'Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons says reprising role on 'Young Sheldon' was a 'gift'
Jim Parsons calls reprising his Big Bang Theory role in its prequel series, Young Sheldon, a gift.
ICYMI, Young Sheldon is currently airing its seventh and last season, with Parsons and co-star Mayim Bialik, who played his love interest Amy Farrah Fowler, set to return for the series finale.
The actor last played the quirky but lovable character for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019 and the upcoming episode will mark the first time Parsons will play Sheldon Cooper in about five years. While Parsons does take part in Young Sheldon, he has primarily been a narrator off-screen and an executive producer.
"I felt a slight hesitancy when they first asked, just as I thought, I don't really want to revisit the character," he said in an interview with People Magazine. "But the way they wrote it in was, I thought, so beautiful that it ended up being like this extra little coda or whatever to my experience with the character."
"It was this gift of a second layer of losing it out in a way that I had never seen coming, and it was a real treat," the actor said.
Previous teasers shared by entertainment outlets showed Parsons donning a robe and sitting in front of a laptop, possibly typing up a memoir. Bialik is seen standing behind him.
Iain Armitage, who plays the teenaged version of the actor's character in Young Sheldon, shared that having Parsons and Bialik in the finale was "like a reunion."
"It was incredible. It felt like a reunion, getting to see them back together. They know each other so well and act so well together. They knew each other's cues, which was wonderful to see. I think Mister Jim and Miss Mayim both quite enjoyed it, so that's nice," he told Variety.
Young Sheldon first premiered in 2017 and has seven seasons. The last episode of the series is airing on May 16.