Goodbye to Sheldon Cooper: Jim Parsons will not play the character again

Sheldon Cooper is one of the most iconic characters on television from the 2000s and 2010s. The scientist turned Jim Parsons into the highest paid actor on television for several year thanks to his role in ‘The Big Bang Theory’, although after the premiere of the last episodes of its prequel (‘Young Sheldon’), Parsons was blunt about Dr. Cooper’s future: he doesn’t think he will be Sheldon Cooper again.

Jim Parsons doesn't want to be Sheldon Cooper again

In a recent interview with E! News, Parsons was blunt regarding whether or not he would return to play Sheldon Cooper. “Look, never say never. Life is long, God willing, but I don’t think so,” the actor responded when asked if he would return to being the popular comedy character created by Chuck Lorre.

And not only is Sheldon his most iconic character, he’s also the most lucrative. In 2018, according to Forbes, Jim Parsons was the highest paid television actor, with a salary of $26,500,000 per year.

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Parsons played Sheldon Cooper in all twelve seasons of ‘The Big Bang Theory’, he has acted as narrator in all seven seasons of ‘Young Sheldon’ and also has appeared in its last episode (released in May 2024), tying up the series perfectly.

Although he has not expressed it as such, it is not difficult to imagine the actor somewhat tired of having given life to the same character for so long; it seems reasonable to think that he simply wants to explore new horizons.

Iain Armitage is the actor who played Sheldon Cooper in his childhood and adolescence in both ‘Young Sheldon’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’. This, in theory, means that in the event that those responsible for the series wanted to continue exploiting the world of Dr Cooper, it is likely that they would continue to have it in a prequel series located between the two.

The small universe of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ are among the most lucrative and critically successful Warner Bros and Chuck Lorre productions of this millennium, becoming of the most watched on North American television and winning seven Emmys (including four statuettes for Best Comedy Actor for Jim Parsons) and obtaining 46 nominations in total.

As such, there is already a new spin-off in the making, called ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’, which will star Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) and Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment), Sheldon’s older brother and sister-in-law. Given that this is yet another prequel series that will follow the events of ‘Young Sheldon’, it is to be expected that if Sheldon Cooper appears in it, it will be the “young” version played by Iain Armitage, although his participation is not confirmed. In any case, this comedy series will premiere in autumn 2024.