 seasons is proof of that! It makes up the biggest portion of her career and was also one of the most watched, successful sitcoms for the entirety of her career. She’s a foil for her nerdy yet brilliant co-stars, and she helped make the series what it is today.
Worst: Amanda in 10.5
Although the plot was one of a disaster movie, this movie unintentionally was a disaster in its own right. Many of the reviews lead us to put this on our worst list — although it’s fun, it’s also terrible, and many considered it to be a rip-off of similar films in the same genre. Still, it’s a solid good bad movie to hate-watch!
Best: Cassie in The Flight Attendant
This might be a controversial statement, but “The Flight Attendant” is by far Kaley Cuoco’s best role. Sure, it’s not the lighthearted comedy we’re used to seeing from the actress, but we’ve never seen her show as much range or talent as she does in this role, which depicts her as a messy party animal who one day wakes up next to a dead body and has to solve the murder in order to prove her own innocence.
