Why Jim Parsons thought he was a mediocre producer of Young Sheldon
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In the canon of successful TV spin-offs, “Young Sheldon” has to be mentioned again and again. Takes place in the same universe as “The Big Bang Theory,” The sitcom centered on young Sheldon Cooper, who grew up in Texas long before he became the man audiences knew, portrayed by Jim Parsons. When it came time to breathe new life into his character through a younger lens, Parsons was directly involved not only as the series’ narrator but also as an executive producer. But while he’s relatively confident as an actor, Parsons didn’t have the same confidence as a producer.
In a 2017 interview with CBS NewsParsons sat down with Young Sheldon star Iain Armitage to talk about the show and their relationship. Parsons was a great mentor to Armitage and helped him become the young Sheldon Cooper. But when asked specifically about being an executive producer, Parsons didn’t shy away from sharing his feelings.
“I’m very mediocre at it,” Parsons replied, although Armitage quickly interjected and disagreed, saying, “That’s not true.” I’ll talk some more. Parsons explained his new position and why it was challenging for him. What mattered was that he didn’t want to tell any other actor how to do their job:
“It’s very strange and takes a lot of getting used to, even talking to another actor, in this case Iain. I’ve never felt like I was directing another actor. I don’t know what drives another actor, absolutely, and I don’t want to ruin it or him!”
“I’m not that fragile. I’m fragile, but not that fragile,” Armitage commented. Parsons then agreed and replied: “No, you’re not actually.”
Big Sheldon had to pass the torch to Young Sheldon
Whatever the case, everything worked out, regardless of Parsons’ feelings about himself as a producer. “Young Sheldon” ran for seven seasons on CBS before broadcasting ends in May 2024. That’s a whopping 141 episodes, for those keeping track. It’s not as many as the 12 seasons and 279 episodes of “Big Bang Theory,” but to say that the spin-off was anywhere near a runaway success would be unfair.
Parsons largely allowed Armitage to put his own stamp on Sheldon Cooper from the start. Yes, we know the old Sheldon, who Armitage referred to as “big Sheldon” in the interview, but that was a very different version of the character. Parsons talked a little about this, explaining that watching the younger Sheldon discover everything he loves would keep the show going:
“It really is its own character. What you see is how he became what we see in the adult series, and so that’s kind of his own entity that (Iain) represents here. There’s overlap, but we’re watching him discover it.” Things like comics and his clothing will change their style as he goes through this. All the things you now associate with Sheldon, you see how they got there through him.
Although he only acted as narrator for most of the show, Parsons appeared as Sheldon Cooper in the Young Sheldon series finale. He helped to complete what he had started and Armitage was now able to build a career on a winning streak after a very successful seven-year career. Everyone won. So, in retrospect, it might be difficult to say that Parsons is a bad producer.
“Young Sheldon” is now streaming on Max, Or you can get your favorite season on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.
