‘8 Simple Rules’ Star Kaley Cuoco Says She Still Lives By Her Late TV Dad John Ritter’s Advice

Decades after starring in 8 Simple Rules, Kaley Cuoco is still taking after her late TV dad, John Ritter. 

“The most important thing I learned from John was to do anything for the laugh,” Cuoco told TV Insider while attending an event for the John Ritter Foundation, a charity run by the actor’s wife to raise awareness for Thoracic Aortic Disease. 

Cuoco only spent a year and a half performing with Ritter, who died during production of the show’s second season in 2003. Despite their short time together, Cuoco said this lesson hasn’t only stuck with her, but has come to define her approach to making audiences laugh. 

“I live by that today,” she explained, noting that her time with Ritter still “feels like yesterday.” “Working with John changed the course of my life and my career.”

Though Cuoco famously went on to flex her comedy chops on The Flight Attendant and The Big Bang Theory, the sitcom star really put these skills to the test earlier this month while playing the part of Janet Wood in a Three’s Company table read at an event for Ritter’s charity. 

“I’m willing to take a stab at anything,” the actress said of the reading, which also featured Jason Alexander, Adam Devine and several members of the sitcom’s original cast. “It’s sweet and brings joy. It’s been fun to re-enact the show and see it come to life.”