For any follower of the famous sitcom The Big Bang Theory, today it seems impossible to think of its protagonist Sheldon Cooper without automatically associating him with actor Jim Parsons. That is why his fans were surprised to learn that, incredibly, due to fate, the real actor who was offered the role not only said no, but preferred to stay in the cast but with another character for a very particular reason that the producers They understood and accepted.
With 12 seasons and more than two years since it ended, it is certain that the fame and success of The Big Bang Theory will endure over time for the enjoyment of several generations. If there is an iconic character of the show recognized as a fan favorite, that is Sheldon Cooper, so much so that he even has his own spin-off, Young Sheldon, thanks to the talent of Jim Parsons who today has become one of the most popular cast members, although the story almost didn’t happen like that.
Although The Big Bang Theory launched the group of young artists made up of Jim Parson (Sheldon Cooper), Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz), Kunal Nayyar (Raj Koothrappali), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette Rostenkowski) and Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler), it was undoubtedly Parsons’ presence that was the main secret to the show’s success. He became the perfect example that while talent and preparation are important, sometimes being in the right place at the right time makes a big difference.
One of the anecdotes that most surprised fans of the iconic comedy was that The Big Bang Theory was very close to having another interpreter in the role of the peculiar scientific genius Sheldon Cooper, because the producers of the television network program CBS had offered it long before to another young and equally talented actor, none other than Johnny Galecki, whom we would later know as the beloved Leonard Hofstadter. The reason for this change was because Galecki himself did not want to play Sheldon.
Everything was known during an interview for Variety in which Johnny Galecki participated in 2015, when The Big Bang Theory was in its eighth season and at the height of its success. The artist reported that when the casting process for the show was taking place, the creator of the series Chuck Lorre had offered him to participate in the role of Sheldon Cooper, but that he replied that the one he really preferred to play was Leonard Hofstadter, arguing that it seemed more likely that character had a romantic life.
“It was a very selfish request on my part, but I just hadn’t been able to get through those heart stories. I’ve often been cast as the best friend or gay assistant to any character that explores those relationships. I said I’d rather play this guy.” , who seems to have a future of romantic triumphs and difficulties”.
It was Johnny Galecki’s decision to play Leonard that prompted the producers of The Big Bang Theory to start casting Sheldon, which Jim Parsons eventually landed. As a curious fact, it was also learned (by the mouth of Parsons himself) that previously before being chosen for the comedy, he had auditioned to participate as one of the characters in the pilot episode of another famous production, The Office. Fortunately, he did not get it and he paved the way so that two years later he ended up accepting Lorre’s offer and the rest of the producers who were delighted to meet him.
