Iain Armitage Convinced Warner Bros. To Build A Park On Set Of Young Sheldon As A Designated Play Area
Since the fall of 2017, viewers have enjoyed an in-depth look into the upbringing of "The Big Bang Theory" brainiac Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) thanks to the CBS spinoff "Young Sheldon." Iain Armitage portrays an adolescent version of the future theoretical physicist, depicting the early days of his unmatched smarts and quirky habits, such as his need to always sit in the same spot.
Audiences also get insight into the dynamic of the Texas-based Cooper family. This includes his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry); father, George Sr. (Lance Barber); big brother, George Jr. (Montana Jordan, who can't keep a straight face while filming hilarious scenes); and twin sister, Missy (Raegan Revord).
Regarding the latter, this is quite a love-hate relationship. In "Young Sheldon," there are countless moments of contention between Sheldon and Missy, including their battle over the perfect family outing (Missy wants Chuck E. Cheese while Sheldon is adamant about visiting the railroad museum).
However, the twins also have several heartwarming interactions. Missy fearing for her brother's health during his hospital stay — and even sleeping in his empty bed because she misses him so much — is one such example. As for Sheldon, he dedicates his valedictorian speech to his sister, telling her, "If it weren't for this person, I wouldn't be here right now. They've taught me a lot." Sheldon reveals how Missy helped him find the courage to bypass middle school and graduate from Medford High School at the age of 11.
For Armitage and Revord, who are self-admitted pranksters behind-the-scenes, their bond isn't limited to the screen. In fact, they once joined forces to successfully have their very own play area built on set.
Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord wrote a letter to the Warner Bros. president
While celebrating 100 episodes of "Young Sheldon" in early 2022, Iain Armitage reflected on favorite memories (via Warner Bros. TV). A particular highlight came during the filming of the second season. Each day at lunchtime, he and co-star Raegan Revord would play on the massive set, which he said was the perfect environment for hide-and-seek, tag, and other games. However, it came with its drawbacks.
"It is an industrial workspace, and a lot of people would be sleeping on the set during lunch, and we were very energetic and needed a place to run around," said Armitage.
So, they got creative and wrote a letter to the president of Warner Bros., asking if a designated play space could be established. The result — Young Sheldon Park — was beyond anything Armitage and Revord could have imagined.
"They built us a park, and it was so cool," he recalled. "They actually tricked us; they said we were going to do an interview or something at the office building ... I just remember that that was such a kind, crazy thing that just kind of shows you how considerate people are here at Warner Bros. It's insane that I get to work here."
As reported by Deadline, Armitage will be working there for a bit longer, with Chuck Lorre's "Young Sheldon" renewed through the 2023-24 season. CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said of the series, "'Young Sheldon' dominates the broadcast comedy landscape by over 2.5 million viewers ... The humor, warmth, and heart exuded by the Cooper family is an undeniable hook for the millions of fans who tune in each week."