While the role of Sheldon Cooper doesn’t sound the most physical on paper, it did end up taking a major toll on Jim Parsons, especially in the initial seasons. Considering most conversations in the show revolved around science, most of the time, the cast was largely clueless about the meaning behind the lines in the script.
Things were more dire for Parsons, as being the lead of the series, he had to do the heavy lifting when it came to parroting rapid-fire scientific monologues during the initial seasons. This eventually forced him to quit drinking despite having no history of alcohol abuse, and his costar Kaley Cuoco has nothing but admiration for his commitment.
Kaley Cuoco Shedded Light on TBBT‘s Pressure on Jim Parsons
In the first four seasons of The Big Bang Theory, the sole pressure of delivering scientific monologues rested on Jim Parsons’ shoulder, and the whole ordeal was less-than-thrilling. Not only was it mentally taxing, but it also impacted the actor physically following his intense diet for the show. As the pressure kept mounting on him, The Boys in the Band star even gave up drinking for nine years, despite having no history of alcohol abuse.
Weighing on the matter, his co-star Kaley Cuoco acknowledged the challenge that Parsons faced to do justice to the sitcom, stressing she couldn’t imagine the stress the show put on him.
She said (via Looper):
I can’t imagine the stress I’m sure the show put on him because there was so much riding on his shoulders and so much to memorize. It was such a specific character that I can kind of see why he needed to put drinking aside. The show was 12 years of intense focus for him. That’s a lot to take on.
Fortunately for the actor, the load from his shoulder started to alleviate after season 4, thanks to the introduction of Mayim Bialik’s Amy Farrah Fowler.
Jim Parsons Has No Intention To Play a Character in the Same Capacity as Sheldon
Considering how physically and mentally taxing the role was for Jim Parsons, which he continued to play for 12 seasons straight, it’s easy to see why he reportedly turned down CBS’ offer to return. While the actor did return to TV to work on Call Me Kat, in which he served as an executive producer, he had no intentions of working in a role in the same capacity as Sheldon.
He told THR:
At this point, no. It was a wonderful ride and I never disliked a day of it. But what my spirit has been craving is new people, new experiences. I exercised the muscles of an ensemble that went on for 12 years.
As for his future, Parsons expressed that he wants to be surprised in his career moving forward, and it’d be interesting to see what the future has stored for him.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
