Today's Entertainment

Kaley Cuoco makes a ‘Hop’ from ‘Big Bang’ to the movies By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it A star of one of televi- sion’s top sitcoms, Kaley Cuoco is hoping to make a big bang in the movies, too. The young actress’s ca- reer has been centered on the home screen, thanks to regular roles on “8 Simple Rules” (still seen in repeats on ABC Family), “Charmed” (now rerun weekdays by TNT) and her biggest hit to date: CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” which is holding its own admirably Thursdays against Fox’s ratings jugger- naut “American Idol.” (“Big Bang” is pre-empted this week by coverage of the NCAA Men’s Division I Bas- ketball Tournament.) As Easter approaches, though, Cuoco is making a timely leap to the big screen. She’s in the cast of “Hop,” a fantasy-comedy arriving in theaters April 1. Courtesy of computer animation, she gets to appear opposite the son of the Easter Bunny (sporting the voice of Russell Brand), who travels to Hollywood and is hit by a car ... then is taken in by the driver (James Mars- den) and his sister (Cuoco). “I’m so excited,” the lively Cuoco says about the mov- ie’s imminent opening as she takes a break from a photo shoot for the CBS-published up in front of the camera. I’ve worked really hard for 20 years, and it blows my mind when I think about being in this business that long. “I’ve learned not to take anything for granted, and I don’t know how I landed a show that is this success- ful. That’s super-rare, so I’m riding this wave as long as I can. I didn’t see this coming. I have no idea where life will take me next.” Cuoco knows her immedi- Kaley Cuoco, of the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” has a major role in the new movie “Hop.” celebrity magazine Watch! in Berkshire, England. “You get very spoiled when you’re on a TV show, so every time my summers came around, I didn’t want to do anything. I wanted to hang out with my horses and call people back; I didn’t want to work on anything, because I knew I had a job. “Last summer, I was ready to do a film, and this one came along. It was just the most fun experience. I’ve re- ally got the film bug now, and I hope that takes me some- where in my life as well. I’d never say this for sure, but I think I’ve built a name in tele- Stutzman MOTOR SALES , INC. Goshen’s Finest Pre-Owned Vehicles Since 1964 11 Buick Lucerne CXL 4 dr., loaded, p. heated leather seats, navigation system, CD, white, 4,000 mi. 10 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 4 dr., loaded, V6, heated leather seats, climate control, silver, 8,000 mi. 10 Pontiac G6 4 dr., loaded, 4 cyl., p. seat, heated leather seats, p. sunroof, CD, red, 17,000 mi. 09 Toyota Camry XLE 4 dr., loaded, 4 cyl., p. seat, heated leather seats, p. sunroof, CD, charcoal, 33,000 mi. 08 Buick Lacrosse CX 4 dr., loaded, p. seats, tilt, cruise, CD, silver, 37,000 mi. 08 Chevrolet Impala LT 4 dr., loaded, heated leather seats, p. sunroof, CD, black, 47,000 mi. 06 Buick Lucerne CXL 4 dr., loaded, heated leather seats, local one owner, sandstone, 33,000 mi. 06 Chevrolet Impala LS 4 dr., loaded, p. seat, tilt, cruise, CD, silver, 48,000 mi. 06 Saturn Ion2 4 dr., loaded, 4 cyl., A/C, tilt, CD, silver, 45,000 mi. 06 Saturn Ion2 Coupe loaded, 4 cyl., 5 spd., p. sunroof, aluminum wheels, silver, 55,000 mi. 04 Buick Park Avenue 4 dr., heated leather seats, cass./CD, local owner, white, 95,000 mi. 04 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4 dr., loaded, A/C, tilt, CD, blue, 74,000 mi. 08 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4 dr., loaded, Stow-n-Go, p. seat, p. sliding doors, CD, silver, 34,000 mi. 08 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 4 dr., loaded, Stow-N-Go, p. seat, rear A/C, one owner, blue, 35,000 mi. 07 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4X4 4 dr., loaded, p. seat, CD, hitch, p. sunroof, burgundy, 32,000 mi. US 33 West, Goshen • 533-1166 Monday-Friday 5 am-3 pm Sat. & Sun. 6 am-3 pm Serving Breakfast All Day Lunch • Daily Specials 5230 BECK DRIVE (at CR 17) ELKHART • 574-333-3910 8 The Goshen News • Viewer’s Choice • Saturday, March 19 - Friday, March 25, 2011 Now Open vision, and my next step is to find a place in the film world. There are all these goals I have, and I’ve met my televi- sion goal, so I want to reach some others.” Indeed, Cuoco has sev- eral other film projects in various stages. She has completed “The Last Ride,” a drama about the final days of country music legend Hank Williams (played by Henry Thomas). Also on her agenda is a remake of the 1987 thriller “The Bedroom Window,” giving her Elizabeth McGovern’s earlier role as an assault victim who sets a trap for her attacker. Even with those plans, Cuoco will be giving much more “Big Bang” for her bucks. CBS already has re- newed the show for not just one more season but three; also, repeats start a weekday run this fall on TBS and local stations, where the series has set an off-network syndi- cation record by netting more than $2 million per episode for Warner Bros. Television. “The show has done mi- raculous things for me,” Cuo- co reflects, adding her belief that she’s been professionally lucky in general. “I’ve grown ate future, at least, and she embraces continuing to play neighbor Penny to engaging geeks Leonard and Sheldon (Johnny Galecki and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jim Parsons). She recalls be- ing stunned by the news of the series’ virtually unheard- of three-year renewal when she spotted it online while on the show’s set. “We were rehearsing, and I said, ‘Hey, guys. Did we get picked up for three years?’ Johnny was like, ‘Oh, yeah. I heard that.’ Then, Jim said, ‘Oh, yeah. I heard that, too.’ Then we just went on with our day. That’s how casual we are at work. Later in the day, we did a big ‘Cheers!’ over it. That just doesn’t hap- pen, to know you have a job for three more years. It’s very emotional for me.” Stressing that she’s not as casual as she first might appear about such mile- stones, Cuoco attributes it to “my work ethic. I think some people think it means I don’t care, but the more people get to know me and the lon- ger I work with them, they realize that’s just kind of the way I am. I’m as happy and grateful as the next person, but I don’t take it too seri- ously.” To see how quickly Cuoco can get serious, though, mention last fall’s horse-rid- ing accident that left her with a broken leg and sidelined Allergies? Asthma? We Can Help! Snoring? Daytime Fatigue? Morning Headaches? Excessive Sleepiness? Yatin J. Patel, M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Pulmonary Medicine You may have sleep apnea. Sneeze & Snooze C L I N I C 2417 South Berkshire, Goshen 574-534-9911 www.md4lungs.com Watch informational videos on our website. Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. her from two “Big Bang” epi- sodes. “I couldn’t leave the hos- pital bed for two weeks,” she says, tearing up at the memory. “I was like, ‘Have I ruined the show?’ After one week, (the doctors) said, ‘You can go back and shoot if you want, then come back’ — so I called (executive producers) Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and said, ‘I can do the next episode. Write me something.’ The next day, they called back and said, ‘It’s not anything about you.’ They couldn’t find a place to put Penny in, and I was so devastated. “By the next taping, I’d been released from the hos- pital, and I just came for the curtain call to talk to the au- dience and thank the writers. I realized, at that moment, that I never wanted to be away from there again. Even now, I cry at every curtain call, because my leg was so badly affected that they didn’t know if I would walk again. I am severely, severely grateful.” 13024 US 20, Middlebury • 574-825-2965 MARCH ALIGNMENT BILL’S COLLISION SPECIAL SERVICE Weblinks On Wednesday, Lifetime premieres the reality show “Four of a Kind,” about identical quadruplets. Join the official online commu- nity by clicking on www.mylifetime.com/community/four-kind On Thursday, USA Network’s “Fairly Legal” ends its first season. To learn more about star Sarah Shahi, who plays a San Francis- co-based mediator, click on her official site at www.sarahshahi. com “The Hard Times of RJ Berger” premieres a new season Thursday on MTV. Get caught up with photos, recaps, bios and episodes by clicking on www.mtv.com/shows/hard_times/series.jhtml Deborah Ponce, RN, MSN, NP-C Nurse Practitioner Our friendly staff is ready to help you! $ 5 9 9 5

• Cover