Jim Parsons Reveals If He'd Play The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper Again

Even though it might not be everyone's bag, there is no denying the popularity of "The Big Bang Theory" as well as its spin-off "Young Sheldon." Both had ridiculously long runs that defy the norms of the streaming era, where shows are lucky to run for three short seasons. A huge part of what makes these titles retain a loyal audience is the love viewers have for Sheldon Cooper, portrayed by Jim Parsons. But with both shows now in the books, would Parsons consider returning as Sheldon yet again?

E! News asked Parsons what it would take to get him to do a "Big Bang Theory" sequel series following his cameo in the "Young Sheldon" series finale, which aired on CBS in May 2024. The actor was blunt saying "reincarnation" before adding "the next lifetime," just to punctuate his point. He did so with a laugh before elaborating a bit on his stance with the following:

"Look, never say never to anything. Life is long, God willing. But I don't think so."

Parsons very much seems to be done with the role of Sheldon. It's also not hard to see why. "The Big Bang Theory" series finale aired in 2019, serving as a send-off for those characters. While most everyone else moved on to other acting ventures, Parsons stayed in this universe as the narrator and an executive producer on "Young Sheldon." All told, this character has dominated nearly two decades of his life. That's a gift most actors will never know, but it's also a long time to spend doing some version of the same thing.

Again, Parsons is taking the "never say never" approach here. Who knows how he'll feel in a few years? Maybe the right idea will come along. Maybe CBS will back a dump truck full of money up to his house to make it happen. For the moment though, Parsons understandably wants to pursue other things. Meanwhile, CBS can focus on the latest spin-off in this universe, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage."

There's also the possibility that CBS could make a spin-off focused on a much older Sheldon. The internet recently pointed out that Oscar-winner Michael Keaton looked like an older version of the character. Maybe "Old Sheldon" would be in the cards? Probably not with Keaton, but someone surely. It's not hard to see the pitch.

For Parsons, we're looking at an actor who has starred as Sheldon in some capacity in more than 400 episodes of television dating back to 2007. He's had to say goodbye to the character not once but twice. Speaking in the same interview, he explained how it's all been a little odd.

"It was very, very special to do that. The feeling today is kind of odd, you know? It's the second time now, because when we ended The Big Bang Theory, it felt like this, too. A little bit different. You shoot that final episode and it's wrapped for you, and then a couple of months later, it wraps for the rest of the world and it's a very weird feeling to flood over you again like that."

"The Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon" are both streaming on Max.