Kaley Cuoco became a household name thanks to The Big Bang Theory. Everyone loved the actress’ portrayal of Penny in the series and the character’s relationships with other members of the group. With TBBT and other projects, Kaley Cuoco proved why she is one of the most lovable actresses of today.
Kaley Cuoco also starred in The Flight Attendant where she was joined by actress Sharon Stone who played her mother. Now, Sharon Stone has been in the industry for a long time and she knows what works for a scene, prompting her to sometimes improvise on the spot. The Flight Attendant was no exception when she suddenly slapped Kaley Cuoco across the face, three times, for a scene just because it felt right.
Kaley Cuoco Got Slapped By Sharon Stone
While filming a ten-minute-long emotional scene for The Flight Attendant, which was shown in season 2 episode 6 of the series, Kaley Cuoco was left stunned at the hands of Sharon Stone. Cuoco and Stone play the role of Cassie and Lisa respectively. The daughter-mother duo does not see eye-to-eye and their relationship is, well, complicated.
During her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cuoco recalled how Stone slapped her across the face while filming a scene, without her knowledge. The only heads-up Stone gave Cuoco was asking her beforehand if she was okay with Stone touching the younger actress. She stated,
“I think one of our scenes was 10 minutes long, and it’s very emotional. Before we started the scene, she sat me down and said, ‘Hey how do you feel about me touching you in this scene?’ I said ‘Whatever you want to do, you are Sharon Stone.'”
The Basic Instinct actress, while filming, felt that the scene needed more and “b*tch slapped” Cuoco.
Cuoco stated,
“It’s this very long emotional scene, and at the end of the scene, she’s supposed to come up and say something very serious to me, and walk out. She’s supposed to say, ‘I like you, but I don’t love you very much.’ She says this line to me and she grabs my face and she whacks me! The reaction was about as real as you could get.”
Cuoco remembered how the slap was so real that it even shocked the cameraman who had to do a double-take. Stone’s improvisation left the entire set in a state of shock. When she came back to Cuoco, she gave a clarification and Cuoco being the professional she is, reacted very positively.
“I have snot coming out my nose, I’m crying, I’m literally shaking and they’re like ‘Cut!’ And no one moves, no one makes a sound, no one knows, ‘Is Kaley happy? Did she tell Sharon to slap her?’ So Sharon comes back and she says. ‘Oh, my God, I love you, I didn’t mean to do that, it just seemed right for the scene.’ I said, ‘That was incredible! Like woah! I just got b*tch slapped by Sharon Stone!’”
However, the crew had to do two more takes, and each time, the Meet Cute actress was sure Stone wouldn’t slap her again. To her surprise, the actress did exactly the opposite, leaving Cuoco more and more stunned each time. In the third take, the camera wasn’t even on Cuoco’s character!
The Flight Attendant Producer Praises the Scene
In an interview with Digital Spy, The Flight Attendant’s producer, Natalie Chaidez talked about the scene stating that Stone was not one to hold back any of her punches. She also praised Cuoco for being a professional.
“Sharon was not soft. She was not holding any punches. She was right there with Kaley. And to see, also, Kaley rise up to Sharon’s performance, and the moment of the slap – which was like, shock ripples. It’s uncompromising.”
Chaidez went on to praise the raw and emotional scene calling it one of the most amazing scenes in television history.
“That moment between these two women is so deep, and it’s so painful, and there’s so much that’s unresolved. It’s just one of the most amazing scenes on television. It’s just a great, great scene.”
The Flight Attendant season one and two have great Rotten Tomatoes scores of 97% and 86% respectively. Both seasons have been met with positive reviews from critics who praised Cuoco for her performance. Both Cuoco and the show were nominated at the Golden Globe Awards.
You can stream The Flight Attendant on Max.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
