Jim Parsons became a renowned global star through his iconic sitcom role as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. Parsons is openly gay, and his husband, Todd Spiewak, is an art director and producer. Together, they collaborated to produce the spin-off series of The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon. After many years in a committed relationship, Parsons and Spiewak wed in May 2017.
Parsons’s sexual orientation was not widely known during the early years of his CBS sitcom. In a 2012 article, The New York Times revealed this detail along with his relationship status. Initially, Parsons didn’t consider marriage as a necessary step to seal their relationship. However, once they got married, he found the experience to be deeply impactful.
Jim Parsons Didn’t Consider Marriage Until He Felt His Relationship Deserved A Celebration
Jim Parsons appeared in a segment called Becoming Jim Parsons for Them to discuss some of the moments that have shaped his career and identity. Parsons had made several television appearances and had some minor film roles before he landed his breakout role as Sheldon Cooper. Apart from his all-time hit show, another defining moment in the Spoiler Alert actor’s life was his marriage to Todd Spiewak.
Parsons shared that he and Spiewak had been together for two decades. Despite having a long and loving relationship, Parsons was initially not keen on marriage. The Visions actor disclosed that he did not see marriage as a possibility for a gay relationship at the time. Eventually, Parsons came to believe that he and Spiewak were worthy of celebrating their decades-long relationship and decided to get married. Jim Parsons shared with Them:
“We got together, me and Todd, it will be 20 years this year. Part of the reason, I didn’t feel that intense about marriage was that I hadn’t grown up with it as a possibility for my gay relationship with another man. And for a long time, I felt that way until eventually I felt that we were worthy of having a celebration for ourselves, inviting those closest to us to celebrate this relationship.”
The legal sanction for gay marriages only came about in the U.S. in 2015. Once the legal option became available, Parsons realized that he was in a relationship that was indeed “marriage material” and that he should go for the big step. Parsons felt it was one of the most important and impactful moments of his life. The Hidden Figures actor told Them:
“I did feel like it was at least a healthy thing for me to be a part of exercising that right, now that I had it, and was in a relationship that was marriage material. There’d be more and more stories that you could latch onto as a young person to maybe make marriage… maybe what could become a dream for you. The sweetest part of it was that once we were doing it, once we did it, it did feel important and impactful at a personal level. I am very grateful that we did it.”
In the segment, Jim Parsons described The Big Bang Theory as “life-changing at so many different levels”. Parsons also discussed his involvement in other projects including The Boys in the Band and Spoiler Alert.
Jim Parsons Never Considered His Relationship As Activism
Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak received an Inspiration Award from the LGBT advocacy group GLESN in 2013. It was one of their first public appearances together as a couple. During his acceptance speech, Parsons shared that they hadn’t done anything extraordinary, rather they lived a normal and boring life. He clarified that he had never intended any activism with his relationship. Parsons shared (via EOnline):
“I’ve never considered myself an activist. I’ve never considered my relationship with Todd to be an act of activism. Rather simply, it’s an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs [out]—a regular life, boring love.”
However, Parsons admitted that if they were serving as an inspiration just by living their life happily and openly, they owed a debt of gratitude to the people around them who made it possible. Parsons particularly thanked Spiewak’s parents for being an important part of their lives. Interestingly, Spiewak shared during the ceremony in 2013 that they had no plans of getting married.
Also Read: “I’ve never seen…”: Jim Parsons Reveals Devastating Truth That Will Destroy Big Bang Theory Fans
