Kaley Cuoco asked producers on the Flight Attendant for help during her divorce

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf6u1t7ONyZ/

Kaley Cuoco has had a lot going on this year. The second season of The Flight Attendant aired on HBO Max and she was nominated for the Best Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy. She was recently cast in a true-crime project for Peacock, has a Doris Day limited series in the works, and voices Harley Quinn for HBO Max. Kaley also finalized her second divorce, started a new relationship with Ozark actor Tom Pelphrey (but they won’t be getting married), and adopted a zonkey. Kaley sat down with Variety and talked about her recent projects and personal life, and how the two affected each other.

Working through her divorce: It was one of the hardest years of my life. Not only personally, but doing this character that was so tormented. It was the first time that I started therapy — I’ve been very open about that. I started at the beginning of Season 2, just because I was going through so much right before we started shooting. It was horrible. And I developed a stress rash that ran all the way down my body for three straight months that wouldn’t go away. I literally, like, had fire on my leg for three months. I could barely walk.

Having co-star Zosia Mamet move in with her: I really needed someone with me. I was really losing my mind. And then so many of these scenes were so hard to do because they were so hateful, so sad, and so dark, and there wasn’t a lot of levity. She did. She had an Airbnb, and it only lasted so long. And I was like, “Why don’t you just move in with me?” Like, it was the loneliest I’ve ever felt, and I am not really someone to share that.

Asking producers for help: I’ve been very open about it, because I think for the first time, I wanted people to know that things just aren’t always what they seem. And things aren’t always so perfect. One month in, I had an intervention on myself in my trailer — all my producers were in there. And I said, “I need help.” It was interesting to say that out loud. And to have everyone be like, “Yes, we want to help!” I’m a working woman, and so independent, and I really take pride in being able to do everything. Well, this time, I literally couldn’t.

Life imitating art and vice versa: Going through my divorce, it was really a super dark time. I just didn’t know how to deal with it. I was throwing myself into work to deny my depression, and how upset I was. Unfortunately, the character was so depressed that it wasn’t helping me! I was really, really, really struggling. A lot of tears. The episode that I submitted for [the Emmys] was Episode 5, with that beach scene. And for two hours, I just cried. Like, I screamed, I cried, I sat there, I was quiet. I lay down; I stood up. I mean, it was amazing. Who gets to have that opportunity? And I needed that for Kaley, and I needed that for Cassie, and it worked all in one. The trauma I was going through probably helped whatever I needed to do for this season. Did I mean for that to happen? Oh my God, no. Did I want that to happen? No. It was so life-imitating-art at certain moments that it was eerie. I truly feel like the pain I was going through, a lot of that was real on camera. The scene where I break up with Marco — I mean, I could not breathe. I just went in the bathroom, and I literally thought I was going to have a panic attack. Not that what happened to them happened to us. That’s not what I’m saying. It was just the whole idea of the breakup, and saying the words.

[From Variety]

Kaley has spoken before about having Zosia move in with her, but I think this is the first I’ve heard about her telling producers that she needed help as well. Obviously it was in their interest to help her since she was the star and executive producer, but it’s good they were able to do so since so many workplaces don’t have the resources for that sort of thing. I can definitely relate to being independent and pretending like everything is okay when it’s actually not, so I’m glad she was able to open up and ask for what she needed from her friends and colleagues. It sounds like playing a dark, struggling character like Cassie was difficult for Kaley during her divorce, but also helped her process her trauma in a way.  The beach scene she submitted for Emmy consideration is very emotional and affecting work. Also, Kaley said a few months ago that a third season of The Flight Attendant is unlikely, but told Variety she’s open to it and talked about it with another EP recently. So, it’s a maybe? Keeping us on our toes, I see.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeBfCtjLovP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLXEunLAUQ/

Source: Read Full Article