Tom Pelphrey is enjoying both career success and family life. The “Guiding Light” veteran, 43, stars in HBO’s highly anticipated drama “Task,” which premiered Sept. 7, alongside Mark Ruffalo.
As reported by Deadline, the new series, follows Pelphrey’s character Robbie Pendergrast — a sanitation worker by day who turns to robbing drug dealers at night to support his family.
Tom Pelphrey’s Breakout Role in HBO’s ‘Task’
Speaking with People, Pelphrey revealed that his fiancée, actress Kaley Cuoco, 39, was the first to read the script. “She wanted something to read one night,” he recalled. “She came up to me after and was like, ‘This is one of the best episodes of TV I’ve ever read. Did he write this for you?’ And then I read it and of course agreed with her completely and very much wanted to be a part of it.”
Pelphrey said he was immediately drawn to his character’s complexities. “It’s always so interesting to me to put what could essentially be a very good person in impossible situations that then their behavior seems bad,” he explained.
“This guy’s working full-time, raising his kids by himself, doesn’t have much money, doing whatever he needs to do to take care of his family. And maybe we could say, ‘Well, that’s not the best way to go about it.’ But at the end of the day, he really is trying his best.”
Tom Pelphrey on Family Life With Kaley Cuoco & Daughter Matilda
Off-screen, Pelphrey’s world revolves around Cuoco and their 2-year-old daughter Matilda. Speaking about their bustling household, the actor said, “It’s like an insane zoo here all day, every day. We always have some kind of adventure, and there’s usually a nap in the afternoon.”
Fatherhood, he added, shifted his priorities. “When it comes to getting to be a dad, I’m so grateful it happened a little later in life,” Pelphrey said. “I would’ve done my best always, but there’s zero part of me that is confused about the order the priorities go in.”
The couple welcomed Matilda in 2023 before getting engaged in August 2024. Pelphrey admitted he had one lighthearted request before her birth: “I told Kaley before Matilda was born: ‘If this is a girl, you’re going to have to be in charge of most of the discipline.’ And she said, ‘We’ll see how that changes as she gets older.’”
Today, the “Ozark” actor says family time comes first. “The only rule so far is just that she’s the priority,” Pelphrey said. “Spending time with her is a nonnegotiable. It’s very important to me.”
Looking back on his journey, Pelphrey described his life in one word: “heaven.” “There’s challenges, but if you would’ve told me 15 years ago that I could be with the love of my life and have the most perfect baby and get to do what I love, it’s wild. You’re living your dream. And I’m very conscious of that.”
“Task” is now streaming on HBO.
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