Kaley Cuoco's boyfriend didn't know she starred in The Big Bang Theory until confusing family dinner

She might have been in one of the biggest sitcoms ever, but Kaley Cuoco’s boyfriend didn’t even know that she was in it.

The Big Bang Theory star began dating fellow actor Tom Pelphrey last year, with the 41-year-old being ‘completely unaware’ of her role in the hit CBS comedy.

And, rather awkwardly, he didn’t realise until they went to a family dinner, where Cuoco had to step in to explain things.

What a big bazinga indeed.

CBS

Apparently, Pelphrey had been living on another planet whilst The Big Bang Theory was airing as the actor admitted that he’d not seen the show – which ran for 12 seasons.

In fact, it took him introducing Cuoco to his family for the penny to finally drop.

"Matter of fact, when I first brought Kaley to New Jersey to meet my family and friends, my mom's partner—who apparently was a Big Bang Theory fan—was there, and he kept calling her Penny," Pelphrey said in a recent interview with W Magazine.

Eager to understand what was happening as he had 'no clue what was going on', the 41-year-old then quizzed his girlfriend.

"So I pulled Kaley aside, like, 'I'm sorry, I don't understand what's happening. Why does he keep calling you Penny?' "She's like, 'That's my character in The Big Bang Theory.' I was completely unaware.”

He added: “I've watched a few episodes with her since, and, obviously, she's fantastic."

Pelphrey certainly has got a lot to catch up on, as there are over 270 episodes of the CBS comedy with a total runtime of 139 hours and 30 minutes.

However, it’s not just The Big Bang Theory that he’s hoping to binge-watch.

Instagram/Kaley Cuoco

Pelphrey also admitted that he had never seen Cuoco in 'anything' - including some of her early appearances in 8 Simple Rules and Charmed.

However, the Monk star gave a reason as to why he missed out on so many good TV shows before meeting his other half.

He said: "Look, I live in a cave. Before I met Kaley, I was living in upstate New York, on a dirt road, in the middle of the woods, without much Wi-Fi.”

“She's brought me into modern times," he joked.

With the couple having only just welcomed their first child, it is unlikely that Pelphrey will get to relax in front of the TV any time soon though.

Still, we do love a supportive partner.

Topics: Celebrity, TV and Film, US News, Kaley Cuoco

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

@ksidnell