Tom Pelphrey Gets Real About Working Parent Life With Kaley Cuoco & His 'Number One Priority'
Task star Tom Pelphrey’s career is at an all time high, but parenthood and his relationship with Kaley Cuoco are still his “number one priority.”
The actor talked about how becoming a dad has changed his career during an appearance on E! Live from the Red Carpet at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, saying that daughter Matilda “owns him.”
“She doesn’t even need to manipulate me she just owns me,” the 43-year-old actor, who is nominated in the Best Support Actor in a Drama Series, said. She can be upfront about it because I’m always gonna say yes.”
Pelphrey added that Matilda is always top of mind when it comes to choosing his projects. “With role, [I’m] trying to be smart between me and Kaley, obviously Kaley works too so trying to be smart about schedule and being a dad is my number one priority.”
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Pelphrey and Cuoco started dating in early 2022 before welcoming Matilda in March 2023. Pelphrey and Cuoco announced their engagement in August 2024.
In October, Pelphrey opened up about his love for his daughter. “Becoming a dad two and a half years ago now, it’s just the most f— awesome, wild, intense, crazy s— I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Pelphrey said in an interview with LA Times. “It’s like getting struck by lightning. I’m so in love and I feel so vulnerable and I feel so happy — it’s all the feelings.”
“Then suddenly, when you’re thinking about how you feel, you go, ‘How do I balance this? How do I protect her, but make sure that she’s brave and experiencing things?'” Pelphrey said. “And you quickly realize there is so much to this that I will have no power over and the realization of that, in the deepest sense — and I’ve already had moments of that and we’re just getting started here.”
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