Kaley Cuoco Joins New HBO Max Series How to Survive Without Me
- Kaley Cuoco has signed on to star in the upcoming HBO Max family drama series How to Survive Without Me, created by Greg Berlanti.
- How to Survive Without Me centers on the De Angelis family following the death of matriarch Beverly, played by Rita Wilson.
- TVLine reports that Cuoco will portray the eldest De Angelis daughter, described as a wife, mother, and interior designer who inherited her mother's perfectionism, elegance, and organizational prowess...
Kaley Cuoco has signed on to star in the upcoming HBO Max family drama series How to Survive Without Me, created by Greg Berlanti. The 15-episode, hour-long series adds to Cuoco’s slate of projects alongside her recent guest appearance in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, while she and partner Tom Pelphrey await their second child later this year.
A Star-Studded Ensemble Cast and Creative Reunion
How to Survive Without Me centers on the De Angelis family following the death of matriarch Beverly, played by Rita Wilson. The family struggles with how to maintain their connection without her guidance, but Beverly leaves behind a plan insisting they make the effort to stay together if they want to experience her final work. Ray Romano joins the cast as the family patriarch, while Joshua Jackson takes on the role of a chef harboring a secret that could alter everything.
The production marks a creative reunion between Jackson and Berlanti, who previously worked together on Dawson’s Creek where Berlanti served as an executive producer and writer. Berlanti reflected on the project in a network announcement, stating that the new series draws on personal family experiences of love and loss.
The first show I ever created was a family drama, almost exactly 25 years before this one was picked up,
Berlanti said in the announcement. It’s been incredibly emotional to return to this kind of storytelling and I’m so grateful to Casey, Sarah, Joey and everyone at HBO Max for asking, to Channing, Brett and Clancy and the Warner Bros. team, and finally our brilliant cast — Ray, Kaley, Josh, Rita and the rest of our extraordinary ensemble and crew.
Character Details and Production Context
TVLine reports that Cuoco will portray the eldest De Angelis daughter, described as a wife, mother, and interior designer who inherited her mother’s perfectionism, elegance, and organizational prowess while hiding deep inner wounds. This role plays to Cuoco’s established strengths in blending comedy and drama and portraying complex characters, drawing comparisons to her work in The Flight Attendant. The announcement of Cuoco’s next television role follows a public celebration for her partner, Tom Pelphrey. Pelphrey won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award for his role in Task at the 2026 Emmy Awards, during which he thanked Cuoco from the stage and referred to her as his “very pregnant” partner. Premiere and filming dates for How to Survive Without Me have not yet been announced by HBO Max.
