L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 8 Kaley Cuoco pays tribute to her Italian-American origins as she receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame It's always a big deal for the film industry when an artist gets recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but the event becomes particularly imp or tant f or the Italian- American community as well when said artist has a strong connection to his heritage. This last October was one of those moments when actress Kaley Cu o co s aw her talent and achievements recognized on the worldwide famous sidewalk. Among a large assembly of photographers, friends and fans Cu o co us ed the occas ion to acknowledge the importance of family values taught by her par- ents during her upbringing in Oxnard, California. The strong connection to her family is what k ep t her gr ounded all thos e years, "My mom and dad are truly amazing parents. People ask me why I've stayed pretty n o r mal and it' s becaus e of them." Her parents, Gary Carmine Cuoco and Layne Ann Wingate have always made sure their d au g hter s K aley and Briana knew that family affection, deep- rooted in Italian traditions, is what matters the most in the crazy world of show business. Kaley's grandparents on her father side were both Italian (the last names being "Cuoco" and "Marrone") and were always an inspiration for the young actress. While Kaley's father has had regular jobs, a firefighter and later a real estate broker, it was Kaley's mom Layne who had the first approach with the world of entertainment, having been a print model. Kaley started pretty young, at age 6, doing mostly commercials for Barbie dolls. She was 10 when she got her first role in a feature film, the D enzel Was hington thriller Virtuosity. When Kaley was little Ms Layne set up a general rule that involved having a backup plan for the future and saving her daughter from potential disap- pointment: if she wanted to pur- sue acting she needed to choose something else too and work hard to excel in it. So Kaley started practicing tennis and got s o good at it to the point of becoming a nationally ranked player. She stopped playing pro- fessionally when she switched to acting full time in 2002, but she MICHAEL TRAVERSA s till enjoys playing for fun. Kaley's level of commitment in everything she does is extremely high, it becomes a part of her life or, to use her own words, of herself. During the star induction she expres s ed her gratitude by explaining just how she sees act- ing as an extension of herself, "I've been doing this my whole life. It's heartwarming to be rec- ognized for something that I feel is so part of me. It's like my arm, it's me, it's always been me." The actress rose to fame with not one but two different tv-shows throughout her career, the s itcom 8 Sim ple Rules , which was John Ritter's latest role and in which Cuoco played the shallow but funny oldest daughter Bridget Hennessy, and the beloved series The Big Bang Theory. On the latter she plays Penny, a Cheesecake Factory waitress who lives across the hall from scientists Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper. The fact that she is often wear- ing shorts and sexy dresses on the comedy series, and the con- stant increasing popularity of the show among the geek communi- ty, contributed in making her a household name, that everybody loves. The show is now in its eight season and has won sever- al Emmy Awards and Golden Globes. Cuoco's ventures in movies include To Be Fat Like Me, in which she portrays an attractive film student putting a fat suit on to experience the life obstacles overweight students face in high school and Authors Anonymous, which saw her starring alongside Dennis Farina, in one of his last performances before his death in 2013. Cuoco indicates both the late J ohn Ritter and Chuck Lorre, who's the creator of The Big Bang Theory, as her mentors and incidentally both already have a star on the walk of fame. So it's understandable that the s tar ceremony proved to be incredibly emotional for her. She had felt lucky enough of having been part of two induc- tions in the past, for two people who she loved and respected. Knowing personally somebody w ho had gotten a s tar w as already an honor, the thought of getting one hers elf w as far beyond her expectations. Next she can be seen playing a bride- to-be in the upcoming Kevin H art comedy T he Wedding Ringer, which hits theatres in January. With a massive promo- tion, trailers have been running for months prior to the release, and thanks to the pairing of Cuoco with Hart, the comedian of the moment, the film is already paving the w ay for Kaley's transition to box office gold. Actress Kaley Cuoco Kaley Cuoco during the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony

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