Share and Follow
There simply wouldn’t be a Big Bang Theory without Jim Parsons’s Sheldon Cooper, who may or may not have been based on a real person. While every character on the acclaimed Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady sitcom is beloved, there’s no doubt that Sheldon is the favorite. So, it’s no wonder Lorre decided against continuing the show without Sheldon after Parsons expressed interest in moving on.
While Jim Parsons has made an enormous amount of money from the CBS show (and still is), it’s completely understandable that he wanted to do different things after a whopping 12 seasons. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jim Parsons went into detail about how much he changed his life and career following the end of The Big Bang Theory.
What Jim Parsons Did After The Big Bang Theory
Playing Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory for 12 seasons tied Jim Parsons down. While he was taking other roles in some pretty acclaimed films during this period, there’s no doubt the CBS sitcom held him back. Not just from seeking other work in Hollywood, but also from pursuing his love of theater in New York. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about how soon he left Los Angeles after the end of the series, Parsons made it clear that it was almost immediately.
“We did our final [Big Bang Theory] performance [in front of a live studio audience] on a Tuesday night. On Wednesday, we did the handprints and stuff at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Thursday morning, I was on a plane out of L.A,” Parsons explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
After The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons was already set up to star in Ryan Murphy’s movie version of “The Boys in the Band”.
“During that, Ryan asked if I would do [the show] Hollywood. I had a few offers, but it wasn’t tons. Nothing seemed to fit or feel like the right thing to do next,” Parsons explained. “Then I got an email asking if I had any interest in doing this play, “A Man of No Importance”, with John Doyle directing. I’d seen his Sweeney Todd and his Company, which I adored. It’s new to me to have the reason for doing something just be, I want to work with a director.”
In his interview with THR, Parsons also admitted that being able to play a gay character has been extremely rewarding for him. Basically, every major role he has taken since The Big Bang Theory has mirrored his own sexuality, which has brought him a lot of joy as well as freedom.
Why Jim Parsons Became A Producer
On top of pursuing different acting gigs following the end of The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons also started producing his own stuff. During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor admitted that becoming a producer happened while he was still on the CBS sitcom.
Read Related Also: What We Know About Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ Last Public Appearance
“At some point during Big Bang renegotiations, this would be a thing — that part of one new deal was my own production company. For what? I’d only been an actor,” he explained. “I looked at it as a gift, but I remember saying at the time that I didn’t want to develop work for me. I didn’t want to be another actor with a vanity project production company.”
While Jim Parsons initially didn’t want to produce projects for himself to star in, at the time of this writing, he is currently working on an Andy Warhol project that he will be the lead of. He also produced Spoiler Alert, a 2022 film that also starred him.
While Jim Parsons doesn’t have a lot on his IMDb in terms of upcoming acting projects, there’s simply no doubt that he will continue to build his career in new and interesting directions now that he’s no longer tied down by The Big Bang Theory.
During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter in November 2022, Jim Parsons praised Big Bang Theory co-creator Chuck Lorre.
“I was always impressed with how rhythmically gifted he is. He brings a lot of things to the work he does, but so much of the success of his sitcoms is that he understands how to keep them moving along musically. They play like a good pop song. They’re worth repeating, and you can dance to them,” Parsons explained.
All of these skills that Parsons listed about Lorre no doubt exist in him as well. After all, he’s basically become a master of the sitcom genre. This begs the question, will he ever star in another show like The Big Bang Theory again?
“At this point, no,” Jim Parsons admitted to The Hollywood Reporter when asked about his future relationship with sitcoms. “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. Now I want to be surprised.”
