The second season of The Flight Attendant is premiering tomorrow night! Kaley Cuoco is making the promotional rounds for the show. She’s clearly very proud of her work on this show — she found the book and got the show made through her production company, Yes, Norman Productions. Kaley recently spoke to Glamour about a few topics, including her personal life. This week, she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to talk about rescue animals and work, including her appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm and working with Sharon Stone on The Flight Attendant. Here’s some of what she told Kimmel, and the video is below.
On her latest rescue animal
Easter was awesome. Got a couple new rescue animals to add to the family. I rescued a zonkey yesterday. I’m insane. It has zebra legs and a donkey body. It goes he-haw like a donkey. I think it’s got a little more donkey. Her name is Zonkey. We rescued her from a very bad situation. My team got her.I have so many [rescue animals]. I don’t think I’m allowed to say [how many] because I think it’s at hoarding level and I’m afraid they are going to come take them away. I would say it’s more than 20. All farm animals at this point.
How Sharon Stone ended up playing her mom
She was a fan of the show and she heard we were casting my mom. She actually called casting [and left a voicemail]. We did the deal and all of a sudden she was my mom.Sharon Stone slapped her three times unscripted
We had these very intense scenes… very emotional. Before we started the scene she [asked] ‘how do you feel about me touching you in this scene?’‘Whatever you want to do, you are Sharon Stone.’ We do the take and at the end she’s supposed to say something very serious to me and walk out. She says this line to me, she grabs my face [and] whacks me. I had snot coming out, I’m crying, literally shaking, “cut.”
Sharon comes back ‘I love you, I didn’t mean to do that, it just felt right for the scene.’ I just got bitch slapped.
We do another take, crying, she comes up to me, she wails on me again. [I think] ‘Sharon Stone isn’t going to slap me a third time, we got it.’ We do the take again, she gets right in there. Slaps me again. Three times I got slapped. I need to ice [my cheek].
[From Jimmy Kimmel Live on YouTube]
Kaley’s production company is actually named after her beloved dog, Norman, who passed away last year. Kaley has adopted multiple senior dogs and apparently has many animals including horses, dogs, a bunny, a goat, piglets, a rooster, and now a zonkey. The zonkey story is pretty cool. I’ve never heard of that hybrid before. It looked more donkey than zebra in the picture, but it had those cool striped legs. I think it’s really nice when celebs with the space and resources adopt a bunch of animals and give them nice lives. Miley Cyrus and Martha Stewart also come to mind. I know people who have ducks and chickens and it seems like a lot of work for them, but Kaley and these other celebs surely have people that help care for their animals. In theory, I would want to do something similar if I had the means, but in practice my cat would definitely not allow any other animals in her home.
The way Kaley tells the Sharon Stone slap story is… interesting. She tells it like she’s fine with it now and is happy with the end result, but I detect a slight undercurrent of “wtf.” And honestly, wtf?! I find that story kind of appalling. I would be so pissed. Sharon asked Kaley if she was okay with her touching her face, which is appropriate, but then proceeds to slap her without warning or consent, not once, but three times. And apologizes after each time, saying that it felt right for the scene. Okay, if that’s what feels right for the scene you can still ask and do another take where everyone is prepared. Sharon didn’t have to unexpectedly slap her to force a real reaction out of Kaley since they are actors and they can act like they are surprised. None of the slaps were necessary, but the third one where the coverage wasn’t even on Kaley was extra unnecessary! Obviously the crew and producers knew it wasn’t right from their reaction, and Kaley should have let them say something to Sharon if she didn’t want to do it herself. Jimmy was right when he was like “um, maybe she’s not the best person.” Kaley needed to ice her face! Kaley can laugh it off now, but she was clearly shook in the moment and hopefully she finds the end result worth it because I sure wouldn’t.
This is not Kaley’s zonkey, but hers looks like this.
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- WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 12: Kaley Cuoco attends the Los Angeles Season 2 Premiere of the HBO Max Original Series “The Flight Attendant” at Pacific Design Center on April 12, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.
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- WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 12: Kaley Cuoco attends the Los Angeles Season 2 Premiere of the HBO Max Original Series “The Flight Attendant” at Pacific Design Center on April 12, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.
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- WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 12: Kaley Cuoco attends the Los Angeles Season 2 Premiere of the HBO Max Original Series “The Flight Attendant” at Pacific Design Center on April 12, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.
photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
She’s living my dream life,lol! I’d love to own a farm and rescue animals. And I really wish people would stop interbreeding different species. I’m glad Zonkey has a good life now.
After reading Sharon’s memoir, the woman is bonkers and probably not fun to be around BUT she has a very interesting mind and I think a good heart. She has been through a LOT that makes me feel for her too. Complex feelings about her!
Kaley though, haven’t seen her in a thing but every press I read from her makes me love her more! She seems a bit kooky? And a complete sweetheart obviously. I really should watch flight attendant, I’ve only heard great things.
I don’t have any problem at all with her adopting rescue animals, she clearly has the space and the money to look after them properly. I think that story about Sharon Stone slapping her is bonkers. If Sharon were a man I’m pretty sure no one would be ok with it, and I don’t think it becomes ok just because she’s Sharon Stone.
I’ve always thought Kate Hudson reminds me of her mom on screen but Kaley is bringing strong Goldie vibes in that clip from the new season.
I don’t think Kaley is truly okay with being slapped three times or at all but also still really respects Sharon Stone as an actor and person and told the story to work through all of it.
I’d love to hang out with Kaley at a party. I think she’s good at impressions and very funny and fun.
Zonkeys are so cute! Also, I’m looking forward to season 2.
One of my close friends is in the equestrian world with Kaley, even went to her wedding to Karl Cook. From the way she talks about her, it’s almost like she works JUST TO be able to afford all the work she does with animals. She obviously has passion for her acting career, but animals are her #1.
I love that about her.
It takes a lot of trouble for something like a zonkey to exist, and it’s usually because someone wants to display odd animals for a profit. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one was in a bad situation.
If Kaley wants to pay people to look after all these rescues, it sounds like everyone benefits.
Her rescue work is wonderful! If I had the money, I would have a cat sanctuary and/or a safe place for reactive dogs. And people who interbreed species only do it for ego or money. I could rant for days about how unethical it is.
Right with you on that rant, Willow. I guess I’ll make an exception for mules, especially ones that are still used as work animals. But mules are the offspring of two domestic animals. People who breed lions to tigers or donkeys to zebras or wolves to dogs don’t have anyone’s best interests in mind.
If I had the money, I would absolutely set up a sanctuary for elderly cats who would otherwise struggle to find homes.
I like Kaley, and love her new series. I love her work with animals. I saw her on GMA this morning. She was in the studio and on just before ASkars. I don’t know if he was in the same studio, but I was thinking “go hit that Kaley”. lol