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Cuoco explained how hard it was to join the fantasy series during its final season
Brittany Miller Tuesday 03 March 2026 22:00 GMT- Bookmark
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Kaley Cuoco has spoken about what it was like to join the cast of Charmed toward the end of the series in 2005.
Speaking to Dax Shepard and Monica Padman during a recent episode of the Armchair Expert podcast, The Big Bang Theory alum was asked if it was accurate to describe her addition to the cast during the show’s final season as “dicey.”
“You know when you do so many things, and you just forget about terrible moments?” Cuoco began. “Imagine this: I've never met anyone. It's their gallery shoot,” she continued, explaining that a gallery shoot is a full day of taking cast photos. “I'm the new girl. You've got Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs. I've never met them. Think about that. I'm joining their family photo, and I'm 21.
“I walk in that gallery, and I am so freaking nervous. It's on their lunch break. They're all in the corners eating. I walk in, Alyssa Milano sees me, and — I will always tell this story about her — she got up, ran over to me, and welcomed me to the show, gave me the biggest hug in the world, so happy, so kind,” Cuoco said. “I will never forget that.”
However, not everyone gave the actor a warm welcome.
open image in galleryKaley Cuoco discussed one of her first days on the set of ‘Charmed’ noting how she couldn’t tell if Rose McGowan liked her (Getty Images)
open image in gallery‘It's a weird thing coming into a show with them in year eight, and I only did the one season,’ Cuoco said (CBS)“Rose [was] maybe not as happy. I don't know,” she said of McGowan, who took over for Shannen Doherty during season four. “I still don't know if she likes me. I don't know.
“But Alyssa was amazing,” Cuoco continued. “I was terrified. It's a weird thing coming into a show with them in year eight, and I only did the one season.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for McGowan for comment.
Cuoco joined the cast of the fantasy series after having finished filming the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules. She recalled feeling “the hottest I've ever been, by the way. I'm thinking I'm the coolest thing ever, but also terrified.”
She noted that because of her “weird” experience joining a television show so late into its run, she tried to carry Milano’s same warm demeanor to future additions to The Big Bang Theory cast.
“I think about that with Big Bang … We were on that show for 12 years. It's a weird - you know each other so well. So anyone that came in, I was very aware of like, this must be so weird for you,” she said. “I always remembered that from Alyssa.”
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