Kaley Cuoco explains why her pixie cut on 'The Big Bang Theory' was 'the worst decision': 'I just f***ing cut my hair off and didn’t tell anyone'

Kaley Cuoco is reflecting on her hairstyle change amid filming The Big Bang Theory, sharing that her drastic haircut before season eight was a decision that the show's creators weren't privy to at the time.

"I just f***ing cut my hair off and didn’t tell anyone. I did it for an independent film called Burning Bodhi, and basically showed up to our Big Bang wrap party with short hair. [Cocreator] Chuck [Lorre] hugged me and said, 'Wow, look at your hair!' and I said, 'Do you like it?'" she recalled. "I don’t know if I was being rebellious. I mean, I did do it for the movie, which was my excuse to cut it. At that point we were heading into our eighth season and something needed to shake up."

The actress's admission is revealed in the book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, which is being released Tuesday. Throughout its pages, the cast and creators talk about on set drama and behind-the-scenes stories. Cuoco even admitted some defeat when it came to the intended benefits of her pixie cut.

"I was bored and sick of the hair, and what’s funny is I thought by cutting my hair, I would spend less time in the hair and makeup chair, even though I loved the hair and makeup team. And then in my attempt to spend less time on my hair, that decision bit me in the ass and it took way longer to do my short hair. I was like, 'This is the worst decision! What was I thinking?!'" she said. "I thought I was cutting off all this time, because I hated going in and getting ready. That’s why I was wearing my hair up so much in seasons six and seven. So then I cut it and it ended up being more work because it wasn’t easy to style."

The show's co-creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre said that the move was "startling" as he and the writers "didn't have a heads-up on the haircut!" He even noted that changes to a character's appearance had led to lower ratings in shows like Dharma & Greg and Felicity.

"The audience had become infatuated with the character, and not just the character’s behavior and flaws and strengths, but in how the character looked," he said. "They became iconic, and to disregard that audience attachment was a mistake. And I witnessed it firsthand."

Ultimately, Cuoco justified the switch up by pitching it as a part of her character Penny Hofstadter's greater evolution.

"I was justifying it because Penny was starting this new job as a pharmaceutical rep. It was going to have to work because it’s what I was doing," she said. "I remember the writers figuring out what Sheldon was going to say when he saw her hair and literally would never be able to let it go, which made me laugh. But it’s just funny to see how that was such a big deal. I remember actors on other shows who cut their hair and thinking, 'Why would they do that?' And then I went and did it! Whatever, there’s always going to be haters. Welcome to the business!"

While the actress herself "had fun with" the cut and "did like it," she recognized that people elsewhere would have differing opinions≥.

"I’m sure it was being negatively talked about all over the place, but I didn’t pay as much attention to what people were saying on social media then. But I do remember we had wrapped an episode, and as I was walking up to my dressing room, an executive said to me, 'I just want you to know, who cares what everybody else says? I love your hair!' And I said, 'Who said what about my hair?' Her eyes got so big, and I was like, 'No, seriously, did someone say something about my hair?' And she was like, 'Oh, no, no, I think it looks great,'" Cuoco recalled. "She totally got her foot in her mouth, because obviously it was a topic of conversation! I guarantee that woman probably thinks about that moment a lot. It was not a good night for her!"

As for the rest of Penny's styling on set, Cuoco noted that her character's look was "very specific early on" and then went through changes throughout the series. There's one thing she can't bear to wear herself, however, after it became a staple in Penny's wardrobe.

"It got a little more business-y, and then in the later years, I must have worn 400 shirts from the line Equipment. To this day I cannot wear another Equipment shirt. I wore every print," Cuoco said. "I see them, and I am like, 'That was Penny!' I cannot wear them anymore."

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