Transcript

How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey

From Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 13 min · 3,046 words · 75 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey", an episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard published February 10, 2026 (13 min, about 3,046 words). It mentions 4 people, works and ideas, including Ozark, Flight Attendant, Chuck-E-Cheese, Harry Potter.

What this episode is about

Kaley Cuoco shares the story of how she met Tom Pelphrey, revealing the role of their mutual manager in their introduction after Cuoco was navigating her divorce. Despite initially rejecting the idea of meeting Pelphrey, circumstances brought them together during a promotional event for her show "Flight Attendant," leading to the start of their relationship.

Key takeaways

  • Divorce blues met Hollywood thrills: life highlights can come after the lowest lows.
  • Sometimes the universe conspires; a manager’s matchmaking may just save your heart.
  • Rumored romances can blossom into solid connections—just ask the dog-loving, non-selfie types!
  • Awkward social media stalking: liking a post from 2010 might ruin your modern romance.
  • A laugh can be a beacon in the chaos; sometimes love finds you in a theater line.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 3:00: Flight Attendant, Ozark
  2. – 6:00: Ozark
  3. – 9:00: Harry Potter
  4. – 12:00: Chuck-E-Cheese
  5. – 13:27: Chuck-E-Cheese

Notable quotes from "How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey"

  • Actually have a few different people I'll see in New York. One of them is Tom. There was a premiere for Ozark. He was and she was going to go. So she goes, We can go to that…
    about Ozark · at
  • Down for the premiere and so the next night I had plans I totally like ditched my friends. We had plans to go to Harry Potter the musical gave Monica a seizure.
    about Harry Potter · at
  • Yeah. Like people know you. We take Matilda a lot to Chuck-E-Cheese and Tom always goes you don't have to come tonight. I go no of course I want to come. And he and I'll be like why do.
    about Chuck-E-Cheese · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

Books & papers

  • Flight Attendant — Book · Referenced work · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as part of the speaker's professional activities and personal narrative during a difficult time in her life.
    Cut to four months later. I'm bringing her as my plus one to New York to promote Flight Attendant.

Places & events

  • Chuck-E-Cheese — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as a place the speaker and her family visit, highlighting her obliviousness to fame in everyday settings.

Media & podcasts

  • Ozark — Media · Referenced work · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of a premiere event attended by the speaker, which was a significant moment in her personal story.
  • Harry Potter — Media · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in passing as part of the speaker's social plans, indicating her priorities during a significant personal moment.

Full transcript with timestamps

So, I want to know the progression. So, we have the same manager. Okay. Very true your Hollywood story.

I was obviously going through a divorce uh however many years ago and we do need to talk about that because we were so into Carl. You wouldn't remember our interview. You remember how into Carl we were

because Carl she was married to Carl at the moment. Yes. And he was an equestrian.

He wanted a gold medal this last year. So, he did something at the Olympic. He's amazing. I have not a single bad thing to say about

Well, we were so into Carl that that that Rob came in one morning and he goes, "You guys, Carl's really meant something." Do you remember all that?

I I actually do. I remember talking to you about it. I remember talking about it. So, I was getting divorced and my manager maybe 6 months later said,

"You got to meet, we just signed this new guy. You got to meet him." So, 6 months and I said, "I'm not ready." No. And I shut it down. And by the way, I've been with my manager and my entire team since I was 15 years old. So those are family to me. So she brings it up to me. I'm like, "No, I'm not going to. It's doesn't feel right yet." So she goes, "Noted." So cut to four cuts to April. Cut to four months later. I'm bringing her as my plus one to New York to promote Flight Attendant.

Yeah. And she goes, "Oh, this is great. I actually have a few different people I'll see in New York. One of them is is Tom. There was a premiere for Ozark. He was and she was going to go." So she goes, "We can go to that together." So, she's saying all this to me and I'm kind of she's not scheming, but I I remember she was this is the guy she mentioned before.

Now, mind you, two weeks before I left for that, I guess you called a press store, but to promote Flight Attendant season 2, two weeks before I got there,

I was it was the we hadn't had a premiere for season 1 because of CO. So, season two for flight, it was very exciting. We got to like actually go out and do stuff. But I'll never forget, I was laying on the floor of this house that I shared with Carl. We were obviously divorced, divorcing, and it was the day of the premiere and I was on the floor sobbing,

thinking I ruined my whole life. Yeah. No, like I was the low that is the lowest point in my life I ever had. I couldn't get up.

I was so depressed. I thought I blew up my life. Like what am I gonna [ __ ] do now? And then then you've got this weird the other side the premiere of my show tonight. This is the weirdest like juxip is that what you call the other side.

I was so I could not my hair makeup girls came over. They were literally doing my hair and makeup on the floor. I said I can't go. I can't I can't I was so sad. I was so sad. I think cuz I had had so many my path for me was so complicated and I just thought, "Oh man, this might have been it for me." Like this is it for me. And then you're older cuz you're and then you're worried I'll never find love again.

Everything was so heartwrenching. It was horrible. So I knew two weeks later we're going to New York to pro the show and my manager says, you know, we're going to you want to go to premiere Ozark with me? We'll see. We can meet Tom. And I was like, she's still trying to set me up with this guy. Like I don't think. So I decide to go on Instagram and I only look him up. So I look him up and I see he's got this I look him up and he's like kind of looks like he's living up in the woods and he's got these dogs and I'm like oh there's a dog I like. So I'm like looking looking I still have not met him. I know nothing.

But I do you know when you go real deep and you get afraid you're going to like something from like 200 so I'm like do not touch this phone.

You have to scroll on the very right side of it. You cannot be anywhere near that heart button. sitting on my hands. Like if you like something from 2010, this is going to be so embarrassing.

Busted. Oh lordy. So I scan, scan, scan, scan. And I get this feeling that I'm going to spend my life with him. And I texted my best friend, Zasha, in that moment. She still has it. And I said, "This is crazy, but I have to put it in writing. I think I'm going to meet the man I'm going to spend my life with. She has it." She goes, "What do you mean?" I'm like, "Just just keep this text."

And it was Tom. Wow. And I met him two weeks later. Now, how much did the German Shepherd play a role?

Loved that. That's a big be a dog lover with me. Yeah, that was a big one. Also, he kind of lived like he looked very like

out in like the wood. A lot of people did. Well, again, it wasn't like he was like selfie guy. It was more like where is he? He was very

right. Not actor. Yes, that's what we're really saying. He did not look actor. Yeah. And he looked and I knew he had done some, you know, I also want to be with an actor. You better be a good [ __ ] actor. This is also a tough thing.

That's right. So, I'm like, okay, he's done some cool. He's cool. Like, he's not trying. He's cool.

Yeah. So, you know, I was thinking about it. I go, "Oh my god, maybe things are about to get better."

So, she takes me to the premiere and I'm like still like thinking, I can't believe I'm going to meet this guy tonight. But I'm waiting. I'm We get there and I'm in line bathroom and I hear this like he has a very loud laugh. It's He has a lovely laugh. It's It's I You hear it from my wife and I I heard his laugh and I like And I heard him say, "So, where is this Kaye?"

He says it to my manager and I like turn around and he and I look up at him and he gives me this big smile and I'm like, "I'm right here."

Oh, this is like such a romcom. I've been here the whole time. huge hug. I'm right here.

That was it. Wow. And then you guys were just in. Yeah. So, we go into the theater and he's sitting in front. Now, they're showing two episodes of Ozark. This is a long night.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Now, we all want to watch Ozark, but right now all I want to do is [ __ ] flirt my ass off with this guy who is sitting in front of me who did not look back once.

He So, I kept thinking, "Oh my god." And I'm dying cuz I'm like he's really not going to turn around for 2 and 1 half hours and we laugh about it now cuz he's like that whole time I was like don't look back don't sitting right behind him.

So we go to the after party. I was so silly. We go to the after party. We're just kind of shy

and after like 2 hours of like not much conversation he finally like sits next to me. And by the way my sister who was happened to be there too. And she my sister's so gorgeous. She looked so hot that night and I was like, "Bri, can you please if he goes for you tonight?"

Like, "Please put something on." She looked down. She was laughing. She's like, "Oh my god." I'm like, "Just get them out of here." So, luckily, he didn't go for her. So, he comes and Yeah. He says, "Hey, how much longer are you here?" I said, "A few more days." And he like, "I'd love to take you out tomorrow night." So, we did.

Was he living there or he was just in town for the premiere as well? He lives his New York. Yeah. So he drove down for the premiere and so the next night I had plans I totally like ditched my friends. We had plans to go to Harry Potter the musical gave Monica a seizure.

You probably avoided a seizure so don't worry. I I mean we went I left intermission. I said guys I got to go meet this guy. And they're like you're leaving us for that. I'm like and I planned the whole night. I

Harry I got to go see the guy. So we did. I jumped out. We had we had tea in the lobby of the hotel.

Where was he? What hotel? I was at the Whippy. So he met me there. It's my favorite hotel. And so we had tea

and I saw this is so bad. But he had like a pack of cigarettes. This is so bad.

Yeah. Good for And I was like, it's hot. And I think he thought I would be like, ew.

And I was like, I'll have one of those. He was like, you will? You think it shocked you? There was something about it. It's so bad. But I was like, and he got so excited that I'd like have a smoke with him. And we did. of smoke and it was like he was like trying to hide them. It was like his that's like his one little vibe.

Sure. So, how do you then work out the fact that he's up in the woods in New York and you're in

It was tough. Our biggest Yeah. Well, we got pregnant like an hour later. This is the congress.

We knew which is wild cuz I never thought I would like have kids. You didn't? Oh, you didn't think so?

I always loved him, but I felt like I missed the mark. And then with my ex, I was like I I I realized I I kept thinking I didn't want kids with him or I don't know what it was or my I don't know something was missing. I knew it wasn't right for that.

Yeah. I thought that's that's okay. I love my work. I was really okay with that. You

got your animal. I was fine. I I think deep down I wasn't fine. But I met Tom. We both wanted it so bad. And then we got pregnant easily and we were so excited. And I said, "What are we going to do?" Like you live there, I live here.

Yeah. and he said he would move to LA. And luckily, like I was telling you guys, I live so far outside of LA that he was attracted to that area. Now, I will tell you, the hardest thing that it's been is his move out here. He he hates LA.

Oh, really? Not an LA guy. He's a New Yorker, but you have the funds to split this up a bit.

And we do. No, we totally do. And he's been, you know, look, one of us was gonna have to give up. I'm not I love New York, but my family's all here. His family's there. That's a tough I've never dealt with that before. Yeah.

And so that's been I know that's been hard. And he's also not um he's the most brilliant actor, but he's not a Hollywood guy. Thank God. I'm not a Hollywood girl, but I'm in it,

right? Whether I am or not. Yeah. You're very not a Hollywood. But it's also splashed around.

And it's been my life for so long that I am so used to what this life brings. And he's he's the actor's actor. He wants to do the acting thing without all the other stuff. because he's always just I just roll through and I don't care.

Yeah. And it for him he's like I it's not his scene. Well, I would argue that you have worked so much that you you had to develop that like I just [ __ ] keep moving, roll forward because what else am I going to do? he hasn't been doing it for so long.

And I don't think there was ever a choice in that. Like I've always had that attitude. There's never been like a minute where I'm like I need to really like it just was this.

Now I will say so I've been really curious uh post Big Bang. Obviously you've you've have an agenda which I dig which is like you've been really doing like action mystery. This thing is a thriller Vanished. As much as you're like, "Yeah, show up and do the thing." Are you like, "Well, now I want to do a bunch of stuff I didn't get to do." It feels like there's an agenda.

It's kind of looks like that, it's not necessarily, it's just what you were interested in or landed in front of you or

look, this is this business has gotten so [ __ ] weird and difficult and hard and like there's not a lot of great stuff. Like, it's like

if there was just a million great like it's harder now. It's harder to make things. It's harder to, you know, there's so much television yet at the same time it's so complicated.

And now here's a really nosy gross question, but what is it like to go from making an insane amount of money back down to making like a good amount of money?

Is it an adjustment? I don't think about that. I should think about it more, but I don't. I live the same as I did 20 years ago. Now it's different, too. like with a child like it's there's different elements now but like

but I like the way that I live. I don't want to change that way that I live. Yes.

It's the same way though where I'm and Tom and I have talked about this a lot cuz I'm so um

what's I was going to say brave. That's not the right word. I'll I'll like I'm I don't remember I'm I don't remember who that I am anyone. So I do things like oblivious. I am

I am so oblivious and yet I've listened to so much true crime. I'm also very aware. So like gonna be behind me that I know.

Hyper vigilant but oblivious but oblivious. You just forget you're famous. I 1,000. So I do things that are that he will be like what are you doing?

Yeah. Like people know you. We take Matilda a lot to Chuck-E-Cheese and Tom always goes you don't have to come tonight. I go no no no of course I want to come. And he and I'll be like why do you not want me to come? He's like, "No, every time you come," he's like, "Do you understand what what happens at Chuck-E-Cheese?" Like, and I laugh and I go,

"Oh, like I swear to God, and I really mean this. I don't even think about it."

And you don't remember the last trip to Chucky. Zero in memory. I just remember having so much fun at Chuck-E-Cheese. Like, I'm not even thinking.

Are people coming up to you or are they just everyone just looking at you? I get a little weird.

They're definitely filming. They're filming, you know. And again, I don't care. Yeah. You're just not paying attention.

Good for you. It's so healthy. I don't care. I wish I could let that go. I know. I know. It's It's um I don't care.

Does it [ __ ] up, Tom? I get this weird protective like, "Hey y'all, my kids are around. Don't [ __ ] point a camera." Like, that kind of irks me.

Yes. Yes. Me, I'm fine. You could You could film me taking a [ __ ] if you find me at the airport. But But if I'm with my kids,

he's protective for sure. And again, he doesn't like that side of it. Yes. Yeah, it's a gross.

It is gross. And I just don't I don't notice it. Like he doesn't like it's award show. He's like, "This is what are we doing?" And I'm there. I'm like, "Oh my god, I get to wear like the cutest dress." Like I'm thinking

you're seeing friends you've known over the years. Yeah. And I get it. I'm looking at it through his eyes. I'm like, "No, this is really [ __ ] up. We're going to like these weird popularity contests." Yeah.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey"?

Kaley Cuoco (Guest), Dax Shepard (Host).

What is "How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey" about?

Kaley Cuoco shares the story of how she met Tom Pelphrey, revealing the role of their mutual manager in their introduction after Cuoco was navigating her divorce. Despite initially rejecting the idea of meeting Pelphrey, circumstances brought them together during a promotional event for her show "Flight Attendant," leading to the start of their relationship.

What is mentioned in this Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard episode?

4 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Ozark, Flight Attendant, Chuck-E-Cheese, Harry Potter. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "How Kaley Cuoco Met Tom Pelphrey"?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 3,046 words in 75 timestamped sections.

More from Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 11, 2026.