Young Sheldon's Lance Barber Played A Different Character On The Big Bang Theory

"The Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon" are set in the same universe, and both shows feature some of the same characters at different points in their lives. The main examples are Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parson) family members, who are basically the heart of the entire franchise. Sadly, though, his dad, George Cooper Sr. (Lance Barber), is absent from the former series as he died when Sheldon was still in his teens. That said, Barber still has a role on "Big Bang Theory," and let's just say his character isn't as nice as George.

Unlike Barber's secret cameo in the "Young Sheldon" finale, his "Big Bang Theory" character is more out in the open. His name is Jimmy Speckerman, and "The Speckerman Recurrence" episode reveals that he bullied Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) back in high school. When they meet again in the present, a drunken Jimmy apologizes for being a jerk back in the day and Leonard lets him crash in his apartment. However, Jimmy wakes up hungover on Leonard's couch the next day, unleashes an almighty taco fart, and starts acting like his old self again.

While it isn't uncommon for actors to play different characters in the same franchise, Barber's outings on "Young Sheldon" and "Big Bang Theory" have led to some wild fan theories. Fortunately, the actor addressed them head-on and put some of the wackier ideas to bed.

"The Big Bang Theory" franchise is a love letter to nerd culture, featuring characters who obsess over comic books and sci-fi concepts. However, thanks to Lance Barber playing two different characters in the franchise, some fans are convinced that the overarching story is part of a Marvel-esque multiverse, and that George Cooper and Jimmy Speckerman are variants of the same dude. Barber dismissed this theory in an interview with ET Online, before reflecting on how grateful he was to play the aforementioned bully at the time:

"It was fun for me because when that happened and I got that job, it was apparent to me that that was going to be noticed, especially from how deep the fans are of those shows. So it wasn't going to go unmissed by the fandom... I've heard some and there's been some weird stuff like is this is this a multidimensional universe. It's nonsense. It's an actor playing a different part!"

Barber is also open to appearing on "Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage," so his time in the franchise might not be over yet. Just don't expect to see him appear as George Cooper's ghost in a throwaway role, which would probably be stranger than multiversal madness. Regardless of how he reappears down the line, though, it probably won't be weirder than Kaley Cuoco's secret cameo on "Young Sheldon."